Yesterday I promised a critique on the statement I’ve heard quite a bit during church services or at Christian conferences. The statement goes something like this: “We are the church and we are not here for us…we are here for the world!” (insert roaring applause by congregation or crowd here). Two people I consider friends and mentors, Erwin McManus and Craig Groeschelboth have said this a lot and when it comes to insight into the world of ministry leadership today, these are two of the best. Now, before I go on..I DO AGREE with this statement and I do think it is a valid and Biblically-based assessment of the church’s purpose. And, I know it is screamed from the stage because for too long followers of Christ have been way too “inward.” But, I do think that this statement sends an unintended, limited view of the church’s purpose and might even negatively impact the church’s evangelistic potential.
Just as that statement is correct so is this one: the church is here for the Christ-follower. (side note: before you paint me as the “discipleship” guy and someone else as an “evangelism” guy, I challenge you to think of discipleship and evangelism as two-sides of the same coin. After all, Jesus said, “GO and MAKE DISCIPLES.” That is one commandment with two parts…without one it isn’t complete.) The picture of the early church is one that we should learn from. For instance, how did the early church grow? Holy Spirit’s movement? Yep. Isn’t it funny sad that we too often go past that. Preaching? Yep. Crazy love early believers showed each other? Absolutely. The book of Acts is full of stories of followers’ great sacrifice and love for each other, which compelled “outsiders” to take note and ultimately come to faith in Christ. Remember what Jesus said when He described the church? “….people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” John 13:35.
So, here’s my point…the church is here for those not following Christ and for those who are. It isn’t one or the other. How about this as an outreach: we all quit fighting with each other and sacrifically love our brothers and sisters. That might just make the outsider want to be a part. That might be the most evangelistic (and most challenging!) thing that we could do. Being different than the world..in it, but not of it, laying down our needs for the needs of others…wow, that sounds like it might work. I know that too often I just haven’t loved my fellow followers of Christ. That breaks God’s heart and limits the church’s effectiveness.
We are the church and we are here for … everyone.
Great start Brian, looking forward to where this leads. Here’s a few thoughts for what they are worth. In my experience, churches either do well serving Christians or non-Christians, but rarely both. Chuck Smith’s Calvary Chapel springs to mind as one that did both well.
The problem always seems to be ‘what do we do with the outsiders once they become believers?’ Too many times I fear the new believer is lost in the masses, a downside of the mega church.
Another common misstep (IMHO) that churches make is getting lost in the business (read money) side of things; ie, opening the gift shop, coffee shop, T-shirt shop. Which usually goes hand in hand with big new multi million dollar building, which always sounds great, but then it has to be paid for. You will now hear the pastor beat the pulpit on tithing/giving whenever money gets tight.
Finally, once we have this beautiful new building, how often is it used for Christ’s glory? Is it just for services on Sundays and the occasional ‘special’ event? I love driving by a mega church during the week and gazing at the glimmering, empty parking lot. Why aren’t we using these monstrosities daily? Homeless shelters, day care facilities, schools, etc. Could it be because as Christians we don’t want to get our hands dirty? I’ll admit I’ve been guilty of that one. Truth is it’s easier to fill a seat on sunday, give a little when the spirit moves, and throw the proverbial stones at the other churches that are ‘doing it wrong’ than to fix the problem. How do we fix it? I’ve got more ideas, but does anyone really care?
I look forward to reading more.
scotty dub…first, thanks for stopping by and for taking the time to comment…
i hear u on many levels…i’ve often told people what i hate about church buildings is massive parking lots/buildings that sit empty 6.5 days a week… there are many thoughts i have and most will be saved for future posts.
But, for now, i will just say (and i know you know this) that church leaders, the vasty majority of them, are great men and women who seek the heart of God and do what they believe God is calling them to do. are they always “right?” nope. are motives always 100% on track…nope. but, i really believe that church leaders are seeking to be spirit-led….but, we are human and we are fallen. we will make mistakes. that being said, often, we can do better. i pray my decisions have/can/will bring glory to God and use His resources to do the most good for the community. and, when my decisions fall short i pray that i will repent where needed, learn from it and ask God to bless my stupidity anyway 
hope you continue to read….
“We are the church and we are here for … everyone.”
Exactly.
Looks forward to those posts Brian!