Relevant witnesses
Relevant witnesses
Ascension and Pentecost focus our attention on the growth of the Christian church. Jesus told his disciples they were to be his witnesses “to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8). Then on Pentecost the Holy Spirit demonstrated what could be done through their witness: 3,000 were added to the church.
But in our own age, the growth of the church seems to have ground to a slow crawl or even stopped. We note our own membership losses and wonder if we are doing something wrong. So we read books about growing the church and attend seminars hoping to find the cure to our membership malaise.
I admit to reading some of the books. I read one entitled Grow your Church from the Outside In by George Barna, a prolific evangelical writer and researcher. I found a couple of interesting insights.
First, Barna suggests that the unchurched will “resist highly-polished marketing efforts” (p. 25). Among other reasons, the unchurched are skeptical of institutions. That’s not surprising when you consider how many aggressive marketing strategies are used by corporate America. Those strategies are not all bad, but most of them promise things that the product or company cannot deliver. Often the church falls into the same category.
One commentator went so far as to suggest that the church lies to people when it promises a happier life for believers. I thought that was interesting since Paul confirmed the Christians in Galatia with a message that was exactly opposite Madison Avenue hype. He and Barnabas said, “We must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God” (Acts 14:22). Jesus himself told his disciples to take up their crosses; he didn’t welcome them to easy street. We must always be careful not to promise something different from what the gospel promises: forgiveness, life, and salvation. The gospel of forgiveness in Jesus—not fellowship, programs, or family values—builds the church.
Second, the churches that are growing are not necessarily the ones that have seeker services, a dynamic pastor, or even a large staff dedicated to outreach. Instead, the churches that grow are those whose members speak well of their church and build relationships with the unchurched. Those members invite the people they know and invite them repeatedly.
But in our own age, the growth of the church seems to have ground to a slow crawl or even stopped. We note our own membership losses and wonder if we are doing something wrong. So we read books about growing the church and attend seminars hoping to find the cure to our membership malaise.
I admit to reading some of the books. I read one entitled Grow your Church from the Outside In by George Barna, a prolific evangelical writer and researcher. I found a couple of interesting insights.
First, Barna suggests that the unchurched will “resist highly-polished marketing efforts” (p. 25). Among other reasons, the unchurched are skeptical of institutions. That’s not surprising when you consider how many aggressive marketing strategies are used by corporate America. Those strategies are not all bad, but most of them promise things that the product or company cannot deliver. Often the church falls into the same category.
One commentator went so far as to suggest that the church lies to people when it promises a happier life for believers. I thought that was interesting since Paul confirmed the Christians in Galatia with a message that was exactly opposite Madison Avenue hype. He and Barnabas said, “We must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God” (Acts 14:22). Jesus himself told his disciples to take up their crosses; he didn’t welcome them to easy street. We must always be careful not to promise something different from what the gospel promises: forgiveness, life, and salvation. The gospel of forgiveness in Jesus—not fellowship, programs, or family values—builds the church.
Second, the churches that are growing are not necessarily the ones that have seeker services, a dynamic pastor, or even a large staff dedicated to outreach. Instead, the churches that grow are those whose members speak well of their church and build relationships with the unchurched. Those members invite the people they know and invite them repeatedly.
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