selling church

I think a lot about the church... about what it is... what it isn't... about why it is what it is... about change... about rootedness (in a healthy sense)... about flexiblity (also in a healthy sense).

I think a lot about the church... both in the context of the local church and of the city church.

I hear many speak of being an "acts church" but in most places that I am aware of, I haven't seen the unity in community that is central in an acts church. I am thankful that I'm seeing some of this among leaders in Kitchener-Waterloo... and that is where it needs to start... but it needs to filter through the rest of the church.

John O'Keefe over at Ginkworld, blogs about why is it easy to "sell the church" and so hard for us to "live the faith?"

I think a lot of what happens in the name of church is "selling the church." Marketing, following a few principles, how-to's. That's what a lot of books and seminars and conferences are all about.

I don't think that churches that function this way do so not because they are evil, or misguided. They think that the great commission is about "go, and increase the number of people in your church" - but that's not what Jesus said. He said "as you are going, make disciples."
John writes:

it is easy to sell, "come to our church, our pastor is handsome"
[no wise cracks about that not applying to the lead pastor at Trinity!!]
it is not easy to sell, "come to a faith that tells you to love the unlovable"

it is easy to sell, "come to our church, we have great music"
it is hard to sell a faith that says, "come to a faith that seeks you to be silent"

it is easy to sell, "come to our church, we have some great programs"
it is hard to sell a faith that says, "come to a faith that tells you you must be active in reaching the needs of others"

it is easy to sell, "come to our church, we have a wonderful and clean building - with a ton of parking"
it is hard to sell a faith that says, "come to a faith where we will meet on a hill side, and you will need to walk five miles to get there"

it is easy to sell, "come to our church, God loves you"
it is hard to sell a faith that says, "come to God, and by doing so love others - even to the cost of your life"

it is easy to sell, "come to our church, we love america" or Canada
it is hard to sell a faith that says, "live for the kingdom of God, and love those who hate you."

Selling / marketing church is relatively easy - making diciples in a faith that is going to require that you see things differently and that you go that extra mile for another - is hard - not because it's hard, but because we have changed [reduced] church into something that it less than biblical.

We settle for "going to church" when we are called to introduce people to the powerful, wonderful, transforming grace of an awesome God.