We are called to reach the world that does not know Jesus. It's our mandate, our commission, our reason for existence. Yes, I fully agree that we live to glorify God and enjoy Him forever. But He made it crystal clear that to do that we must engage pre-Christians with the Good News. At our church, we feel that the best way to do that is to serve, bless, and heal in order to build bridges.
We need to be honest...pre-Christians seldom come to our worship services. Surely, all churches have more than enough folks who have been inoculated with a form of Christianity - they have been baptized, sprinkled, confirmed, prayed with, prayed for, they joined a church, whatever - but they are not followers of Jesus. And we have a serious, too-oft ignored obligation to present them with truth. Yet still, we have few "seekers" come to our worship services.
So...what do we do? Format our worship services to attract them? Well, almost everything has been tried with only a modicum of success. We've changed music, done small groups, shown videos - all with little to show for it. Don't get me wrong: I'm all for varying musical styles, all for small groups, all for different venues of proclaiming the word - but worship services are primarily for those who already follow Christ! To think that we can somehow format a worship service to attract pre-Christians is to use 1950's thinking. It may have worked then, but it does not work now! We have ridden a dead horse long enough. Paraphrasing Rick Davis, "If you'll get off the dead horse, you'll get where you're going faster and it won't smell as bad."
Most churches are 50 years behind, more likely 2000 years behind. E.g., Jesus went to where lost people were! And where He went, He served, blessed, and healed. Reckon what we ought to do?
I don't have the answers. Instead, I've got questions...Where do we find them? How do we bless them? How do we serve them? We better ask (God), and we better get busy. Can you help me?
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8 comments:
Amen to that post! Sorry, I don't have answers to your questions. But you are right about asking God because if all we do is try to copy the success of other churches or change just to say we're different than the old way, I suspect we'll just be trading one dead horse for another.
My family and I have been following Christ for many years now. Having recently moved, we have now visited numerous local churches and been dismayed by the shallowness of it all. I've actually called local pastors and asked about their serious teaching. More than one has told me that they need their "Sunday morning experience" to be "welcoming" to the unchurched. "What about me?" I ask selfishlessly, and why would a newcomer to our faith need to see the consumer friendly version first? What's the point of luring pre-Christians into your fold if you only have plans to feed them the real and difficult stuff later?
I desperately wish our corporate experience would reflect a group of Christians learning and loving each other--flaws and all. Then, as our lives are continually transformed, perhaps our normal conversations could be filled with His glory. Maybe we invite friends and neighbors into our homes because we love and care about then with Christ's love. Maybe we coach pee-wee football. And maybe those folks want to join the journey. I pray so.
secret spaces,
i think you nailed it. and i like the part about filling our conversations with his glory and inviting unbelievers into our lives.
i think there are a couple of reasons that does not happen. it is not so much that Christians have been bad to others. it is that we act just like the world and are not intentional about reaching them.
I am standing and cheering! Well said! Hey Billy, I just replied to your comment on my blog and realized you probably won't see it! But I wanted to drop by "your neighborhood" and see what you had to say. Didn't know you were blogging! Soooo cool. :) Your very first paragraph mentioned reaching out and "healing" the wounded spirits of pre-Christians in order to bring them in (BTW, I love that term). I just want to state here, for the record, that I am walking, talking, breathing, living proof of the healing process that you began in me 6 1/2 years ago. I was spiraling so fast I didn't realize what was happening when you and Brazos Meadows allowed a soft landing for me. Are my troubles gone? Um... NO! But I have joy that sustains me where it didn't exist before and I try to reach out where I can. Although I have moved away and am no longer a part of BMBC, what you taught me will stay with me forever - TRULY. You probably don't realize how deep of an impact you continue to have. I saw Jesus in you. Keep up the good work. Keep the faith! God is using you!
Want some coffee?
you need to get back at it! miss you.
Yeah!!!! What the Spivey family said!!! :)
i agree. either get back at it, or pay Matt to blog for you ;-) Either that, or Brett and I can have one of our electronic discussions here.
Seriously, we all await your wisdom.
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