I just received a question from an associate that asked how to start a service to attract people from outside the church. I encouraged her to give up on this idea.
But what is wrong with starting a relevant church for seekers?
Relevant churches are rarely even closely relevant. Most Christians don't even like them. They might be better than Mom and Dad's morning service, but they usually are quite irrelevant to the outsider. The church person cannot 'guess' what the seeker wants, undoubtedly getting it wrong. What Christians need to do is create meaningful worship through bringing their very own lives to God. Worship must reflect the culture of the community that is currently part of the church, not replicate current worship CDs, nor 1980s soft rock, nor 18th century hymns. Instead of mimicking other church cultures, the community collectively brings their own idiosyncratic ways of life to God, whatever they may be. Indeed, the church may have the stray outsider finding themselves in the worship service and joining the community. But if the focus is on them, simply to be relevant, their worship will satisfy neither the church members nor the outsider.
Other reasons?
A focus on the church service as connecting point perpetuates the idea that following Jesus is about going to church. The community's life takes the form of American congregational religion rather than the fluid practices of the gospel, and this emphasis presents quite a barrier to the 'seeker' outside, as they need to be converted to the values of American religious congregationalism before they can come to faith. Thus, virtually all of those who are attracted to the relevant service were raised in church or are currently going to another church -- they are not the never-churched. In contrast, a missional congregation connects with those outside the faith by, well, connecting with those outside of the community in their world. Connecting happens not in a 'come to us' CHURCH service, but through 'go and dwell' church SERVICE, i.e. service in the community -- living alternative lives.
A focus on the service as connecting point perpetuates the sacred/secular split of modernity. When the bulk of the community's energy goes to maintaining a church service, it implies that the church service is more holy, more important, more worthy of our time than the everyday practice of our spirituality.
A focus on the service as connecting point perpetuates the clergy/laity split -- there are those who 'do' ministry for everyone else. Instead, the role of the leaders is to facilitate the worship expression of the community as a whole.
A focus on the service as connecting point perpetuates the producer/consumer form of spirituality -- those on paid or volunteer staff produce spiritual products for passive spectators to consume. Instead, the church must create a context for the community production of worship -- we consume as we produce...
What are the alternatives to connecting through the church service?
To clarify, those who desire to connect with the outsider are in synch with the God of the Universe. Truly, mission lies at the very heart of God. However, those of us raised in the evangelical tradition have been socialized into thinking that this connection needs to happen through a church service.
Instead we need to take another look at worship and mission and entertain allow for other possibilities, such as:
The worship service is no longer an evangelistic service for outsiders but a space to practice heaven for a period of time, facilitating the offering of the community life to God in worship. If a guest of the community finds God in the service, all the better, but this is not the focus.
Mission happens in the 'world' in the world formerly known as secular, on their 'turf' -- not ours. As servants, the Christian connects with the seeker through service in their world.
I agree and disagree. I agree that the stylistic stuff is not going to cut it. But I disagree because I think in some churches the present worship has become so intractable and self-serving that it is hard for the Spirit to move. At some times like that, it may be better to grow around the majority of a congregation that does not want to grow than to grow THROUGH a group that does not want to grow or change.
Posted by: Clint Walker | October 20, 2005 at 09:57 PM
Phew, that is a load - lot's to digest! Thanks for the post.
Posted by: Steve | October 22, 2005 at 07:19 AM
Thanks for an interesting article.
Posted by: mumcat | October 22, 2005 at 10:55 AM
wonderfully stated and much-needed opinion, ryan. i hope you don't mind that i linked your post on my own blog. your thoughts reflect much of what i've been thinking about, but more concretely and eloquently than my thoughts have run so far.
Posted by: mark | October 24, 2005 at 11:05 AM
Yes! Why can't (the collective) "we" get this? Okay, we're blind... or afraid - or both, and then some. Like the title of that film, "Something's Gotta Give..." And soon, something will!
Posted by: dan | October 24, 2005 at 09:42 PM
great thoughts Ryan - its not that complicated is it?!
enjoyed your blog
Posted by: hamo | November 06, 2005 at 05:24 AM
Thank you! You have just eloquently summed up what I have been trying to say since I first heard of "seeker-sensitive" services. Those not churched need us to come to them, not the other way around.
Posted by: John | November 08, 2005 at 12:39 PM
I caught your article on NextWave, and really loved it brother. Having written myself for NextWave and most recently to Ginkworld(reposted to my blog http://glenfitz.blogspot.com ) I'm really glad to have another brother like yourself give real resonance to some of the stuff I've been writing and thinking about. It's always good when you're shouting, "yeah!" at the computer screen in agreement. Keep it coming.
Posted by: Glen Fitzjerrell | November 17, 2005 at 08:11 AM
Great stuff. My question is, once the connection is made in the community how does the church worship in such a way that those seeking to follow/worship Jesus don't feel alienated? They're going to have to learn some kind of new "worship language", shouldn't we make that as painless as possible so that they can worship in a language that is close to the language they use in the rest of life? Doesn't that help to alleviate the sacred/secular split?
Posted by: Rich | November 26, 2005 at 09:57 PM
Loving God and your neighbor. It's that simple.
So anything that takes us away from that needs to be examined
closely.
Posted by: steven | March 08, 2006 at 09:24 AM
I have a question. I've been trying to figure out my own best way of worship and i feel like i'm coming up short. I don't think church is really for me. We have one contemporary service a month and i go to those and they keep my attention just fine, but i dont feel that i get anything from the regular by the book services. Could you suggest some way for me to worship on my own or give advice to help bring more meaning to "regular" church services? Thanks in advance for any help i can get.
Posted by: Rachel | March 17, 2007 at 10:03 PM
I have a question. I've been trying to figure out my own best way of worship and i feel like i'm coming up short. I don't think church is really for me. We have one contemporary service a month and i go to those and they keep my attention just fine, but i dont feel that i get anything from the regular by the book services. Could you suggest some way for me to worship on my own or give advice to help bring more meaning to "regular" church services? Thanks in advance for any help i can get.
Posted by: Rachel | March 17, 2007 at 10:03 PM
Rachel, part of the problem is that church is done to you -- you are not part of the planning process, so the way the community worships does not take your voice into account. It is for others. So, either look for ways to be involved, or find like minded others who can meet as a small group to worship -- a venue where you can bring your whole life to God.
Just some ideas off the top of my head...
Posted by: Ryan | March 21, 2007 at 10:00 AM
very interesting, but I don't agree with you
Idetrorce
Posted by: Idetrorce | December 15, 2007 at 06:55 AM
I would like to see a continuation of the topic
Posted by: Maximus | December 19, 2007 at 11:37 PM
Ryan,
I attend Central Christian in Henderson, NV. When we left two years ago, it was changing, we returned 2 years later and we found that many members left due to these changes. I am frustrated witht he seeker friendly church model and more frustrated that any church you attend feels a need to follow thi model. It's truly destorying the Christian culture breeding a generation of shallow Christians who may never truly "get it". Is my assumption wrong, because I am running into "weaker" Christians more frequently.
Posted by: Tom | March 31, 2008 at 09:55 AM
Gute Arbeit hier! Gute Inhalte.
Posted by: fussball | March 02, 2009 at 03:15 AM
pfsle rpfkd iyprh zqhu lipzm twiay kocqjlx
Posted by: djfoukxri kcsz | April 02, 2009 at 04:13 AM
Natural leather sneakers
Slippery leather
1. Use first clean soft cloth (best white) with a small amount of the Leather shoes clean Jackie Leather ShoesCleaner ", in the vamp light force wiped to cheap jordan heels wipe away, remove dirt.
2. Use the other a clean soft cloth the right amount of the leather care cream "average on the vamp (just thin sparsely coated, avoid by all means is too jordan heels for women much weight, or with excessive ointment order to), and then the leather face polish.
3. Such as unclean product stubborn (such as oil product), can mix with unclean integrated part of the wet (not the only sports Shoes) and then with the Leather Shoes detergents Jackie Leather Shoes Shampoo "and soft brush to remove dirt store, and then to cloth or thick printing paper towel dry, not a natural dry after the shoe model, prevent sun direct illuminate. Then the step 2. Nursing shoes leather discount Jordan high heels for women.
Posted by: jordan high heels | October 27, 2011 at 06:43 PM