Thursday
Nov042004
The idea behind the message
Thursday, November 4, 2004 at 4:58PM
I'm almost done my project for year one in my D.Min. course. It's been fun, but I'm excited about getting into the readings for the second residency starting next week. Part of year two's focus is examining the ideas behind commercials and other advertisements. Images are powerful, and the ideas that are communicated are often accepted without being examined. Commercials succeed because they get you to accept an idea without evaluating it. Churches do the same thing. I could talk about the church marketing behind the mega projects and conferences that promise a transformed life in three easy steps. But some more conservative churches also present messages with questionable ideas behind them. Churches that talk about presenting the truth without compromise or apology, and who target under-discipled believers from other churches, are presenting or at least implying the idea that everyone else is selling out except for them. While theoretically possible, it is at least an unproven assertion and at worst a staggeringly proud and destructive lie. We can't afford to be careless about our messages. If you make an assertion about yourself that implies others are deficient, or make an assertion about someone that paints them in a negative light, it's only fair that you should have to make the case for the idea behind the message.
Reader Comments (9)
"Churches that talk about presenting the truth without compromise or apology, and who target under-discipled believers from other churches, are presenting or at least implying the idea that everyone else is selling out except for them. " Darryl, could you expand on that statement a bit more? How does the targeting get done do you think?
I'm not sure what methods they use, but I know of at least one church that targets "under-discipled believers" from other churches. I think it's sometimes okay to move churches for this reason, but I don't know if I would want to make this one of my primary target groups.
I thought maybe there was an insinuation there about my church. I only say that because of the conversation here lately and the way you worded this post. I know you have expressed a concern about our church before.
I'm trying not to pick on an individual church. I grew up in a church like this. There is more than one around. This post has been percolating for about a week, but I have to admit that yesterday's discussion prompted me to finally post it today. So you played a part but you didn't get it started if you know what I mean.
Ah, so maybe you are insinuating about my church as being one of those. Are you?
George: I've heard some of that type of language from your church, but I'm not really trying to pick on any one church.
Darryl, now I'm really looking forward to meeting you to discuss this issue also. I'm fairly involved in our church in different areas and I can tell you I've never even heard that term before "under discipled believer" I can tell you from my experience in talking with new people at our church - the ones that have come from other churches that is- there is a common theme it appears - there was something missing in the church they came from, or something just seems to have changed over the last little while. Then when they hear the preaching it becomes apparent that a lot of it had to do with the preaching. That was my own experience as well. The church we were in had a very seeker sensitive style to it - it was all about the program. I remember when I came back from a mission trip to the Dominican I was asked to share a bit with the congregation of our experiences there. However, I was told I only had 2 minutes. Well, I managed to cram it in 2 minutes and sat down. Then the guest singer that was there for the service plugged her new CD and sang for 20 minutes. All about the program. It was kind of sad though, because it was a great church with great people but the focus over the past while has definitely changed. Then when I started asking questions, I was shut down and not given any answers. Its interesting to me at our church how so many people relate similar stories. But as far as the above term, I never heard of it and we certainly don't target people. We pray that God would send us people for sure, especially the lost. He's sending them and we are quite frankly overwhelmed at times. Its just so clear it is God doing all the work, we do our best to be above all, honouring to Him, and to place ourselves in a position of being surrendered to Him and submitted to Him and to allow Him to do the work through us. Like the song by Casting Crowns says its "not because of who we are but because of what He's done, not because of what we've done but because of who He is." If we boast we boast in the Lord and what he has done. Having said all that I truly believe we should be working together more in the church community. I was at a child abuse awareness function the other night where well meaning secular people were paying tribute to the police and it was a very nice affair and they were all so concerned about child abuse and that was great. While all the tributes were said, I turned to my Christian buddy and wondered what we in the Christian community could do if we mobolized over certain issues. We have Almighty God as our power source with all the ability in the world to affect change. Why isn't it happening more in our communities Darryl. Why is the church so silent on so many issues. The harvest is plentiful, that's for sure. Why is there so much stagnation and decline in the Christian church?
One more thing Darryl, don't you believe we have the opportunity to turn our world upside down in the GTA area and possibly in our country. Call me naive, or goofy or whatever but as I read about the early church in the book of Acts and how God used them, I just can't stop thinking about how much more God is willing to do through His church in our area today. Our society is in such a mess, I see it every day on a different level than most people because of my occupation. We are falling apart at the seems. Alarmist? I don't think so. Even within my profession so much has changed. Just look at the stories of cops getting arrested and all that goes along with that. We have moved so far from God as country and the results speak for themselves. Why does the church seem so ineffective? If ever there was a time for the church to come alive again with the Spirit of God I think now is it. Just imagine how things could change. Just imagine all the new stories of transformed lives, really changed, and so excited about their realtionship with God that they want to go out and tell everyone. So is it because God is just choosng not to get it done? What's our part? How can we together get the people in the pews fired up again? When they see God at work, that should fire them up. When people see things happening that can only be explained as the supernatural work of Almight God, that will get people talking. Soon you will have the Christie Blatchford's of the world reporting on these incredible stories of transformation and what exactly is going on at that church at Kipling and Eglinton? You'll have half the residents of Willowridge busting through your doors. Wouldn't that be great? I'm fired up, are you fired up? How does it get done, that is the question.
George: I love your passion, and I'm amazed you know about Willowridge. ;)