Recently, I have become an employee of a church. As a previously hesitant church-goer, I wasn't sure how I would do as a person who was regularly expected to participate in Sunday morning church activities and the like. Something about the American church has always kept me at a distance. I'm still not quite sure what it is. Maybe it is the idea that Christians have to sit through a sermon on Sunday mornings to be considered part of the church. Maybe it is the adventurous part of me that wants to be moving and exploring all the time... lets face it, our generation is not exactly one that focuses too much on settling down. Anyway, the other day I was sitting in a meeting (enjoying what was going on) and I began to think about why going to church has been difficult for me. (Before I continue, let me make it clear, that this is not my opinion of the church I am working at, but rather my view of the American Church in general.)
Recently, the church has become a tool for evangelism. We focus our time and efforts on getting non-believers to come in our doors, find Jesus, and help us continue to recruit others. The sermons have to become "Seeker-friendly" and even small groups continually work to bring in new people. So much effort is going in to conversion rather than life transformation. In my opinion, the church should be a place for fellowship and growth. The church is a place made up of faithful believers who are working to follow God's Word together, people with an alternative way of living. It is not about bringing as many new people in as possible, and if that is our focus, we have lost our way. In Acts, people were loving one another and working to grow with each other, and others naturally saw that and wanted to join. I do believe there is a time for evangelism, but I do not believe it is at the pulpit. Being a faithful follower of God does not mean we need to convert the most amount of people. Being a faithful follower of God does not mean that we need to focus on how to make our own lives better. Being a follower of God means we have to work together to love a broken world, and join in the effort to bring His kingdom of peace and love to all of creation.
When churches focus so heavily on "bringing people to Christ" (I know this blog has contained a lot of Christan-ese) we lose the fact that we have to care for one another as well. We can not allow ourselves to become so intent upon conversion that we fail to be the Church. People do not want to join a mission. They want to join a family.
Recently, the church has become a tool for evangelism. We focus our time and efforts on getting non-believers to come in our doors, find Jesus, and help us continue to recruit others. The sermons have to become "Seeker-friendly" and even small groups continually work to bring in new people. So much effort is going in to conversion rather than life transformation. In my opinion, the church should be a place for fellowship and growth. The church is a place made up of faithful believers who are working to follow God's Word together, people with an alternative way of living. It is not about bringing as many new people in as possible, and if that is our focus, we have lost our way. In Acts, people were loving one another and working to grow with each other, and others naturally saw that and wanted to join. I do believe there is a time for evangelism, but I do not believe it is at the pulpit. Being a faithful follower of God does not mean we need to convert the most amount of people. Being a faithful follower of God does not mean that we need to focus on how to make our own lives better. Being a follower of God means we have to work together to love a broken world, and join in the effort to bring His kingdom of peace and love to all of creation.
When churches focus so heavily on "bringing people to Christ" (I know this blog has contained a lot of Christan-ese) we lose the fact that we have to care for one another as well. We can not allow ourselves to become so intent upon conversion that we fail to be the Church. People do not want to join a mission. They want to join a family.
Yes yes yes yes yes.
ReplyDeleteYes.