| | How can a small church become a mega-church?
The seeker-friendly/church-growth movement offers the fastest and easiest answer to this question, and has been immensely popular in America throughout the last few decades. By utilizing public opinion polls, smart marketing techniques, and dynamic CEO/pastors, these churches offer entertaining services and relevant, non-threatening messages in attractive, welcoming buildings. The movement has achieved phenomenal numerical success, but as the recent Reveal report from pioneer seeker-friendly church Willow Creek admits, it has not been as successful in bringing its many congregants to spiritual maturity or even to salvation.
Listening in on a recent conversation among enthusiastic members of churches following the church-growth philosophy reminded me that this trend is far from dead. It also suggested that I and they have directly opposing assumptions about the very nature of church.
> Does a church's identity and unity arise from its style of music, dress code, cultural background, and average age rather than its union with Christ?
> Are church services for unbelievers rather than believers?
> Should the church be man-directed and man-focused rather than God-directed and God-focused?
Answering "yes" to all of these questions would mean this is a great church (they have indoor slides for the kids! wow!); answering "no" will lead one to a church like this (at which I am the newest member).
Amazing difference between these two short pages.
Note that emerging churches implicitly answer the above questions exactly the same way, but for a different demographic.
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| | Posted 12/25/2008 8:41 PM - 21 Views - 2 eProps - 1 Comment
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