It doesn't take Sherlock Holmes to see that many churches in North America today have become more and more consumer-oriented. I'm amazed how we as Christ-followers have fallen into doldrums with what church is all about. It's kind of like Christmas, when all of the presents have been opened and we didn't get what we were expecting; we're left dissatisfied. I can hear a distant echo of U2's Bono singing, "And I still haven't found what I'm looking for..."
Many of our churches are like an athlete who looks well and fit on the outside but, unaware, harbors serious medical problems on the inside. Yes, many a modern small-town church sanctuary—with all of its staging, lights and sound—probably blows away any local entertainment venue for miles. Many of our facilities are gorgeous, wonderfully constructed and clean, and have safe and secure nursery and childcare facilities. They have a winsome, capable staff, social media presence, and maybe even a place on the schedule of a local cable channel.
"But we still haven't found what we're looking for..."
We all prayed back in the 80s and 90s for a way out of the stagnant post-WWII church culture that had led to a decline in church attendance. In 1990, we looked to George Barna's book, The Frog In the Kettle, and found that if we didn't make changes to the way we approached church, and ignored the ever-morphing cultural landscape in America, that those generations following ours would never want to set foot in a sanctuary—for the first time or ever again.
So, here we are, after the huge "Community Church" push that came out of the purpose-driven and seeker-sensitive influences that preceded and accompanied the "Frog in the Kettle" book era. As a result, and to attract people, many denominational churches ditched their "Baptist, Methodist, Presbyterian, fill-in-the-blank" name tags for ones that made their theological persuasion obscure. Now the trend is to name churches like our youth groups—with summer blockbuster titles such as: Ignite Church, Explosion Church...Kaboom! Church!
Does a name change actually change anything?
There is even talk about age discrimination in the church today. I've heard in some circles that a 35-year-old musician may be too old to play on a church stage. (Thank God, at 53, my church lets me be the Music Director, and I still rock my electric guitar every Sunday). Many full-time ministry positions in churches have become part-time, and as a result are potentially allowing various ministry needs to fall through the cracks. I get it: In the age of spiraling medical insurance costs, and with a stagnant economy, we all need to cut back.
The bigger concern is: Are we really fulfilling the Great Commission—to go and make disciples (Matthew28:18-20)— or are we just building churches? There's a HUGE difference in those two philosophies. I believe when we're making disciples, we're growing the church not just in numbers, but in depth—one soul at a time. In comparing the two philosophies, building churches is all about the big—the masses, events, breaking through culture, and can lead to a corporate mentality. Making disciples, on the other hand, happens one person at a time; it's up-close and personal, can get messy, and it's much slower, resulting in smaller numbers than the other.
I'm sure many churches have accomplished both philosophical goals to some extent. But I still think it's important that we look back on the past 25 years and evaluate if we've really "found what we were looking for."
We desperately continue to find ways to fill the chairs in our sanctuaries, and we're willing to do whatever it takes to populate our services. Some of the most talked about modern models of evangelism and church planting are healthily being debated:
- organic vs structured
- attractional vs sent
- monologues vs social action and conversation
- events vs relational mission
A hybrid approach is most favored among many, including church planter Jonny Woodrow from England, who says, "[We need] all of them! We need to break down a wall that has divided the organic, sent, relational and conversational church from the structured, attractional, events-based, monologue church. The debate along the wall is all about which will be more contagious: which model will spread faster and more efficiently? But beneath this debate, the real divide for many is over which side encapsulates the most authentic experience of New Testament Christianity."
Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments” (NIV).
Worship—our response to a great and glorious God—will be the fuel that propels the church forward, even into evolving cultures, style changes, through difficulties, famines and stock market crashes. Worship is the priority of the church. All activities—evangelism, spiritual formation, ministry, corporate worship, etc.—must lead to the great result: the praise of His glory (Ephesians 1:11-14).
I hope we find what's missing, make corrections, and get on with "church" as it is meant to be. There are souls in the balance.
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