Several weeks ago, I visited a church that was clearly vying for my attendance. They lavished my kids with toys and mentioned all the great ministry services they could offer us. My wife and I received no less than 3 gifts from the church office that next week. At first, we were impressed by their generosity. But after a while, it all seemed like a bit much.
It felt like one of those furniture sales in a parking lot with truck-loads of overstocked items under a tent with free balloons and hot dogs for the kids. They work just a little too hard for me to trust them. What they intend for good actually becomes a turn-off.
The church has experienced a hospitality awakening in recent years. We've ramped up our first impressions teams to help people feel welcome, which is all good. But in some ways, we've taken it overboard. We've turned ministry into a commodity and made church about what people can get out of it.
Deep down, people don't want a church that is desperate for them. They want to become a part of something bigger than they are. I love how Jesus continually tried to escape the crowds. He climbed mountains to teach his disciples and set out in boats to flee the mobs. He understood the allure of indifference.
Dont' get me wrong - I loved being welcomed at that church. But the attraction was fatal.
Great post Ben!
At some point in the last half-century, the church was put in a position of having to compete for people’s time, attention and money. Many churches resisted the shift and entrenched themselves in the past.
Other churches decided they had to compete in the consumer market or they would die. These churches reinvented themselves as highly competent vendors of religious programs and services. Their focus became a worship service designed to attract a crowd and helping to facilitate personal transformations.
The church and community are valued, but only if they strengthen a Christian’s personal relationship with Jesus.
Yet both of these are in stark contrast to the biblical vision of the church in which individuals exist for the sake of the community and the community exists for God’s mission in the world.
Comment by Paul Stewart - Aug 05, 2008 @ 04:29 PM
Amen! We are Not Just Selling Church
Comment by J. R. Miller - Aug 05, 2008 @ 05:27 PM
Ben:
Great post! Thanks for sharing this.
The staff I serve on has talked about and discussed how we might find the balance between showing hospitality and over-doing it and freaking people-out. One of the things that we changed in response to this is that we stopped doing automatic home visits for first-time visitors and instead just send them cookies (we realized that sending someone to a first-time visitors house could easily be a little too much too quick for people).
Comment by Brian - Aug 05, 2008 @ 08:28 PM
“Deep down, people don’t want a church that is desperate for them. They want to become a part of something bigger than they are”
Completely Agree. I just posted on “making the church a little less friendly” yesterday. This is exactly what I had in mind.
Comment by Billy Chia - Aug 06, 2008 @ 01:27 AM
I’m glad I’m not the only one who’s encountered this. When will we move the focus away from pleasing people to stepping on toes with the Gospel? Christ must once again become the chief focus in the churches, or they will wither and die.
Comment by Brian M. - Aug 06, 2008 @ 01:28 AM
This is so true not just in church but in business. I sat down yesterday with two great men who are looking at new career opportunities. It is neat to watch someone’s face light up when they start to see a vision. Not gifts, big salaries, and benefit packages…but rather something bigger than them that they can believe in and get on board with. Your experiences are applicable in every facet of life.
Comment by David Simon - Aug 06, 2008 @ 06:48 AM
This is so true. It comes back to that key word of “authenticity”. As a church leader, what’s my motivation for going to such extravagant lengths to get people to like ‘us’ (the church)?
Comment by Jenni Catron - Aug 06, 2008 @ 09:41 PM