My friend Norm, who is a little older than I am, gave me a little historical perspective in his comment to my post “Taking It To the Streets”. I was talking about the need for us Christians to get back to learning about evangelism instead of learning how to be cool so the world will like us and come to our building for our programs and concerts. “Hey, we listen to the same music you do and watch the same movies, we even swear and dress like you… will you come to our church now?”
He recalled the emphasis in the past on evangelism. The seminars, conferences, books and training focused on teaching people to share their faith one on one. You can debate the efficiacy of those individual techniques, but you had to admire the fact that their focus was on teaching and encouraging Christians to share their faith with words and personal encounters, not just being cool so your neighbor wants to be like you.
Today it seems like the emphasis is not on the “layperson”, but on the ministers of the church, and the goal is not to teach and encourage people to share their faith but to have the kind of church that people will want to come to so the professional minister can wow the seeker with the cool sermon, cool music, cool building and cool programs. Instead of making the Gospel relevant to the lost, we want to make the church relevant to the consumer.
I’m pumped about the Transformed conference coming up and am glad that there is someone out there trying to encourage Christians to live and share their faith. With all the programs out there dedicated to teaching the church to look more like the world, the Transformed folks are a breath of fresh air.
Who knows, maybe the pendulum will swing back and we will focus on sharing the Gospel again, not just being an attractive commodity in a consumer world.
Thanks, Norm, for putting things in historical context, perhaps another Great Awakening will come as people see the church not as a consumer destination but a community of believers who have good news to share.
Once again you are your observations are right. (Maybe you should right a book or something). The age of the professional is certainly now (not that I’m totally against professionals). We need the every member-ministry concept to be joined with a every member-missionary concept and then we might turn it around.
I still sing at funerals, i still sing at Church Solos when im ask or allowed .I sing two concerts a year at a sister church ,twenty minute ones with LIVE Piano not Cold Packed. I love to sing and im still quite good at it for my age and rotten health. Please dont say that Singing concerts isnt important to the worship of GOD and uplifting His HOLY Name … Im not an Elder or deacon and im not a Minister with a degree.Im just a man who sings for the Lord….. I think ive read in the Bible we are sapposed to do this……. Its called singing praise’s to our King…..
Two thoughts:
First, having been a paid, full-time minister and now working bivocationally with a Brazilian immigrant congregation I can say that the latter forces me to depend more on the other members of the church. If I were full time both they and I would expect me to be running a full range of “programs.” Of course, I’d also take the blame for any failures. As it is, I preach every other Sunday, with another man from the church preaching the days I don’t. I have done evangelistic Bible studies and am preparing a baptism class for the young people, but beyond that I just can’t make a commitment of time that goes further. It’s frustrating on one hand, but a good thing on the other.
Second, some forms of evangelism are less effective than others. For example, in the Brazilian city where I lived door-knocking was actually used to start new churches. It worked! In the United States I think it should be obvious it is frowned upon. A local Baptist church did extensive door-knocking and tracting last week and even I felt odd about what they were doing. It’s just out of place and counterproductive.