Saturday, bright and early 8:00 a.m. , I came to Corky's Hard Bean Cafe. The Bean is a place I like to come and study (yeah right) I really like to people-watch. It is moving to me to see those who are helpless and harrased like sheep without a shepherd.
I love the atmosphere here. It is challenging to me to the sense of community that the world plugs into. Community is an area that I think the Church really needs to consider in order to really engage the culture. Community breeds new relationships. It's Corky (actually I haven't been able to get his name, but I hope I do today) asking the guy ordering at the counter what he thinks of the new bar across from the naval academy, and concluding, "I'd like to here your opinion when you go there."
What's contained in this discourse? The sharing of ideas and the invitation to contribution. Some would probably read a discussion of thouroughly worldly (read sinful) expressions. I'm of the opinion that those conversations are real life for the lost and don't repell me as such.
Anyway, I like to come here and haven't been here for about 5 months. I had been coming regualrly, but haven't been back for a while.
Corky is his name! I just found out, and I'm glad because I've been praying for Corky for several months to come to Christ, and I would hate to have thought I was praying for the wrong name, not that Jesus didn't know who I was talking about. And there's probably plenty of Corky's that need to be saved.
I received an e-mail from a ministry friend. In it she said, "I do not need to tell you that there are lots of churches in the area, but there are those that are not being reached because they are outside of the perimeter of the "churched." It would take a strong directive from the Lord and a lot of faith, but I am asking the Lord to lead you to the non-status quo, the edgy, so that the stereotype of church and Christianity can be broken so that the message can be heard. I don't know if you are comfortable with my prayer. "
Absolutely! I don't have any idea what that looks like, or more importantly LIVED like. But SRC should be concerned with the "UnChurched" than the churched. The mission doesn't include the churched. Our mission is clear:Make disciples (obviously not previous disciples), baptize them (the testimony to the "UnChurched" of real life change), and Teach them to obey (lives of obedience are outwardly focused to completing the mission) It's always focused on the mission.
If the Church was faithful to the great commission, church growth strategies would be out of relevance.
I don't know...Must be the coffee
--Ben
2 comments:
"lot of churches in the area..."
There are a lot of traditional churches, mainstream, high church and the like that are catering to a ritzie "don't want to be bothered" crowd. Not so many really evangelical churches and most of them are still the "we'll save them if they come in" sort. Breaking the mold of church is not just necessary in the Broadneck but everywhere. Breaking the mold is hard on the established church who not only doesn't realize the need to change but is in the proverbial "rut". New plants or start-ups can do about anything under the guise of trying something new.
Your "2 year" statistic on salvations may represent the length of time that it takes for a new, try anything church to settle into some routine. Can't wait to see how you handle it.
The Stat is exactly that. In about 3 years a church can get to the place where they can pay the bills, and people who do all that "needs" to be done.
However, Leith Anderson predicts that a church will turn entirely inward within 10 years.
It is definately a fight that we'll have to engage in purposefully and Mission-driven.
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