Monday, January 19, 2009

"Churchy" Games

In the past churches seem to have been started when an area was void of a local assembly house where Christians could come together. A piece of land was donated in the area and a church was birthed!!! People came together to build it, and created groups to help with everything from financial to beautification (which is a real word... I think). It was a huge event for the community and that was great for reaching new people for Jesus. A core value of my church www.discoverpointchurch.com is "new churches reach new people." This is true.
Now a days you can find a church or many churches with in a mile. In the south it's not uncommon to have a church on every corner and in between. Churches seem to have turned from looking like churches to being rental spaces, or looking like corp. offices. Now you may ask what does a church look like. .... That depends on which denomination you have been a part of. Modern and Post Modern churches seem to be not churchy..... or the our culture normal. Our culture is not churchy... oh they know how to play the game but when it comes to a real passionate relationship with God the game just can't "win" that goal.
Now that brings me to a church strategy that I absolutely love. The bible puts it this way... being in the world but not of it. We can look like this culture in alot of ways. Actually much of this culture is amazing. I am always impressed when I walk into a new school or theater or even a water treatment plant... When these gathering places are designed the past is remembered but a new design that makes that place special is created. Now I know I'm rambling around to get to a simple point which is...Churchy should never be the goal. Churchy buildings, or Churchy marketing, or Churchy blogs, Or Churchy messages reach Churchy people. If that's what you are going for more power to ya... not me. I want to be in this world...with people who need to know Christ... but not of this world... which makes people take a look at what's different inside of me. I have played the churchy game and it gets old quick.

1 comment:

Brad Wiliams said...

"You leverage the culture with a purpose" I think that is a paraphrase of Tim Stevens from Granger