Gee, I should go to church today?
By Kevin Hendricks
It's time to go back to the basics.
I don't know any non-Christian who wakes up and thinks, "Gee, I should go to church today." Churches need to find ways to make people think that very thought--whether it's through billboards or outreach events or the incredible example of their members (or all three and more--my point, don't get hung up on the method). If churches aren't getting people to think that, then what are they doing?
Unfortunately, too many churches have settled for the status quo, the steady stream of Christians who do wake up thinking they should go to church, and for some churches that's good enough. Those churches are social clubs, and useless. Sadly, many Christians are that way too.
Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks
The Planter: I came across this odd article. Is it all about getting people to go to church or is there much much more. What's the point of this article? Anyone have the answer?
posted by Bob Carder @ 6:14 PM
6 comments
6 Comments:
How old is this article? It may sway my answer.
Terry, it was written recently.
Is our mission as Christians to help non believers "think about going to church"? I think I'll give Hendricks the benifit of the doubt and assume that his main objective is to draw them in so he can then preah Christ to them.
Kevin, going back to basics is not about the going to church! Nor is it about figuring out how to get people to think about going to church. Read your Bible and see for yourself, it's all about Jesus. We invite people to Jesus and then they become part of the Church. You don't invite people to church to be part of the Church.
What were you thinking?
this is odd, indeed.
When I first read this post I thought maybe this was written in the 1960’s. That would have been before we saw the results of that teaching. Today we see what happens when we use the techniques of the world to draw a crowd to the church. We slowly lose our identity as Christians. Look at the mainstream of Christianity in America today and it is statistically identical to the country as a whole.
Why wake up and think about going to church. I will answer as a non-Christian may answer. I have a library full of self-help books, hundreds of music videos and radio stations at my disposal, and I would pass several coffee and donut shops to get there. The Parks service runs sports programs, the theater has better performances, and besides that there is already no time in my life to do what I want to do. What is in it for me? Why would I dedicate time to attending a place that views me as lost?
Now picture yourself as you approach church for the first time. Do any of you remember the feeling? I am uneasy but most look comfortable in being there. I am sure I stick out like a sore thumb. I don’t know where to go or what is expected of me. I am not sure where to sit or even if I should sit. When do we stand and why? What do I do with the plate they are passing? Am I supposed to take notes? Everyone just bowed their heads at the same time. What are they doing? Am I in some kind of cult ritual here? It appears to have ended. Am I supposed to leave or stay in the foyer? Some of the people seem friendly and have at least greeted me but most are caught up in their own conversations with other people. I make my way to the door and the fresh air hits me in the face.
If this person does this enough they will start to realize that many churches have started to relate to this experience. They have their foyers more clearly marked than a supermarket. They have “what to expect” sections on their web sites. They mark their visitors in some way so regular attendees can identify them and make them feel “Connected”. Eventually they feel connected to the church and the people. Pseudo community is formed. We have now figured out how to connect people to the church so our numbers increase and where do our resources go? You guessed it, to promoting and connecting people to the church.
What needs to happen is a decline in this behavior and a return to the techniques and methods used by the early church. You know, the one that nearly converted the entire know world in about 200 years. The one that didn’t advertise our let seekers come to “church’. The Holy Spirit led movement of God. That is what we need today.
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