Doing Church Differently

(I haven't blogged in a long while. It's not that I haven't had anything to say, it's just that I've had difficulty blogging about what has been on my mind. If I could attach something to my brain that would write down the conversations and thoughts that go on up there, it would make things so much easier. I have preached some of my  best sermons in my head or car and I have had amazing conversations with myself over very important issues, and have good arguments as well. You would be impressed. I often am, and I'm not easily impressed! Anyway...)

I have been doing a great deal of thinking about the local church of late. In fact, this thinking process has been going on to one degree or another since I re-entered the ministry in 2004. I'll spare you all the details that led to that re-entry except to say that all that came before had a great impact on changing how I approached ministry and what I believed that ministry, and the church, could and should be. I still have a long way to go!

Over the last couple of years, that thinking process has included another direction. I' been pondering the current state of the local church and the people that are not being attracted to it. These people, encompassing mostly young adults but also a growing middle adult population (I believe) are referred to as the "Nones" because they have no church connection. They no longer attend, either because they've become turned off from the politics of church (small and capital "P"), the hypocrisy of those in  the church, they have been hurt/betrayed/abused by the church in some way, or they simply were not raised in  the church. Recent statistics put these "Nones" at 1 out of 7 adults and 1 out 3 young adults.

Even though the "Nones" have dropped out of or never have gone to church, many of these people, nonetheless, have a spirituality in their lives, believe in God on some level, and have a desire to understand and grow in these areas. They are searching but not by means of the church. Therefore, I believe, the way we do church, and the usual "church" ways we use to reach out to others to get them into church, will not necessarily appeal to them. 

I am no expert, I am simply writing about what I think, and what I have come to think is based on conversations, lots of reading, conversations (I know, I already said that but it's important), my experience, and observations. (See some resources list below.)

The "Nones" (and those who haven't so much left the church but who simply occasional attenders ) not only have a spiritual interest but also desire developing a better handle on "handling" life (don't we all?). They don't want to be preached at (what the church tends to do from the pulpit), they don't want to be lectured (what the church tends to do from the pulpit and in its teaching), and they don't want to be told what they need to do (what the church tends to do from the...you know). They lean more toward self-discovery yet they also want flexible guidance, non-condemning accountability, and conversations that involve the sharing of life stories, experiences, ideas, and acceptance (I call this process "Holy Conversation" - may not be an original idea of mine but it fits). 

I hate to say it but such environments don't typically exist in current church structures. They should but they are usually rare or limited. We can discuss why such environments don't exist at a later time. That should be an interesting  conversation!

It's my growing belief that we need to add a new approach to church planting, not instead of how we church planting now but in addition to how we've been doing it (though I do wonder if we don't need to do some adjusting to how we've been doing it because, honestly, we are now in the 21st century and we aren't getting the "Nones). The problem with this different approach is that it really doesn't fit the typical model that most denominations follow in planting churches, as one looking from the outside in at a distance, so I could be wrong in that evaluation.

Here's my view of it (I can tell you're just giddy with excitement!): 

The "Nones" aren't interested in church membership. They want to belong but not necessarily to a religious organization that seems to emphasize numbers and money, let alone to most major "membership" organizations. They want to be part of a group (typically a small one) where "everybody knows my name," as the song goes. They want to sit around over coffee (tea, soft drink, water, even a beer or a meal) and converse (from which we get "conversation") about life, faith, experiences, hopes and dreams. They want to be challenged to grow but not dismissed or criticized if they hold a differing view or belief with the one(s) who they are conversing with. And even though they believe that truth is relative (what is right for you may not be so for me), they nonetheless are looking for an absolute Truth that isn't changing or fluid. They want to understand this spiritual void that they feel but aren't able to connect with or necessarily explain...their spirit/God's Spirit. And they are struggling to make sense of their life, careers, relationships, family, emotions, etc.; to piece these together and find their purpose. All these come into play on one level or another in the "conversations" they have with friends and acquaintances (walk by a bar or a nightclub or some other hangout and listen to what they are saying to each other, even to complete strangers).

I see a new kind of church emerging, not one that meets in a large building on Sundays but one that meets one day during the week, in the morning before work or over lunch/dinner; or in the evening at a coffee shop or resturant or a home or...anywhere that offers a space. The groups are made up of ten to thirty people (reach thirty and you form a new group). The pastor serves more as a facilitator-consultant-coach than a preacher. The people gather, the pastor sets up the discussion (teaching? - maybe there is a topic), and then asks questions to generate discussion. As this holy conversation moves along, the pastor weaves the Gospel into the sharing of the peoples life stories being shared (isn't the Gospel the greatest of all stories?). People share opinions and ideas and experiences, and in the process, the group learns from each other. The role of the pastor is to help make connections among the group, connect ideas, ask questions that help people discover answers within the discussions and the life stories shared, and from the sharing of the Gospel. 

Of course, the hope and goal is to start several of these groups, develop additional leaders who then help lead other groups. Mission projects can be taken on and shared, supported, and worked by all the groups together. And, in time, a special gathering of all the groups can be implemented on a quarterly or monthly basis, coming together to worship and the sharing of gifts and talents in various ways utilizing the arts (music, dance, art, drama, etc.). And from these groups, as members express interest in going deeper in the conversation, connecting with more spiritual issues, and building on scripture through study, prayer, and deeper accountability, subgroups are formed. (Very much a Wesleyan approach.)

Ok, I've probably rambled on way too long, and I wonder if this makes any sense to anyone besides me. As I said, things are always clearer "in" my head. So, let me go back and re-read this, make any changes, clarifications, or corrections, in hopes that it will be clearer. Feel free during this pause to go to the bathroom, get a drink, or check your emails and texts...

Well, seems like I'm just shy of this being a dissertation! Sorry. The good news? I'm about to wrap this baby up.

I know that there are still a number of questions that need to be answered. How does one go about forming such groups? What about children? How would such a approach be financially supported? How many groups can one pastor oversee? Are these groups autonomous or will they have some connection with each other? What about worship and the sacraments? No membership emphasis? These are but a few, and I'm sure that you may have several of your own. Maybe I can address some of these in another blog, if the interest and response is there.

All this is still a work in process but it has been rolling around my head, and in my heart, for several years. So I decided to try to articulate it so that I can work on refining it. Thanks for reading, and I would love to hear from you, your thoughts, insights, ideas, and questions.

Resources - just a few:

Losing Our Religion: the Growth of the Nones 
- Heidi Glenn, NPR

Don't Call Us the Nones: In Praise of Religious Independence 
- Christian Piatt, Washington Post

The Rise of the Nones: Some Reflections on the Pew Forum Data 
- Ed Stetzer, Blog

Christianity Isn't Dying, Cultural Christianity Is: 

    Talking About the Future of Christianity in the USA Today 
- Ed Stetzer, Blog

The Secular Boom
- James Emery White

Thirteen Issues for Churches in 2013 part 1 
- Thom Rainer, Blog (be sure to read part 2)

Lost and Found: The Younger Unchurched and the Churches that Reach Them 
- Ed Stetzer, book

Surprising Insights from the Unchurched and Proven Ways to Reach Them 
- Thom Rainer, book

Simple Church: Returning to God's Process for Making Disciples 
- Thom Rainer, book

Recapturing the Wesleys' Vision 
- Paul Wesley Chilcote, book

Reaching People Under 40 While Keeping People Over 60: Being Church for All Generations 
- Edward Hammett, book

Storyline: Finding Your Subplot in God's Story 
- Donald Miller, book

Deep & Wide: Creating Churches Unchurched People Love to Attend 
- Andy Stanley, book

The Church as a Transforming Society?

Came across this quote a little while ago as I was doing some reading and continued prep work on my sermon series, "Why Bother with the Church?" It's by Howard A. Snyder from his book, "The Community of the King."

So the Church is not to be understood primarily as a means to the end of transforming society. This would be to trample over the uniqueness and infinite worth to God of the Christian community. Besides, the amazing and profound fact is that the Church most transforms society when it is itself growing and being perfected in the love of Christ. In fact, when the Church is taken merely as a means to transform society, very little is accomplished. For in that case the uniqueness of the Church is denied and we enter the battle on the same terms as secular and godless forces. We assume the battle for right and justice can be won by force, by technique, by doing. It can't. These very clearly are not the weapons of Christian warfare (Ephesians 6:10-20). Truly Christian transformation of culture comes through Christlike (and hence sacrificial) love, community and being.

But this fact by no means cancels out the responsibility to do, to act, to walk in the words of God. Rather, the being and the doing go together. The being is fundamental but the doing is the natural result.

What do you think? Is the only real way to transform culture through Christlike love, community and being? And how do you think that would play itself out, how would it show itself in the life of the church and among Christians? And, as a church/Christian, are there other ways we can and should go about transforming culture? What if how one group of Christians (church) views how that transformation of culture differently than another group? What do we handle that?

Your thoughts, insights and experiences are welcome to be left in the comments.

Organ- ...ism vs ...ization

I find church to be a very baffling and frustrating place. Despite all the books and articles I have read on the subject (and I've read many); despite all the church seminars and training sessions I have attended (and I've been to a lot); and despite all the advice I have been given by church leaders and "experienced" pastors (and I've received a lot); church remains an enigma to me. Of all those things just mentioned, the ones that resonate the most and make sense to me are those writers, speakers and advisers who see the church as an organism rather than an organization. When the church is presented to me as an organization and if you do these 8 things or take the following 4 steps, you can change the church's direction, experience has shown me that it "ain't gonna work."

I don't profess to be a theologian. My educational training wasn't in theology, doctrine and polity (government) of "church," though I have certainly taken classes and attended conferences/seminars on such. My educational training has been in the area of psychology/counseling and education. What I have discovered, after coming back into pastoral ministry, is that church, and pastoral ministry, is mostly about counseling (healing/wholeness/holiness) and educating (discipleship). Yes, theology, doctrine and polity do factor into this equation but I have found that it comes after the former has begun. And the reason, I believe, is because the church is made up of "organisms" - people, who think, feel, have opinions, and change those opinions, and grow/transform mentally, emotionally and spiritually.

So, because the church is an organism, it has the unruly and uncontrollable personality to be fluid. That's why at one church meeting everything is up, positive, hopeful, full of excitement and the next meeting it can be just the opposite; why a service can be charged with expectancy and celebration and the next be down and lethargic; why people speak highly and favorably about their church one week and the next complain and criticize. It's an organism, fluid, evolving, de-evolving, moving forward, stepping backward, responding to feelings and current situations and surroundings.

If the church were, in fact, simply an organization, then the leader/pastor could step in and say, "we're doing this" or "we're changing that" or "if you can't get with the program, change ships." Typically, pastors don't dare do that because, if they did, the church board would say, "we're the crew of this ship and we're throwing you overboard. You're out of here!" Of course, I am aware that many churches DO infact see themselves as an Organization, not as an Organism, even though their language includes phrases like, "we are part of the Body of Christ," "one part is not more important or better than another part of the Body," "we are one in the Spirit," "our purpose is to glorify Christ," etc. Saying so does not make it so. And when a church thinks of itself as an organization, then its emphasis is on maintaining itself so that it will survive, no matter what. "Maintenance" is about keeping the status quo, it's about what makes "me" comfortable and meets "my" needs. Maintenance resists change and risk because that involves developing different perspectives, thinking outside the box, letting go of some, if not many, of the things that we hold dear about "our" church.

Jesus calls us to "go and make disciples," which is about missions and outreach. Missions, the opposite of maintenance, pushes us outward; it's about change and "others" and reaching "their needs." The church suffers from what I call the "MUT" syndrome (or is it "sin"drome?) - maintenance churches are about Me (first, then) Us, (then) Them. However, a church that is stretching and working in fulfilling God's call is a "TUM"s church - Them (first, then) Us, (and, last) Me. There are far too many MUT churches out there and not enough TUM churches. Maybe that's why the world, and especially the USA, is suffering from such intense indigestion towards the church!

I say all this because, well, I don't know, really. I've been doing a lot of reading lately that has been stirring my thoughts and thinking about the church (books like "The Forgotten Ways" and "What Bothers Me Most About Christianity" and "Angry Conversations With God, to name a few). Of course, being that my "vocation" involves the church, I live it first hand. I'm not sure how I go about changing the way "church" people think about themselves as the Church, or about themselves as being a part of the Church, for that matter, but I do believe that that is one of the important things that I, as a pastor, am called to do. I can't help but wonder, and am compelled to believe, that there is greater power to change the world through an organism (the Body of Christ) than there is through an organization (the church with its polity and hierarchy).

While sitting at my table at Penera Bread I noticed a great banner hanging in the window. I want to steal the banner. (OK, not steal, just borrow). If I didn't know where I was, I'd almost think I was at a place of worship where followers of Christ gather. The banner says, "Refresh, Restart, Renew." Isn't that what Church, the Organism, is all about? Isn't it to be a place where people can come to refresh, then restart and renew their lives - with Christ and in the world?

I would make two additions to the banner, I think. I would have it say:

The Church: A Place To -

Refresh, Rethink, Restart, Renew.

Politics and the Church

I got an email today from Leadership Journal that included an article entitled "Non-prophet Preaching" by John Ortberg. I found it very insightful and so I wanted to pass it along. Don't worry, it is neither from the left or the right, Democrat or Republican, or anything like that. It is just a very thoughtful discourse on politics and the Christian/Church.

"Non-prophet Preaching" by John Ortberg

First Day Jitters

Today is officially moving day for pastors that have been appointed to new churches. For many, that means packing up one house and moving to another, as well as an office. For me, however, it was simply an office. Thankfully!

Actually, I moved in yesterday afternoon, missing the leaving pastor by an hour or two, passing by each other like two ships in the night. I arrived around 2:00 and spent the first 2 hours with the secretary, going over everything I need to know. She would often stop and ask, "Is this too much?" To which I would smile, reply, "No, I'm with you," and wish I had been writing this all down. But she made me feel "at home" and realize that I better get more organized because she sure was!

I began bringing a number of boxes into the office and various wall hangings and shelf decorations, choosing to wait for my wife to arrive a little later to help set things up. I figured why waste all my energy in setting it up when she will come in, change it and have it looking a whole lot better.

(Side note about setting up my office: Heather and I have deep discussions when it comes to setting up my office. I arrange my books by subject areas - history, commentaries, family, devotional, etc. She, however, arranges by size, laying a stack of books on their side, a stack kiddie-cornered, all books working their way down from the tallest to the shortest, like you do with a group picture. Looks real nice but makes finding books more of a challenge though. But hey, I like challenges - hide and seek is one of my favorite childhood games.)

I met with our pianist and discussed music for Sunday and for the future. We practiced a few praise and worship songs together, with me on guitar. What a thrill. Heather showed up by then and sang with me. I'm a little nervous singing on our first Sunday there but I want to set a affirming tone, an "everyone can find something to connect with" statement about worship style.

Following that we met with a couple that work with the audio/visuals of the service. Wonderful people (as was the pianist) and we spent time brainstorming about the future. We figured out how we will do the power point and then just talked about the church, hopes and dreams, and our roles in it all.

It was all a positive day but still it there was a strangeness to it. When I left to go to the office yesterday I had this overwhelming anxious feeling, one of those experiences where you are flooded with questions, questions I quickly turned to God with:

Lord, are you sure this is where you want me to be? Am I equipped to do the work you want me to do there? Will they like me? Do they have a clue what they are getting into, having me as their pastor? And could you please open my eyes to see you, my ears to hear your voice, and my mind so that I can get a whole lot wiser than I actually am at the moment?

I was reminded of several "sayings" that I have heard over the years, sayings that I have actually used with other people: "Where the finger of God points, his hand will make a way." Then this one began rolling around my head: "Where God guides, he provides." And one by Hudson Taylor certainly reminded me where to stay focused: "God's work done God's way will never lack God's support." Funny how I didn't get some scripture verse that would shake me back to the truth but it was these sayings, all of them true, and all of them could be supported by scripture.

I have no clue what lies before me in this new ministry. I do know that it will be different than any other church I have pastored because they are all different. But I know that the job before me is one ordained by God, that he is in it, that it is his kingdom. So, I think it will be best if I do much consultation with the Divine Architect of this kingdom I am honored to be called to be part of.

Transition

The news is out, the gig is up, it was announced yesterday at our church that we will not be coming back as their pastor after conference. It was not an announcement I was looking forward to having made. Nothing can change the mood of a worship service than such an announcement, even if the majority already knew what was coming for several weeks.

The people of Camp Creek are good and loving people who captured our hearts in the short time my family and I served as their pastor. Over the last year and a half I watched a hurting, discouraged people change their focus from themselves and more fully onto Christ; I had the joy of working side by side with them as we struggled together in understanding God's purpose for the church and how to go about fulfilling that call; and I have watched them grow in expectation and enthusiasm for what God was and is going to do with them. I have been honored to be used by God in ministering to these wonderful people and we, my family and I, have been blessed by being a part of that family of Christians.

So you can understand how we are saddened by this upcoming transition in pastoral ministry, and their sadness, even frustration, with this pastoral change for them. I remember well being part of a church and having the pastor be moved after only three successful years, even after he announced that he was returning for a forth, then two weeks later announcing the ensuing move to a new church. Such transitions can be hard, for both the pastoral family and the congregation, when such moves aren't easily understood.

As a pastor of the United Methodist Church, I submit my pastoral appointments to the discretion of the Bishop and her committee. All pastors do. We don't always like the appointment that we have received, not that we don't like where we are going, but because we like where we are. Sometimes it is because it has such a huge impact on the pastor's family, especially when there are teenagers involved. Sometimes the appointment seems less of God's will and more out of convenience. Of course, there are appointments that are received with joy and excitement, sorry to leave the people you have grown to love but anticipating the new challenge at the new charge. In a nutshell, it is often a mixed bag of emotions , whatever the reasons for the move.

I have high hopes for Camp Creek. I believe they have moved forward in their outlook and planning; have grown to understand more clearly their purpose as a church; and have experienced healing, as a congregation and for some individuals.

But transitions are hard. No one likes change, and as we grow older change seems to grow a little more difficult to accept - which upsets me because I don't want to get set in my ways to the point that I keep God from using change to bring greater growth, in me or within his church. Still, transition can make even the most stable a little unnerved and anxious, which, by the way, is not necessarily a bad thing. I've learned that transition forces me out of my comfort zone; it causes me to relinquish my hold and control on the situation and I have to lean more on trusting in God and his leading. Maybe that's why I've had to go through so much transition in my life - I like having control and being comfortable in my life!

So, here I am, faced again with another transition. A new church, new faces, new names, new personalities, new location. It makes me nervous. It also makes me excited, to be able to work with people for the Kingdom of God; to touch the lives of people - helping believers grow more deeply in their faith, and being a part of others lives as they come to believe in Christ for the first time.

I know that God is in and can be seen in the transitions that we go through. When those transitions are given over to him, he is able to work them out for his glory and for our growth.

Clarifying the Purpose of the Church and the Christian

It has been a while since my last blog entry. For the 5 or 6 readers that I have, I apologize for the long silence and I appreciate your encouragement to get back on the horse. It's not that I haven't had anything to say. Trust me, I have lots. It's just that I have had difficulty taking what's in my head and writing it out. That has carried over even into writing my sermons at times but God finally breaks through my fog and I'm able to grasp hold of the message that he had been giving me. But, as for the blog, well, it's been a little tougher. It's interesting how, while I'm driving in my car, I seem to be able to take my thoughts and ramble off out loud much of what's been rolling around up there but by the time I get home and get back into that frame of mind, it's late in the evening and, though my mind is going strong, my body just isn't there and I start to nod off. "My spirit is willing but my flesh is weak."

So here I am, hoping that, on this wonderful evening, sitting outside by the fire, I will be able to take what has been running around my head, at least one of those thoughts, and articulate them on the page (screen, monitor, whatever).

At my church's Wednesday Night Bible study we are being guided in our discussions by the book "Discover Your Windows." (I wrote about this and another book in an earlier blog - Lining Up With God's Vision.) We've been having pretty amazing and intense discussions from what we have been reading in the book AND from God's Word. I've been very pleased with how people are responding to the challenges that we have been forced to talk about and deal with. As a result, it has caused me to go back and reflect on my own "theology" of the purpose of the church and my mission as a Follower of Christ. This is what I want to write about in this blog entry.

I have always found it interesting how some churches spend weeks, even months, working through a "mission statement", with times of intense discussion, arguments, and disagreements. I don't fully understand why nor do I fully understand how a church can be unsure of what their purpose and mission is to be. It seems to me that there are two key verses in Scripture that lay out what our mission and purpose is to be pretty clearly as a Church and as Followers of Christ.

The first is known as the Great Commandment, which is found in Matthew 22: 36-40. Here's what Jesus says:

"Teacher, which is the most important commandment in the law of Moses?"
Jesus replied, "‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ The entire law and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments." (NLT)

There are three things in these few verses that I believe we are called to pursue, to strive for, and to make as our purpose and goal. The first is to love God and to love Him wholeheartedly. We're not given much wiggle room here. It's to be a total commitment. And, as it pertains to the church, we are to use every means possible to challenge our people to do just that - to call them to a deeper commitment to Christ, His Gospel, and His Church (the body of believers).

Secondly, we are told, or rather, it is implied, I believe, that we are to love ourselves: "Love your neighbor as yourself," Jesus said. It seems to me that before I can truly love others, I have to begin to love myself and in order to do that, I need to understand who I am in Christ, what He has done for me, and accept the forgiveness that He offers. It doesn't mean that I don't start loving others until I start loving myself, it means that seeing who I am in Christ opens the door for me to better see others as Christ sees them. I'm talking about issues of recovery, working towards wholeness/holiness, and allowing God to heal the brokenness in our lives.

Thirdly, we are told to love our neighbors. It's called evangelism, it involves service, it's acceptance of the person, even if we don't accept their sinful behaviors (remember Jesus' challenge to the crowd who was ready to throw stones on the prostitute? "He who is without sin, let him cast the first stone"). However, even if we don't accept or approve of their behaviors, it's not up to us to change them, or even to judge them. That's God's doing. Our call is to love others as God has loved them.

The next passage is what is known as the Great Commission, found in Matthew 28:19-20:

"Go to the people of all nations and make them my disciples. Baptize them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, and teach them to do everything I have told you. I will be with you always, even until the end of the world. (CEV)

There are three commands here that Christ gives his followers (the Church, the Believer). First, we are told to go and make disciples (Acts 1:8 comes into play here, too). That word "go" is an often over-looked word. I think the thought processes in many churches is to wait until people come to it - "We've been here for years - they know where we are - our doors are always open." Problem is, most people today don't even take notice of where the church is, it has become a part of the landscape. Also, why go to church if you don't have a clue about what it is that church has to offer. And certainly, who wants to walk into a place filled with a bunch of strangers doing things you don't understand? Christ said we are to go to where the people are and make disciples. To make anything takes time, planning, and it usually involves us being a part of the process - meaning, as it relates to us who are Followers of Christ, we are to develop relationships with people where they are.

Secondly, we are commanded to baptize those that have come to accept Christ. Now, I'm not sure how the United Methodist Church hierarchy would feel about Christians going out and baptizing new believers of Christ but I have a strong suspicion that it might be frowned upon. But involved in this process of "baptizing" is the important step of becoming a part of the fellowship of Christ's Body, and that is something all of us can have a part in. This is done by building relationships with others, connecting new Followers of Christ and seekers with other Followers of Christ to help in nurturing them along. It's having open and accepting and loving arms.

Lastly, we are commanded to teach them the Gospel - "teaching them everything I have taught you." This is discipleship. This is instruction. This in mentoring. And it's not done just by the Pastor and the Sunday School teacher. It's done by every person who claims to be a Follower of Christ. And it's not done just with words but also by our example, by our behavior, by our lifestyle.

When I first entered the ministry, I floundered. I was like a ship that knew I was to head in a certain direction but I didn't know how or exactly where I was to lead the church. I didn't have a deep nor clear understanding of the purpose and mission of the church and, for that matter, my life as a Follower of Christ. But as a result of a period of time outside of pastoral ministry, working in the "secular" world, serving as an active layman in the church, and reflecting a great deal on the church from both sides of the pulpit, I began to sense a clearing in my mind (a rare thing, indeed). When I was called back into pastoral ministry (something I was not happy about at first), I went in with a compass and a clear map on where I was to lead the church. Now, please understand, I am still learning. It's not that I have attained complete clarity on this issue, but I "press on" towards the goal I know we are called to achieve, which is to glorify God, and we do it based, at a minimum, on what I believe is the foundation on which we are called to be as a church, that which I have just written about.

Kent Hunter writes in "Discover Your Windows" the following:

"When you aren't focused on the primary purpose (of the church), you have a tendency to become focused on everything else."

If you are involved in a church, you know how true this is! Which explains why so many churches don't grow or decline, and why there is often power struggles and dissension. They have lost their purpose.

So, what should the mission statement of the church be? Here's my suggestion:

"The church exists to go to where the people are and introduce them to Christ through their words and life, to help them experience wholeness through a real relationship with Christ and His Body, and to assist them in cultivating ways to more deeply love God, love themselves, and love others."

That's what I've come to believe, anyway.

What are they looking for?

Today I attended a meeting of pastors in my district. The topic of discussion for the meeting was concerning what young adults are looking for and how the church can reach out to them. At least, that was the general theme.

Some interesting discussions took place. I'm not so sure what the pastors took home with them as far as insight goes but I think that there was plenty of insight there to take home.

For some of the churches represented at the meeting, it would be safe to say that there aren't many young adults that are attending nor are there many living in the area of the church to draw from. This certainly creates a sense of frustration for a pastor as he sees his congregation consisting mostly of older adults who are ready to "step down" from the positions but there's nobody there to "step up" and take over. Plus, it can be a discouraging thing to a church when you feel that there are no young people to draw into the church. They are there, maybe not in great numbers like in the suburbs but there around.

One of the things that came up in our discussions led me to wonder, what are we doing in our churches to attract young adults? What are we doing to keep our youth?

One pastor brought out the point that quality is very important in attracting people in general, especially middle and young adults. If a church doesn't strive to have quality, in their building appearance, in their Sunday school programs, in their children's ministries, and especially in their worship, then those people aren't going to come back.

In response to that, another pastor expressed their concern about the consumer mentality that young adults have (and middle adults). He expressed his frustration about their lack of commitment, their pick and choosing approach to the church. I'm not sure that mentality is limited to only the young adult, however. They're just more honest about it.

I'm soon to be 50. By most standards I would be considered part of the upper middle age group. I don't think of myself in those terms. I don't want to. And I don't want to be "set apart" from those that are younger than me, especially young adults. I try to stay relevant to the culture, to what's in and what's not (though according to my 13 year old, I'm not doing a very good job of it). I believe that helps me to be able to still, even at this ripe old age, to be able to connect with people younger than me.

It seems to me that the church must, MUST, strive to stay relevant in our times, which, by the way, is the 21st century, not the mid to late 20th. That means that we must be relevant in our worship, in our way of teaching the Bible, in our liturgy and preaching. As one of our speakers mentioned today, it even includes using current illustrations that people born after 1970 are going to connect with.

We can't keep doing the same things over again hoping that the results will be different. They won't. That's called being irrelevant.