what are WE missing?
Although I feel I should go into my typical mantra of..."I can't believe it has been so long since I have last blogged.....and I am going to try and do better" i think I will skip it.
I was in the car today for about 7 hours and had a lot of time to think and as I was thinking I thought I wanted to blog about my thoughts and see what some of you might think. I tell you other than some nice phone conversations with E+K and L I was getting quite bored with myself.
So anyway....onto my thoughts....
Last night I was sitting in my office at church with a young couple (29). The husband is a new member of the church and his wife is not active at this point. They are expecting a baby in February and are interested in baptism, etc... so we met last night to talk more about Advent, and baptism. While we were talking I asked the wife why she did not go to church (I said it in a non-offensive way, but was very curious as her husband has become very involved). She responded that she never really was part of a church growing up- only baptized probably because her friends were and she felt left out- and as she got older she just never got involved. However, she supported her husband very much in his attendance and participation and wanted to have the baby baptized because she knew it was important to him. The conversation continued and I prodded a little more...she then stated that Sunday's are her day to sleep in and she just can't fathom getting up to go to church- she sees no need for it. We continued talking, and after all of it she is going to come and worship with us a few times to check it out, as I encouraged her and told her how important I think the community that church offers is to everyone.
I could not get that conversation out of my head today as I drove. Her statements, "I have never seen a need for it and still don't" and "I need and love my sleep" made me very uncomfortable. What are we, that being the Church- not just Advent- but what are we as a church missing with people- are we not relevant- is our message lost on deaf ears- what is it that would make us matter and indeed be "needed"? I think the church largely does come across very irrelevant to people- especially those who are de-churched, unchurched- or any other category you want to throw in there. i think so many of our churches invite people to come and sit- take up a place in the building, give some money, and be done with it- that however in my opinion is hogwash- one of the things I thing church needs to do a better job at is challenging its members with the expectation of what Christ calls us to be...and I believe in that expectation, and calling is the relevance that so many of our young adults, heck even our older adults are desperately seeking-even if they don't know it yet...
just wondering...what do you think?
I was in the car today for about 7 hours and had a lot of time to think and as I was thinking I thought I wanted to blog about my thoughts and see what some of you might think. I tell you other than some nice phone conversations with E+K and L I was getting quite bored with myself.
So anyway....onto my thoughts....
Last night I was sitting in my office at church with a young couple (29). The husband is a new member of the church and his wife is not active at this point. They are expecting a baby in February and are interested in baptism, etc... so we met last night to talk more about Advent, and baptism. While we were talking I asked the wife why she did not go to church (I said it in a non-offensive way, but was very curious as her husband has become very involved). She responded that she never really was part of a church growing up- only baptized probably because her friends were and she felt left out- and as she got older she just never got involved. However, she supported her husband very much in his attendance and participation and wanted to have the baby baptized because she knew it was important to him. The conversation continued and I prodded a little more...she then stated that Sunday's are her day to sleep in and she just can't fathom getting up to go to church- she sees no need for it. We continued talking, and after all of it she is going to come and worship with us a few times to check it out, as I encouraged her and told her how important I think the community that church offers is to everyone.
I could not get that conversation out of my head today as I drove. Her statements, "I have never seen a need for it and still don't" and "I need and love my sleep" made me very uncomfortable. What are we, that being the Church- not just Advent- but what are we as a church missing with people- are we not relevant- is our message lost on deaf ears- what is it that would make us matter and indeed be "needed"? I think the church largely does come across very irrelevant to people- especially those who are de-churched, unchurched- or any other category you want to throw in there. i think so many of our churches invite people to come and sit- take up a place in the building, give some money, and be done with it- that however in my opinion is hogwash- one of the things I thing church needs to do a better job at is challenging its members with the expectation of what Christ calls us to be...and I believe in that expectation, and calling is the relevance that so many of our young adults, heck even our older adults are desperately seeking-even if they don't know it yet...
just wondering...what do you think?
Labels: the church
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