Fred Nails It

"This is a great Church, but...
By Fred Peatross


This past Sunday I participated in a bible class with thirty or so other Christians. The teacher began the class with a simple question:

What is the spiritual age of the youngest Christian here today?

What followed was a very revealing illustration of our missional instincts…

The oldest Christ-follower; fifty-three years in the faith.

The youngest; twenty-years in Christ.

In the past decade this particular church has turned the corner on what now threatens thousands of churches in America—extinction. It exchanged it’s gray-haired membership with a balanced representation of both old and young.

->It’s relevant.
->It’s progressive.
->It’s has a a great expositor.

It’s a community with modern and emergent nuances. And it is shepherd by six baby boomers who understand grace.

Later that same morning, when the whole church gathered together, I was compelled to confirm or dispel my supposition. As the worship leader led the assembly in song, I scouted the gathering to see if I could determine who was the youngest Christian in attendance. My fifteen-minute exercise pointed to a man seated in the middle of the auditorium— three years old in Christ. How did he come to know Christ? Through an individual who gave a tremendous amount of energy, time, and love to the relationship— his wife.

On the right side of the auditorium was a very active youth group, comprised mostly of the children of members along with some of the children’s friends. I’d like to think that I would never underestimate the impact of youth ministry. Nevertheless, my notion had been confirmed.

While we’ve been busy converting the member’s children and spouses we’ve not done nearly as well connecting with the largest segment of society—the unbelievers, agnostics and atheists.

Is this church’s story a fair representation of what is going on in the relevant worship-centered churches across America?

Is it fair to assume there is more swelling than actual growth in these churches? For example: a mix of disgruntled Christians, Christians moving from legalism to more Christ-centered, grace oriented churches, and Christians who’ve made the decision to leave their stagnant out-dated churches for the more relevant churches? a.k.a—crop rotation.

Does this church illustrate the primary difference between seeker and missional churches?

Are those churches that call themselves missional (really) having a different experience?

Through the 1980s and 1990s my tribe was converting more than they are today (granted we were converting people to church doctrine, not Christ). But what are we doing for Christ sake today?

The easiest thing to do is what we already do; blame western society as being “much more difficult to reach.”

But is it fair to release ourselves from the responsibility Jesus gave us by blaming the people Jesus is searching for?

The Established Church: Some Great Churches but…

The greatest challenge facing the established church is the development of a genuine sensitivity coupled with a vision that connects with the people who live beyond the borders of our campuses.

Transitional-Culture-Orientation

Transitional-culture-orientation was the initial cultural onslaught that swelled the unbending, traditional churches with the disgruntled members who confused change with scriptural violation, and then left for the sake of conscience and tradition.

During this period (mid/late 1990s) the older traditional churches swelled as they gained new members from the germane churches who worried about their ability to survive the losses. But the churches that stayed the course, over time, turned the corner on extinction. Now nearly a decade later, the unbending, traditional churches are fighting for their survival. While, paradoxically, the more germane churches are swelling through an influx of the youth of the 1990s, now young adults seeking relevancy.

If these established worship-centered churches (who challenged tradition for the sake of relevancy) are to survive phase-two of this cultural transition, they must overcome the tension that exists between creating community among its membership and the sensitivity of reaching the community beyond its borders.

First Half of the Story: Assembly Relevance

Early in the transitional period church survival was predicated upon "remaining relevant”; via worship, music and message. This was the first half of the story. But the established church must keep moving. If it loses its compass and becomes static the story stops.

The second half of the story brings with it a fundamental challenge that must be addressed—

Not later.
Not tomorrow, but today.

The Second Half of the Story: Missional Instincts

Missional reorientation represents such a profound learning curve for the established church that many believe new church plants may be the best, if not the only plan.

The skills for discovering, interpreting, and purposefully engaging the culture contiguous to God’s people demands an intentional incarnating of the broader culture. It’s much more than simple demographics but a discerning of the powerful cultural patterns, beliefs, and values that are shaping the world in our very midst and most important is our response to the social realities (ethnic diversity, consumerism, nationalism, and variety of spiritualities) with the resources of the Gospel.

The church that exchanges “come to church” with, "go to the world” becomes the missional template church for the 21st century.