I said in part 2 that I stand challenged. I have been challenged to think of church in different terms than the traditional structure of church. I'm not talking about a traditional service versus a contemporary service. But I am talking about the whole structure; the big institution of church as we know it: Go to church on Sunday, sit next to your family and friends, shake hands with the strangers sitting around you, sing a few songs, pass around an offering plate, listen to the Word preached, worship some more, pray somewhere in there, and then connect with people (maybe while drinking coffee or snacking on a fellowship treat) as you leave and walk out to your car.
If, as the body of Christ, with His Spirit, and His gameplan (to make disciples of all nations) this is how we "do church", are we doing that gameplan effectively? What would be the measure of that effectivness? I would say it's the extent to which disciples are being made. With all of the programs and ministries and missions that abound, are we alerting people to the reign of God in Christ so that more people who are not already being discipled are becoming disciples? Certainly that does indeed happen, but I'm thinking more about the overall extent to which that happens. How effectively is it happening? Is how the church has done this for years and years the best way to get the job done?
Scott and I aren't so sure. Like I said in the first post, I'm NOT saying that everyone should quit "going to church" like you've always known it, that churches should shut down and do it this way. This is what God is leading us to begin in this season. I'm just sharing all of this to explain where we're at. And in large part because inquiring minds want to know, 'What exactly are you going to be doing in Augusta?'
Now to get off on a little rabbit trail for a second, this is one of the most important things I could say. Even though this whole series is about us rethinking how we "do" church, what is important is not the model or style of church anyway. Jesus is what is important. Yes, this will look different than what you typically think of when you think of church. But it's not some type of new fad to grow churches and try to recruit more people to our form of religion. We merely want to move back to what the church was originally intended to be as God's sent people. Get off rabbit trail...
We've really been challenged to shift our thinking from seeing church as a "come and see" mentality to more of a "go and be" mentality. We're thinking that maybe church can happen more organically in and amongst people. "Why must people wake up early on Sunday, get dressed up, and drive to a specific location to sit in rows looking all morning at the back of some guy's head while a person they don't know talks to them about the latest prescription of three steps to a better life?" (1) Now maybe if you like the more contemporary style of church you might not even have to dress up. And maybe your pastor is one who preaches expositorially (I think I made that word up, but it means he doesn't preach on a topic, per sae, but rather line by line through Scripture) and really brings the Word week after week. Still, why does church have to be that way? And is that the most effective way to accomplish our gameplan of making disciples?
"We have made church nothing more than a religious show that takes place on Sunday, and after it's done we all go home, until church starts again next week, same time, same place. Is this what the bride of Christ is?" (1) If you're like me, you read that quote and think, 'Whatever, I'm more involved than that. I'm involved in Bible study, I also go on Wednesday nights, I serve in the church nursery, I went on a mission trip one summer, and when I have time, I do Saturday morning outreaches at the homeless shelter.' But for me, even if I answer that way, the question still stands: is the Church effectively accomplishing its mission to make disciples? I used to answer yes. But now I question that.
Check back in a few days for the final post!
1. Organic Church, by Neil Cole.
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