"...It is waking up to the realization that the church isn't here for we who believe, but rather that we in fact are the church, and we are here for a world drowning in disbelief. Relevant engagement of culture, when born out of the heart of God, is less about marketing and more about passion. It is Paul offering up his own damnation if only Israel could be saved. It is fleshed out in the willingness to become all things to all men that we might somehow save some." Erwin McManus in The Church in Emerging Culture
most of us have heard a lot of things about becoming all things to all people. some use it as an excuse to do whatever they want, others use it as a reason to be even more legalistic than they were previously. things we need to think about as a community are, what kinds of things are we going to be doing to draw people into our fellowship? will we do some things that would make us seem more like a business?
i personally am against things like billboards for churches, slick advertising campaigns in order to bring more people in. i dont think that is what paul meant. i think paul was talking about meeting people where they are, in the places they live and work, and letting them know that they can belong to a group that will accept and love them the way they are, all while refusing to let them stay that way. how we go about implementing this on a day to day basis may take some work, some practice and some experimenting.
what does it mean to you?
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4 comments:
I like the question you pose Chris. I've always seen churches with huge marketing ideas and billboards and commercials and it seemed to be a waste of resources. When I think of what a church should be doing is more of like a grassroots campaign where we as a church actually have to get to know people instead of seeing them as a number. By getting involved with the community that the church is around, I think it promotes the message of caring about the people and town. I think the more we are involved with community activites the more people will hopefully see Christ through each of us.
somethings i noticed this morning at a church dez and i were visiting are (1) how much we impose our own particular cultural identity upon god. i was visiting a more progrssive church and the place was totally emo-ed out. dark colors, candles, everyone sporting beards and black plastic square framed glasses. (2) i noticed how much we as a culture are in love with the concept of celebrity. this morning was the first for most baylor students to return and it was obvious in the dress code and general energy around the church. everyone was dressed to be noticed, as though they were convinced they would be noticed and studied by anyone who saw them. everyone around seemed to be mostly concerned with their own immediate self before anything else. i think there is alot more to these 2 cultural phenomena and it would be worth considering if you had the time.
i agree with what you guys are saying. i think grassroots is exactly the type of idea here. that is the way church should grow, and really what i should say is that is the way "the Church" grows. this is something passed between persons in a personal way.
in the same way, too often it becomes something that grows from celebrity. "this guy thinks this is a good idea, you should too" etc.
however, i would say it is important for us to notice everyone. i hope people can come to our church thinking that they want to be noticed, and then they will be noticed and leave wanting to notice others. if that makes sense. hopefully this type of love can transform this awful egotism into a wonderful sense of wanting to give.
i would say on the note of aesthetics, we will have to have some. i think it is ok to have a cool looking sanctuary or whatever, but it should always be tempered with content. i know you arent saying we should make it like a hospital type of sterile place, but i agree we shouldnt just make it as trendy as possible. as roark would say, the truth is in the tension.
Just an update for you all, so you know I haven't dropped off the face of the earth... Erin and I are all moved in to the house in Garland. It has been an adventure and will continue to be... there is still alot of work to be done and last night Kat found a snake in the living room... a little one, but a snake nonetheless. It was fun...
I have recently gone part-time at Sylvan. Things with upper management just got way too out of hand and more and more things kept getting thrown onto my plate, things that I had no idea how to do. So, enough was enough and I am just part-time doing teaching as needed and updating the books. So far it has been a huge relief.
Also, as of yesterday, I am no longer going to grad school. Through a series of events through which God showed me I am not, contrary to the way I live my life, invincible and that I need to focus on Him and only Him, I made the decision to withdraw and maybe go back to that at another time. It has only been a day, but things have improved dramatically in my attitude and willingness to trust God for everything. Also, I am thinking instead of pursuing secondary education, I may try my hand at elementary in the near future, pursue one of my many other passions - kids.
So, through all of the madness that is going down around me, I only pray that my heart will echo these words - "though all around my soul give way, He is all my hope and stay" - and trust Him more and more everyday. Pray that I will have the wisdom to see my own frailness and cast myself wholly on the grace of God. Pray that I will find another little job to supplement the part-timeness at Sylvan. Pray that God will continue to break me and teach me of Him and to be like Him.
I love you all and you are always in my prayers.
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