Over the last few weeks I have, sporadically, looked at major transitions in the history of the church. Each of these transitions have been filled with dangers and pregnant with opportunities. These major transitions don’t occur very often, but it has been a long time since we have had one of those transitions and perhaps a new one is on the way. I certainly hope so.
The last major transition of the church was the Protestant Reformation. To a great degree we have not changed much since the Reformation. Someone said that in the Protestant Reformation the center of worship moved from the “altar and the mass” to the “pulpit and the Bible”. I have wondered if the seeker-driven church wasn’t an attempt to move the center of worship from the “pulpit and the Bible” to the “mic-stand and the video screen”. I suppose we will have to wait for future historians and people much smarter than me to confirm or reject that theory. However, I hope the next transition of the church is on the way. Like the previous transitions it will be difficult. In fact, a lot of stuff we hold dear will die in this transition. I am in no way making any claim to being an instigator of this transition. I am simply observing what is and what might be happening and am hopeful for a better future for the church. I think it might be easiest to see this transition by looking at some micro transitions that are possible and perhaps will soon be necessary.
From consumers to sacrificers. The first and most important transition will need to be from consumers to sacrificers. On a facebook page about what is happening in our community someone recently posted that they were new in town and wanted to know if there were any churches with a youth group for their aged children. The comment section exploded with recommendations. With almost no variation every comment said the same thing. “Our church has a great youth group that has more fun and activities than anyone else.” The fawning over the new family and the praise for the great times to be had were overwhelming. No one posted, “If you come to our church you and your family will be asked to die to self, live for Christ and serve Him and His bride.” In our attempts to grow attendance for our weekly service we have focused on producing a product for consumption. As a result we have attracted and trained consumers who are almost incapable of sacrifice. I believe it is time for us to return to the pattern we see in our Lord and tell people if you want to be a part be prepared to sacrifice all for Christ.
From relevant to theological. One of the ways we have tried to attract crowds and inadvertently created consumers was by trying to be relevant. We told the consumers that if they would come to our services they would hear teaching that was relevant to real life. We offered teaching on subjects where people had felt needs, marriage, family, finance, to name a few. We did a pretty good job of helping people build a nice life. We helped them build this life on a foundation of sand. For example, after a sermon on grace, a man who had been attending the church for years told me he had never heard that we are saved by grace and not our good deeds. Survey after survey indicate that those who attend services regularly know less about the Christian faith than church attenders in past generations. We don’t need to be pushing Bible trivia, “Who was the left-handed judge?” But the core issues of the faith. I think it is time for us to transition and return to preaching, teaching and training people to think correctly theologically. Out of that we will find people will learn how to live.
From the concert to the conversation. Mega churches put on great concerts every weekend. Wannabe mega churches put on wannabe concerts every weekend. Please do not think I am attempting to disparage those who lead songs at church. Nevertheless, we strive for success with a great praise band that will, we hope, draw a crowd. But very few churches will have the capacity to put on a great show each week. Even if your congregation is especially great at music there will always be another church that will do it better. Beyond that I can find amazing music on-line that has better production value than what you produce and that I can tailor to my exact wants and wishes. (How good are you at Gregorian chants?) With the rise of the seeker- driven church there has been a corresponding decline in what used to be referred to as “calling”. Once upon a time, “calling" was the practice of ministers, elders, deacons and various church members going to talk with someone about their life and spiritual conditions and concerns. That has all but disappeared. Some churches have attempted to fill this niche with small groups. But some conversations and some confrontations cannot be done in a small group. If your church can’t produce a fantastic concert each weekend the only option to promote loyalty is conversations, heart to heart, face to face conversations. I think it is time we recognize praise bands for what they are, a misguided fad, and shift from trying to have a concert to trying to have conversations.
From anonymous to known. Much of the damage caused to the church in the seeker- driven movement was the result of a well-intentioned bad idea, namely making a point of allowing people to be anonymous. Churches have become apologetic about asking for contact information. Some keep the lights down low so no one can see anyone else expressing themselves in worship. Church is almost treated like A.A., in which you never move beyond a first name basis. The responsibility for any progression or growth in intimacy with believers is solely the responsibility of the non-Christian. We have trained people to be resistant to being known, so much so, that I believe this will be the hardest transition to make. In nearly a perfect opposite of the great commission we tell people “come to church and if you hop through the right hoops we will talk with you about Jesus.” I do recall the bad old days of asking guests to stand up and “introduce themselves to the church”. No one is suggesting we go back to that bad idea. I do think it is time that we recognize when someone comes to a church service it is because they realize they are in need in some way and they think the church has Someone who can help. Instead of imposing anonymity on people let’s go out of our way to tell them about the One we love.
From drawing a crowd to making disciples. Deny it all we want, and with all the cliches to the contrary, we measure church success in terms of numbers in the audience. Every year Outreach magazine lists the top 100 churches in the US. While these churches may or may not produce disciples, which is not something easily measured, if it is measurable at all, disciple making is not part of the top 100 matrix. Measuring is so much a part of our culture and nature we can’t help it. We love to measure and compare. In baseball it can be ERA or batting average, in basketball 3-point percentage or rebounds per game, in football it is yards per carry or interception to TD ratio, church has its own set of numbers. I don’t like it, but if you get three preachers together their conversation will turn to attendance and programs. We love numbers and what you love you pursue and get. Do you realize that with only two exceptions the largest church in US history from 1497 (when John Cabot discovered continental America) until the late 1970’s only two churches would even be in the largest 100 churches today. Since 1980 the number of mega churches has exploded, but during that time the practices of the faith have been in slow and steady decline. This most difficult of all transitions is to move from attracting crowds to making disciples. It will require the rethinking and reworking of almost every part of the American church culture. But I believe we have no option. If we don’t shift to making disciples who make disciples within a couple of generations there will hardly be a church left to attempt any transition.
Some might presume that I am advocating a return to the 1950s-1970’s style of ministry. Absolutely not! The seeker movement was a good heart attempt to correct a problem within the church. What if we returned the style, forms, practices and faith of the early church. What if we went back to the first and second century church? That church grew exponentially and in the face of powerful opposition. What did they do and how did they do it? Let’s try to transition to that.
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