For the 30 and under croud..
What do you think of the church in America? How does she impact your life and speak to your culture, needs and mission? Is she relevant and attractive?
Will you sign in and respond? We are desperate to understand you.
Please give your thots.
posted by Bob Carder @ 12:30 AM
5 comments
5 Comments:
Bob,
I think young people might not feel as misunderstood as it seems. I know several "under 30" Christians who grew up in the church and have come to see the problems with typical church in America, and a lot of them migrate to churches that are involved in their communities, teach the word without attaching an agenda, strip down the "performance" of church and just try to understand God. Young people may not be showing up in the churches you talk about, but they are finding good churches.
Also, I'm sure you're aware, but there's been a growing interest lately among young people in traditional churches like the Orthodox church. Why? Some young people are tired of all the subjective, feel-good baloney they hear, and are longing for a church that is sure of who God is and how we should respond to Him. The traditions, in this case, are attractive.
Another entire group of young people, however, are mad at church because the only type of church they've ever known is the stuffy old fuddy-duddy judgmental type.
Adam, this is helpful!
The things you sight of interest to 30 and slightly under are: Community involvement, stripping away performance, teach the Word without agenda and are searching for more depth and spiritual reflection help us all understand you better.
Adam, tell me more about the Good Churches you describe. And relate good to the Great Commission and how they are doing as individuals in this area. Are people making disciples who make disciples themselves?
Bob,
I go to a daughter church of the Muncie Alliance Church. We meet in the basement of another church building here in Indianapolis, a building which is also shared by the Harrison Center studios, Herron Arts High School, the Nature Conservancy, and yet another church plant. It's truly an urban environment like that--space is at a premium, the building is old, and we work hard to share the limited resources with one another.
The more important things, though, have nothing to do with that. In fact, we've met in 3 different locations in the last 2 years. As far as making disciples who make disciples, this is definitely occurring. In fact, the pastor of our plant meets with the pastors of 5 other plants each week in a teaching pool to go over the week's material in preparation for Sunday. All these pastors went through an internship program through the Muncie church before being sent to these churches. They are truly multiplying congregations.
But the multi-generational disciple-making is maybe not quite as individual as it sometimes sounds like on this blog. We share fellowship times together that have nothing to do with church, and in that, friends and close bonds are made. Their is an emphasis on prayer, and the church regularly meets to pray together. It's a community effort. So, instead of a disciple making another disciple, many times, it's more like "all the disciples" making disciples.
Our church has so little pretention. Maybe it's an advantage of being in an urban setting, maybe it's because our pastor is a professional musician too, and used to be deep into the counter-culture of drugs, alcohol, and destructive behavior, but at any rate, whoever walks through the door is made to feel welcome. And not because somebody says hi to them and shows up on their doorstep the next day with a pie, but more likely because no matter where you're coming from, what substances you smell like, what language you use, it's ok.
Our church preaches through the word sequentially, a book at a time. At first, I didn't think I'd like it, but I found that as we traversed through Matthew, for example, that it was like going through life's journey with Christ. We went where he went, week after week. Nobody felt the need to attach their opinion of how we should live--there is very little of that type of preaching here. Our focus is to get to know God through the Word. Not to extract a set of instructions.
I hope this helps. Matt Conner can tell you more, I think, if you are still in touch. These people come as close to loving unconditionally as any church I've ever been a part of. And they seek God, and they could care less about building buildings, buying sound equipment, passing an offering plate, and writing a book of discipline.
And sometimes after Sunday night, we go discuss the service over chili and beer at the local tavern. Theology on tap!
Sounds pretty great, eh?
Yes, Adam, it sounds wonderful. Even to one who's not under 30.
Adam - It dooo sound good! How did you land in such a wonderful place?
You said, So, instead of a disciple making another disciple, many times, it's more like "all the disciples" making disciples.
So where is the individuals ownership for making disciples themselves? This sounds a bit like an excuse for not expecting everyone to do do what Jesus tells us to do. Is this what you are really saying? Help me understand what you mean.
Alott of Churches fall back on this one -well people are getting saved and they are being discipled here and we just all sit back and wait for it to happen. Did you know it can happen everyday in our lives as we invade our world for Jesus?
The subtle shift from -"Instead of a disciple making disciples all the disciples make disciples" actually brings a disciples making movement to a down graded system of addition.
Adam, does God command you to personally "Make Disciples" or does going to a church that makes disciples fulfill that command for you?
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