I just wanted to share with you a few things I am learning this week as I study the Purpose Driven Church by Rick Warren - this guy is amazing!!!
When Rick Warren started Saddleback church – he went door to door for 12 weeks asking these questions.
1. What do you think is the greatest need in this area?
2. Are you actively attending any church?
3. Why do you think most people don’t attend church?
4. If you were to look for a church to attend, what kind of things would you look for?
5. What could I do for you? What advice can you give to a minister who really wants to be helpful to people?
Four Basic Complaints –
Church is boring, especially the sermons. The messages don’t relate to my life.
It is amazing how churches are able to take the most exciting book in the world and bore people to tears with it. The problem with boring preachers is that it causes people to think God is boring. The unchurched aren’t asking for watered down messages, just practical ones. They want to hear something on Sunday that they can apply on Monday.
The church is more interested in my money than in me – Due to the highly visible fund raising efforts on tv and other Christian organizations, the unchurched are incredibly sensitive to appeals for money. Saddleback explains before each offering that the offering is for the church family – visitors are not expected to give.
Church members are unfriendly to visitors – If I go to church I want to feel welcomed without being embarrassed – Many people feel like church is clique. When they don’t know the inside terminology, songs, or rituals they felt foolish and felt the members were watching them in judgment. The greatest emotion that a visitor or unchurched person feels when they visit a church is – FEAR. Do whatever it takes to make visitors welcome and wanted without feeling watched.
We worry about the quality of the church’s child care – The church must earn the trust of parents! If we want to reach young couples, we must have an excellent program for their children.
Most of the unchurched are not atheists – they are misinformed, turned off or too busy.
The reason why I posted this is because when I go to church now - I want to be part of the solution and be a part in the process. I dont want to just come to the service and go home - I want to be connected - sharing - enjoying what God is doing to people who come through the doors and seeing the changed lives. I want to be serving in whatever capacity God leads me to do. Have I ever done any of this before - NO! Its all new - God opening doors and exposing me to what He wants to do in me. How awesome is that? I just can't believe that people would walk away from what I am experiencing..... its hard to believe I was there once also. Man I can help but to look forward and ask God to keep moving me, my family, and my church family in a direction He wants to take us. Took something BIG in my life to happen to get me where I am today.... but my heart was right and my life was ready to accept the life God had waiting for me all along. Thank You Lord for accepting me and I am sorry it took me so long and I rejected You for so long.
Press on loved ones......
Randy~
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