Saw this in Chris Erdman's Blog ...
What do you think?
Why reach out? To pull in, or..."
Saw this part of a church's ad for a new associate pastor for family and young adult ministries:
"The 2,000 member congregation has served God and Community since 1956. It has recently completed major construction including a multifunctional facility and Day School. Arriving two years ago, the Senior Pastor, experienced in large churches, excels in high program growth. Through the developement of new programs, the church is reaching out to the community and is eager to attract young families."
At first pass there seems little problematic here. The description is a common way churches think about their ministry. But I wonder if there isn't something problematice about the last sentence. It is the attraction motive to outreach that troubles me. What does it mean when our congregations believe they exist to offer religious goods and services that compete in the market for people's money, time, and lives? In what way is this an appeal to Christendom--a life for the church at the center of culture as its religious chaplain? What is the church's motive in outreach? I wonder if it's not inherently opposite to this? There is no question that a growing church will attract new people--but how and why? Is "high program growth" what it means to be the church of Jesus Christ? Something grates at me here.
Is the church's motive in outreach two-fold: one to provide assistance and support and another to serve as a focal point and source of inspiration and direction for those who can be on the giving end?
ReplyDeleteBut I can see your point about how it can all get very tactical and pragmatic and lose sight of spirituality. Sounds like Mary and Martha and that age old cooking debate!
i think a churches motive for outereach is to introduce people to Jesus. Any other function can be filled by just a regular community group or health service - only Christians can share Jesus.
ReplyDeleteYou thought that ad had issues? i heard one on the radio this morning that said "are you tired of boring and meaningless worship? Come to ... to experience exciting worship". It actually went on a bit longer than that but i'm just going from memory. I can't think of a single ad i have ever heard for a church on the radio that has not been totally consumeristic. Should churches even be advertising? on Christian radio? Especially since they mainly seem to theme theme their ads towards attracting people away from other churches. It's like a sad and pathetic midlife crisis when a church has to try and lure other churches congregations away to fool itself into thinking its growing and still fulfilling the evangelistic component of its mandate.
why o why do we seem to go in circle as churches when it comes to evangelism and outreach and all that jazz. why do we even have programs? what if the over five thousqand christian NGO's in victoria shut down? what if the over eight hundred christian health service providers shut up shop? what then?
ReplyDeletewe don'tt need to forsake the programs! we need to get back to the grass roots. as christians we are CALLED to be ministers in every field we are in. this means we need to DO outreach in every context in every way. if we are involved in NGO's or health providers that is not a problem... just dont call it outreach.
outreach is something that everyone does. your local MP is doing it right now. christians are on a mission. we are out here to live in the world with the ideas we have and the knowledge of who Jesus is. not to reach out but to live with. that is when true and meaningful discipleship happens and when evangelism is at its most effective.
hey, Rev, what's your take on this?
ReplyDeleteI have a problem with the word "attraction". I reckon it is our living as radical followers of Jesus - living according to the principles of the Kingdom of God - that should be attractive (not a worship service or church program). As Aaron said, it should be more about lifestyle than programs. I guess an interesting question is: are our lives reflecting God's Kingdom in a way that will attract others?
ReplyDeleteG
Interesting. When I first read that quote it made me sad. Is that how we see church and mission? I sure hope not.
ReplyDeleteOh, adn well said Glenn.
Tend to agree with glennj. Trying to attract must mean they couldn't be all that attractive, right?
ReplyDeleteLike a girl trying to attract a guy. When its the try-hard thing its a real turn off.
Who was it who said 'Love God and do what you want'?
THAT'S attractive!
Another post revvy!
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