I read this article and just had to pass it along. I think it expresses great thoughts on where we are at with the church in America. I also appreciate his approach that critiques without condemns.
He asks some great questions:
Is there more than a “Sunday only experience” for church?
How can we create a more biblical environment where people see and experience God?
A part of the answer for me is that church IS NOT Sunday morning. That is an obvious statement to many but yet don’t we live like it is in so many ways? Don’t we pour most of our resources and energy into a Sunday morning event? Don’t we plan the life of a church organization around Sunday mornings? These are questions I am wrestling through.
I’m not concluding that Sunday morning isn’t necessary NOR that we shouldn’t put focus on it. I’m just wrestling with the thoughts expressed in Chan’s article that Jesus intended HIS church to be so much more than a Sunday morning event. And to lead people to see that means we have to do things differently than we always have done them.
Here’s the article link: http://www.exponentialconference.org/there-must-be-more-than-this/
Super article, thanks for pointing it out. I too struggle with what we consider church – especially after reading Pagan Christianity. If we invest the majority of our money on Sunday’s experience, why wouldn’t people think that’s what matters most?
The message at East Campus motivated Chrissy and I to sit down and work on a budget for about 3 hours. Just having the accountablility of knowing where the money is going is huge. Also, that we are doing it as a team. Our current budget is a draft, one that will require a lot of hard work and revision. Thanks for the timely message at the beginning of the year.
I think that the four C’s really help people move from where they sit back and experience “church” to a move to a level where they become actively involved in “being” the church.
It is also important to be intentional about challenging people ON Sunday morning to be the church during the rest of the week. And I think regular teaching on Sunday morning [on the church] is vital for any congregation as well.
The questions you bring up are certainly important to think about. The American church has really “privatized” the Christian Faith. You can even see it in some of our verbage, “Ask Jesus to be your PERSONAL Lord and savior.” A relationship with Christ IS personal…but the New Testament also seem to emphasize a cooperate aspect to salvation as well.
Good thoughts Doug!
tim