This chapter made me smile as we are not often known for wanting to "save" people. Our version of this may be something like...
"We need to get more young people in this church."
"We need new/young people to do the work around this church, we are tired."
"We need the young people to financially support the church more than they do."
Often lacking any reference to faith, our focus is often on the need for more bodies to do the work of running a church.
How did we get to this place? How do we talk about this issue in the local church? How do we turn our attention toward sharing the good news of God in Christ instead of this misplaced focus?
I think of Steve and his reflection on how we don't seem to know what the gospel is. When you share what the gospel is, what do you say?
Tom Bandy says something like, "What is it about your experience of Jesus Christ that the world can't live without?"
Got an answer? -Nicole
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I find it very interesting that the first statements about our church all use language that is very inward focused. “We need” is so much about “us” and “our institution” rather than about the making disciples of Jesus Christ for the Transformation of the World.
ReplyDeleteIn Tom Bandy's presentation at the MissionInsite Training Conference he pointed out that church growth is never sustained when we are inviting people to join us. He went on to say the question we need to ask ourselves is "How can we bless them." Now blessing them isn’t only about serving them, it is also about giving them the blessings of the Good News of God’s Mercy and Grace through Jesus Christ while we serve them.
When we abandon the Gospel in our service we become social workers, when we use the Gospel to without Service we become the image portrayed in the book UnChristian.
How did we get to this place?
A few reasons that I can think of are:
We, as a body, stopped being connectional in the name of Jesus Christ. Kingdoms here are Earth were created where helping the least of our own brothers and sisters (those struggling smaller churches) became less important as we started to fracture into our own political, ideological camps pointing fingers at one another laying blame while the world watched and said “Aren’t they Hypocritical, to Political, Out of touch etc…”
Many of our churches have been more interested in saving “The Building” that I was baptized in rather than reaching out to baptize the next generation. Our annual table reporting on baptisms and 1st time professions of faith are a clear indication of why we are where we are.
We have spent a lot of money on signs that say come to us, the world has asked “Why?” and we haven’t had a response.
Accountability to which Gospel?
The first question that I have gotten when doing survey work in the community of Eastvale, when I mention that we are a United Methodist Church, is “Are Methodist’s Christian?” Before people can identify us as UnChristian, they must first think that we are Christian. Maybe it is just my community, but has anyone else had this response when sitting in the park, at the grocery store or going door to door?
As far as a reflection on how do I share the gospel, you’ll have to read about that in my ordination papers that are in process.
As far as Tom Bandy’s question about “your experience of Jesus Christ that the world can’t live without?” Besides reading Unchristian, I am also reading John Ortberg’s book “If you want to walk on water, you’ve got to get out of the boat.” What I have known for a long time and what John points out in the book. While Peter may have had a temporary setback when he begins to sink while trying to walk on the water, he isn’t the one who ultimate fails. It is the 11 other’s in the boat who never even got out of the boat. My experience of Jesus is the one who constantly calls me and asks me to walk on the water, to move beyond my comfort zone, focus on him and see where he will lead me. When I put my focus on him, I find that I am at peace and able to do anything that he is calling me to do. Our world is filled with people who are afraid to risk reaching out to the one who can truly lift them up when the waters of life are crashing all around and trying to take them down.
David, I totally agree. I really connected with your words on Peter. I too am finding that as I focus on Jesus, the rest falls into place. There is great peace in getting past ourselves by deciding to trust that God is who God says he is and that his plan is to bring people to him. I have found this last year to be a time of big spiritual growth and creativity for me-it is freeing to know it isn't up to me, what is up to me is to stay close to God. You and your community are in my prayers..
ReplyDeleteJust a follow up on Nicole's question about "What is it about your experience of Jesus Christ that the world can't live without?"
ReplyDeleteCame across this song the other day... This is one way I wish people would experience Jesus Christ...
If our churches were to some how capture this song in how people experience Christ in our midst, people would be breaking down our doors...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q3NP1nXSOT4
Your Love is Extravagant - Casting Crowns
Your love is extravagant
Your friendship, it is intimate
I feel I'm moving
to the rhythm of Your grace
Your fragrance
is intoxicating in the secret place
Cause Your love is extravagant
Chorus:
Spread wide in the arms of Christ
there's a love that covers sin
No greater love have I ever known;
You considered me a friend
Capture my heart again
I found this sermon by one of Methodist pastors in Northern California and I thought it was revelant to our conversations of un Christian and Rethinking church which has not been mentioned so far. Here is the sermon.
ReplyDeletedtw597 (part one)
Rethinking Church: If Jesus can be wrong…
September 7, 2009 · 5 comments
in Ministry
This sermon was preached at Asbury United Methodist Church in Livermore, CA on September 6, 2009. The lectionary text I used in the sermon was Mark 7:24-30.
(You can download the audio in mp3 format here)
“What if we rethink church?”
That’s the question United Methodists around the world are now asking themselves. We saw a promo video last week, maybe you picked up a button to wear or put on your school bag or computer bag? I think it’s a great question – a question we’ve needed to ask for quite awhile. And while I’m sure copyright lawyers would have a field day with this, I wish every denomination would start up a “Rethink Church” marketing campaign. I think every denomination NEEDS to rethink church – because clearly what we’ve always done isn’t quite working anymore.
You merely have to read through some statistics about the church today to see we need to change our ways. As Pastor Kim mentioned last week, mainline denominations are losing members every year. For the most part, young adults just aren’t going to church. And when high school students graduate, almost 80% stop attending church.
We could say: “Well…they just must not be interested anymore – maybe when they’re more mature…?” I mean – isn’t it always easier to pass the buck and not think that it might be our fault? But – perhaps we really do need to ask the questions, “Are we doing something wrong? What if we rethink church?”
Sorry the sermon is too long and will not come through but you can find it at http://pomomusings.com/2009/09/07/rethink-church-2/
ReplyDeleteDTW597
Again, why is the focus on "Rethink Church" and not "Rethink or Rekindle the Gospel Message"? Our whole thinking is based on "us" getting them to come to us, when we should be focused on creatively thinking how we should effectively communicate the Good News of Jesus.
ReplyDeleteDavid is doing an excellent job of that in Eastvale because his church is focused on Christ and not on saving the institution.
When we turn our eyes upon Jesus, the institution will take care of itself...or maybe we need a new revolution like Wesley made in the Anglican church.
Yes, I think we jump to the church when really we need to start with the gospel--who is preaching a series on Jesus' teachings? Anyone have resources to work with a church on "gospel basics"?
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