When I started pastoring 14 years ago, I started in a small church. It was obvious that if we were going to last, we would have to attract people to join the church. One of my assumptions was that it was important to get people out there to come and join the church.
Our church was in a very defined community within Toronto, which allowed me to get involved with the community on boards, and to get to know people on their terms rather than expecting them to come to church. I found that this went a lot better. It's a lot harder to get people to come to church than to go out and meet them, and begin to build a relationship with them.
Still, I suspect that I spent more time trying to get people to come to church than to get church members into the world to bless the world. Even at Richview, we have focused on the attractional model of church. Build it and make it desirable enough and they will come.
One of the changes in my philosophy of ministry has been to move away from the attractional model. Michael Frost and Alan Hirsch write in The Shaping of Things to Come:
...church leaders as well as Christians in general have regarded the church as an institution to which outsiders must come in order to receive a certain product, namely, the gospel and all its associated benefits. In our view, the church should be missional rather than institutional. The church should define itself in terms of mission - to take the gospel and to incarnate the gospel within a specific cultural context.
Reggie McNeal expresses the same thought differently when he says that the wrong question is, "How can we do church better?" The better question, he says, is, "How do we de-convert from Churchianity to Christianity?"
This process wasn't a neat one for me. I probably moved away from the old attractional model without landing firmly on the missional model for some time. This is still working itself out, especially in our practice. Part of this coming year is going to be devoted to helping each person discern what shape this will take in our own lives.
The biggest change for me has been to see the use of spiritual gifts differently. I used to think that the gifts were all to be used to support the church's ministry. I now believe that many are going to exercise their gifts for ministry outside the walls of the church - coaching soccer, inviting people into their homes, serving on community boards. This too is part of the "work of the ministry."
There are more changes to talk about, which will come over the next couple of days. It's exciting, though, to recapture a vision for what a traditional church can look like when it develops a heart for going out there, building relationships with the sort of people Jesus did when he was on earth.
Interesting read Darryl but I'm wondering how far you're talking about with the following statement?
"I now believe that many are going to exercise their gifts for ministry outside the walls of the church - coaching soccer, inviting people into their homes, serving on community boards. This too is part of the "work of the ministry.""
I don't beleive that if we end doing these activities (coaching soccer, etc) we're really working for the kingdon unless we clearly use these relationships as a conduit to express the gospel message of salvation from sin.
Jacob.
Well, "Praise The Lord, and Hallelujah!"
You have just said, - much better than I ever did, - what I have been saying all along. You just used some fifty-cent words to get your point across. (Missional, etc. ;^} )
Church should be the place where people go to worship the Lord, learn about the Gospel and the Christ-like life, and learn to do the work of the ministry.
The thing is, most people know the folly of eating too much without expending any of that energy. Why, I wonder, do they not apply that same wisdom to the eating of the Bread of Life? By all means eat what you need, and then go out into the community and share what you have been given.
One never runs out of Love, unless one tries to keep it all to oneself.
Jacob:
I think going into those areas as a ministry means that we go in looking to serve people. Part of that is to look for receptive people who are ready for the Gospel. Sometimes it is meeting practical needs or just loving people.
Darryl, but aren't you simply encouraging general evangelism, which every Christian should be doing, because the vast majority of the spiritual gifts (except tongues sometimes and of course evangelism) are designed by God to build up the body of believers not unbelievers. That's the whole point of 1 Cor. 14...spiritual gifts are purposed for edification of the local church.
Trish:
I agree with what you're saying.
Let me give you an example. The person who has the gift of hospitality can use that gift to build up or edify the church. But he or she can also use that gift evangelistically, by inviting neighbors into the home, and that still counts as ministry if done with the right heart. Same with many of the other gifts.
"I now believe that many are going to exercise their gifts for ministry outside the walls of the church - coaching soccer, inviting people into their homes, serving on community boards. This too is part of the "work of the ministry."
Darryl, how is that the work of the ministry if it is apart from sharing the gospel.
It seems to me I see so much "Christian" work being done in the inner city but very few people are getting saved. Why is that do you think? I'm talking about Toronto. I won't name the ministries although you have in the past on other posts. Where are the people who are getting saved? Where are the mass conversions and baptisms? Why is that not happening?
But why is it happening in other parts of the world. Why is it happening in New York at churches like the Brooklyn Tabernacle?
They're building relationships for sure but its got to be about the gospel of Jesus Christ.
We have to call people to repent. You can build all the relationship you want but if there is never a call to repent how will the people know.
Romans 10:13-15
13For "everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved."
14But how are they to call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard?[a] And how are they to hear without someone preaching? 15And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, "How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!"
I don't think we have to choose between options like relationship building, social action, and Gospel. The Gospel is concerned with the whole person. We can do one without neglecting the other.
I'm not sure I understand what you mean by "we can do one without neglecting the other." Can you expand on that?
I find it's easier to think of this in terms of missionaries overseas. We usually don't expect them to go into a new setting and just start preaching. We accept that they might teach in schools, work in hospitals, and even keep a low profile while they build relationships and look for openings.
I think the same applies here. I know you're in favor of social action, and sometimes that is what is needed. Other times we just have to love people who aren't open to the Gospel - they aren't projects, and we don't drop them if they aren't interested. Other times God has prepared someone and we need to be bold (this shouldn't be an excuse for not speaking up because of timidity!). Hope that makes sense.
It's all about time Darryl. Personally I would be investing more time ministering to those who I sense openess to the Gospel. Ultimately, we're here to win souls not friends.
Love the "attractional model" language...sounds a little less political than "seeker-sensitive"... :)
I don't understand the comment from Jacob though, "We are here to win souls, not friends"? What? Huh? And how does that work? How do souls get "won" without making "friends"? Without love? Is it just a "preaching" thing?
I think I'll go over to my neighbours now and tell him I don't really care if we're friends - I'm just being nice to him so he'll get "saved"...(cuz that's why I'm here)
I'll let you know how that goes....
Touche, Tim.
Tim, I don't understand why you would "mock" a comment you admitted that you didn't understand.
My point was that true friendship and relationship takes time. I would be inclined to focus on relationships where there is an openess to the Gospel message of salvation.
I admit - I've got an alterior motive with every friendship that I have. I want to use that friendship as a conduit for that person getting saved. No problem admitting that.
Jacob.
Jacob:
You may appreciate this:
http://www.backyardmissionary.com/2005/08/evangelism-beyond-friendship.html
I do agree with you that it's smart to look for open people. I also believe that God has already brought some of those people strategically into all of our lives.
I think, though, that a lot of us need to look at Jesus and his indiscriminate love - and also the times he turned away from people, and to learn for his concern for the poor and the sick as well as the lost. I have lots to learn in this area.
Jacob - I understand your point. But why just people that are "open"? What does "open" mean? Ready to listen? Ready to accept you?
I am of the opinion that "openess" to the gospel only happens after a good deal of unconditional love and authentic relationship where the Spirit moves... Jesus seemed to "open" people with love and acceptance, not look for "open" people.
We can wait for "open" people, or "open" people with love in action (feeding the poor, etc.). In my circles, I'd get pretty depressed looking for people who are open to the gospel...
I wonder..are you up front and authentic with all your friends about your admitted alterior motive, or is it kind of a secret mission?
Tim, as the relationship develops I have no problem admitting that.
Darryl, I really enjoyed that article and agree with it. I love seeing Christians so open with their Faith that they're willing to present the Gospel outside the safety of a tight relationship.