What do our communities of faith need to be centered around? That's
easy right? God. But I mean what things do we place at the center or
the heart of our ministries. What drives our church?
I heard someone say 'look at the center of the stage in a sanctuary to
see what is important to that church'. In many liturgical churches it
is the altar, sacraments are very important to them. In most
fundamentalist-evangelical churches it is the pulpit because the
message or preaching is central. In most pentecostal churches it is
the drum set because ... well you get the picture. Churches
display/showcase their treasure.
My current church is an activity/event driven church. For years it
performed a production called "the Life of Christ". It was basically
an elaborate Passion Play complete with pyrotechnics and thick East
Texas accents. The other event was a large children's carnival. The
entire year was centered around these two things. The 2-3 months prior
to the production (preparation), the month of the production and the
two months post (recovery) were dedicated completely to this event.
Nothing else was done at the church as focus was only on this. Then
came carnival time. The rest of the year was dedicated to this. The
events drew a crowd and many people were added to the church as they
began to find their place in the production crew, acting crew or
promotion crew. After 14 years, a pastoral change and a Mel Gibson
movie, the "Life of Christ" came to an end. People grew tired of
taking up 5 months out of every year to do this production. Around
that time a new children's pastor decided to take a break from the
carnival (he is no longer at the church). Many were relieved to not be
so busy but people stopped coming to church. There was no reason to
come. No big event or activity to get pumped about. The very center
of the church had been removed. The engine of the church had been
ripped from our ecclesial automobile.
Unintentionally, the church had taught that it was big events and
activities that should be important to us. The church created event
junkies that were so task oriented and addicted to the high from the
stress of the production/carnival, that many left to find the next big
project. Every once in a while a newer staff person (only 3 of 7 have
been here longer than 2 years) will think of an idea. The response
from many church people is "we already did that". "Did it not work
well?" the pastor will ask. "Oh it was great, but we've already done
it".
Last year I had a chance to visit Fellowship Church for their C3
conference in Dallas. Ed Young is like a celebrity and his church is
so creative in their series and their service has an excellent
production quality to it. That weekend one of his staff mentioned that
20,000 people attend one of their services. They estimate that 60% of
the audience each week are first-time visitors. In thinking about
"creative series" made so popular by Ed Young, Life Church, et al, I
wonder if we aren't teaching something that will be regretted later.
Don't misunderstand, I love the creativity. I've become a big fan of
Andy Stanley and would love to visit what he's doing at Northpoint. I
love that people who would never step foot in a church are suddenly
coming to see what all the buzz is about. But what is the center of
these communities?
I was talking with one of the guys who does small groups for
Fellowship. I appreciate how honest he was with me. He said that most
people come there to visit. They come out of curiosity. Many stay
only long enough to decide they do want to be a Christian but they end
up settling into a smaller church. They try out the small group and
like the intimacy but want it on Sunday too so they go somewhere a
little smaller. They've kind of accepted their role as a first step
back into the Christian life. It almost sounds parachurch to me.
But what about churches that want to grow communities that aren't just
stopping by. What are we teaching with these "creative" series that
blitz communities with catchy advertising and prizes? What happens to
the church that was built this way and decides it wants to be a little
less commerical and a little more centered on relationships? Will we
have created "buzz junkies" that must have a marketing plan and prize
to feel like church is happening?
Our staff read this book "An hour on Sunday" where everything in the
church centers around the Sunday worship gathering. Didn't
Pentecostals already do that? Didn't we elevate the Sunday Morning
Experience so high that we neglected what happens during the week?
Many seeker churches are reacting against the tradition that made
Sunday morning no big deal. But are they creating experience junkies
like Pentecostal churches got so good at doing? Doesn't it teach
Christians that the rest of the week isn't as important as Sunday? The
everyday experience of living a life of faith is secondary to the high
of an energized Sunday?
I dont' have answers, I have questions. There is a tension within me
over this. Churches should be creative. Churches should be excited.
I just want to know what is at the center.
posted by Mike McMullin
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