- I want community
- I want family
- I want "something for my kids"
- I want music I enjoy
- I want a great preacher
- I want genuineness
But then there is a list of "don't wants"
- I don't want to feel "judged"
- I don't want people to talk about money
- I don't want to commit more than about 45 minutes a week to this thing
- I don't want to have to "share my feelings"
The lists go on and no-one's list is the same.
As I'm working at Kinetic I'm seeing an interesting thing. I've worked at 3 churches now. A very old church with a lot of traditional ties that is in a very established community in a simi urban area. A vey new church in the suburbs with some traditional roots that has established themselves as pretty "adult contemporary" and now an "edgy" church that meets in a school with all the trimmings of that style of church. I've loved all three experiences. Each one has presented great spiritual growth for me as well as fair amounts of spiritual challenge. They have all given me opportunities to serve Jesus within the church as well as in the community. So, this post is by no means a commentary on which way is the "right" way to "do church" In fact, the question is quite the opposite.
As I look across the spectrum, there is a common issue. Churches loose people. They just...go away. Why is that? Some of them turn their back on God. Some of them just hop from church to church looking for...who knows what? And my question is "why"?
That's all I've got for now. just the question why?
As we look forward to a new church work in the coming years I hope to understand at least a portion of this question. I don't want to pander to whiny Christians who just can't be happy. But I do hope I can better understand better how to teach people to love the church as the bride of Christ and "be" the church to the world while being way less concerned about whether or not they are getting "what they want" out of it.
2 comments:
could it be an issue of "Fan or Follower" people have a poster of Jesus on their wall but don't want to actually travel the road to calvary with him? most people don't want to recognize the commitment and sacrifice Jesus demands from his followers. we get caught up in our consumerism and materialistic culture of the American dream the we miss the truth of the gospel.
I really believe that that's the main thing. That's why discipleship is such a huge deal! We have to show our disciples what it looks like to be an excited disciple of Jesus.
Great to hear from you E!
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