I've now officially had a few days to process some of the things I saw and heard at the Change Without Compromise conference last week. As a reminder (since I wrote about it earlier), it's a conference held at a mega-church grown in the Attractional (seeker) model. The principles taught were designed to help you move a church through needed but difficult transition...
I don't have a lot of this stuff settled in my head. I'm still working through the implications of tons of ideas. But I do have some initial thoughts. So on to my brief list of observations/comments about this mega-church (and presumably other):
1. The place really looks and feels like "McDonald's does church". It's too well put-together, if you know what I mean.
2. "Excellence honors God and inspires people" (the catch phrase of so many attractional churches) is only partly true. They give you the feeling that what they really mean is only excellence honors God and inspires people. Nothing could be further from the truth, to be honest. If you have to ask why, you don't get postmodernity.
3. They are doing an amazing evangelistic work. How many churches can honestly say that more than 50 people trusted the LORD in the first week of February within the context of their ministry?
4. They are really not good at much else in the Christian life. I've ranted for years that the highest goal in life is not the Gospel and leading souls to Jesus. The highest goal in life is God's glory. One of the ways this is seen is through the spread of the Gospel. Maybe even the chief way, but not the only way. Attractional models clearly seem to put the Gospel where the Glory should be.
5. Postmoderns don't dig it. Q: "Of the 12,000ish people who call your church their own, how many do you have in your college-age ministry?". A: "About 80". Reason (IMHO): postmoderns can see shallow a mile away.
6. Deep people (in general) don't seem to dig it: Q: "Of the 12,000ish people who call your church their own, how many come to the Bible-study/Sunday School classes you offer?". A: "About 120". Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying people who like SS are necessarily "deep" and those that don't aren't. This tidbit was just one in a series of pieces of information that lends itself to the theory that attractional models inherently attract people looking for merely "the show".
7. Great place for a concert. Poor place for fostering authentic community.
8. We have to look great because we're competing with bars and restaurants and malls that look great. I'm sorry - wrong answer. Please play again sometime.
Hatushili
Monday, February 12, 2007
Change Without Compromise
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Note: This comment may not directly apply to this post and clarity may be lacking but I’m going to write it anyway. In Sunday school you mentioned the acrostic IPAC for the Incarnational church, Westwind, I believe. Everything about that model cried out to me; the focus on imagination and creativity, the embracing of authenticity, the empowering of the congregation to do good works, and obviously the communal focus. Individual uniqueness is a quality that most people my age live by; thus, the Goths, punks, skaters, etc. How many of them have you ever seen in a traditional church? If they could be embraced and not forced to conform, wow. Another appeal it has to me is the relatively small attendance, as compared to Northridge, etc. For me, I believe I would struggle trying to fit into a mega church setting. And as you mentioned, postmoderns can see shallow a mile away. I agree and would also expand it to many moderns. I think a lot of people simply want shallow, it’s safe and non-threatening. Getting back on topic; however, is the Incarnational model synonymous with emerging or missional or is it another closely related way of doing things? The recycling story obviously hit me as well. That was neat how the leaders, supported the individual to start a recycling center on the church grounds. What better way to start putting the environmentalist movement in the Christians court. I think it is huge for churches to support their sheep in doing good things in and for the community. At least when teaching elementary students, giving ownership to them and their work is huge for motivation. If every person in the church had a project that they were supported with by the church I think huge strides could be made. So feel free to expand on the Incarnational model and Westwind in general. I’m all ears… or eyes…
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