|
Eventually every pastor will
ask himself, “What can I do to get more people to come to church?” The question
is well intended, but ultimately is answered by some or all of the following
responses: (1) More attention to sermon preparation, personal visitation in
homes and the hospital. This falls prey to the idea that, “It must be my
fault. I must work harder.” (2) Hire more staff to improve the worship
presentation. This answers the cry, “If I just had a little help around here.”
(3) Greater emphasis on what the member in the pew should be doing better. This
berates the volunteer in the pew with the subtle accusation, “If you would do
your job, things would be better.” Yet, these types of responses do not focus
on the primary understanding that Jesus had of His ministry. Jesus said that
He, “came not to be served, but to serve.” (Matthew 20:28).
Jesus did not spend time
worrying about how He could get more people to go to the temple. He understood
that the people knew where the temple was and they knew how to get there. Jesus
spent the primary part of His ministry in service to others. As He came to seek
and to save that which lost, He likewise has sent us to seek them. A six-step
sequence to the task of the church exists. Jesus has sent us so that we might:
1. DISCOVER the lost through service to their needs.
2. EXPOSE them to biblical principles and Christian character.
3. Call them to a COMMITMENT to Christ.
4. DISCIPLE them as they grow spiritually until they
5. can assume a LEADERSHIP role along side us as together
6. we return to the task of DISCOVERING others through service.
Seeking God is not part of a
lost person’s character. The lost seek something to fill a need. Our task as
Christians is to DISCOVER and form relation-ships with the lost. Until a
relationship exists, they will not TRUST us. Until they TRUST, they will not
LISTEN to us about Jesus Christ. Only as they listen to us, will they be
EXPOSED to biblical principles and Christian character. Only through EXPOSURE
to biblical principles and Christian character, will they make a COMMITMENT to
Jesus Christ.
Too often our churches will
short circuit the process and move directly to the COMMITMENT phase without
allowing for the DISCOVERY and EXPOSURE phases necessary in the life of the lost
person. Let me give you an example of what can happen when DISCOVERY efforts
are followed by EXPOSURE.
Following is a letter that
one of our Church Planters received a few years ago. Names have been changed to
protect the individuals.
|
Dear Bob,
I am writing this
because I have difficulty remembering all the things I’m feeling and what
I want to say when faced with sharing them in person or on the phone due
to fear. This is a way for me to break the ice.
Let me tell you a
little about myself and what I’m looking for, then you tell me if you
and your church can help me.
My family attended a
Methodist
Church
when I was growing up. The same church that I had attended for some 15
years with my family turned their backs on me when I became an
unwed mother at 17 years old. They politely asked me not to return.
I have been remarried
and divorced three times. I worked and supported two of those husbands
and raised four children virtually on my own. I have a addictive
personality. I have been through counseling and am not in a financial
position to continue it. I have attended many twelve-step programs
seeking direction to live a happier life, yet never felt like I belonged
because I don’t have a problem with drugs or alcohol. When I get upset or
off balance in life, I don’t think about drinking alcohol, and I have
never used drugs nor do care to start.
Yet, I still think of
myself as out of control and feel crazy from time to time. When I feel
out of control, I look to control someone else or blame someone else for
my bad feelings.
I made the decision to
come to your church because it’s new, because of the topic you chose for
the first five weeks, and because I am looking for spiritual direction,
not religious punishment. I’m looking for tools that I can use in my
everyday life to find peace within myself. I, like many others today,
have had bad experiences in the past and have lived a tough life. I know
I’m not the only one. But, I’m tired of feeling like a victim. There is
no one that is going to take care of me except me...no one person can
fulfill all my needs...yet, I don’t feel strong enough sometimes to take
care of me and that’s when I get myself into trouble. I’m not getting any
younger and I want what years I have left to be peaceful and happy. I
want to feel that life has meaning. I want to learn how to make this
happen.
Can you help? Please
feel free to call me any weekday between
8 a.m. and
4 p.m.
Sincerely, |
The letter above shows that
some lost and unchurched people respond when we seek to DISCOVER them, and
EXPOSE them to biblical principles and Christian character. Seeking of
necessity means that effort has to be put forth to find that which is lost.
|
