Don't Go To Church: Part 3

I love Sundays in the summer. No Sunday school. No committee meetings. No youth group. Nothing but God's people gathering for worship and fellowship. In my mind, it's the way church is supposed to be.

It's not that those other things are unimportant. And it's not that I'm the pastor, and an  uncluttered Sunday meanis less work. For the congregation, too, summer Sundays feel 5different. No one worries much about attendance. The time is less programmed and busy. The mood is
 less performance-oriented
and more presence-oriented.

Most of all, though, what is different about summer Sundays is that the sense of duty, the sense that we are here because we are supposed to be here, is lessened. It's hard to pinpoint exactly why, but this feeling has to do with school being out, with a lot of people travelling, and with a general feeling that summer is a time to let go of the busyness of life and all its obligations. For too many people, including pastors, "going to church" for a Sunday worship service is one of those obligations.

This year, I've been thinking and writing about the need to release church members from this sense of obligation. Enjoying the "duty-free" nature of summer worship has helped me realize that it is possible for a traditional mainline church to make the transition from "I'm supposed to go to worship" to "I want to go to worship." The question for me, and for many of my colleagues, is how we make that feeling stick all year round.

With this goal in mind, here are several alternatives to the "everyone must go on Sunday morning" model. Each one will be expanded in future posts in this series. They all have their pros and cons.

1) Multiple Worship Offerings. Instead of offering one or two services on Sunday that people feel obligated to attend, offer several smaller services at various times and locations throughout the week. Encourage people to find the service that works best for them. Have a "festival worship" once a month or once a quarter where Sacraments can be served and the whole congregation can worship as one.

2) "Get Out Of Worship Free Cards." Give people permission not to attend worship at all, but to become involved in other activities inside or outside the church that connect them to God. Encourage them to attend worship if and when they want to be there.

3) Connect Worship Directly To Acts of Service. Have worship only after engaging in the hands-on mission of the church - whether it's serving at a soup kitchen, visiting a nursing home, or attending a political rally.

4) Join Other Congregations for Worship - Especially ones of different racial, theological, or economic status. Use worship as a time to build bridges, not isolate.

Which of these options appeals to you? Which has the most practical possibility in your church? What other alternatives to "duty-bound" worship might you suggest?

Don't Go To Church - Part 2

Pastors and lay leaders in traditional Protestant churches:

What if we started telling people that we don't mind if they stop coming to Sunday worship?

What if we tell them that we don't want to see their faces at all on Sunday morning, unless they really want to be there?

What if we remove the chains of obligation and tell folks to worship God at other times, in other places, and in different ways if a Sunday morning service isn't authentic and meaningful for them?

 

On the surface, this idea might sound crazy, even heretical. For centuries, the weekly Sunday service has been the backbone of the Protestant faith in America. At one time, attendance was required by law in many places. Even after worship attendance was legally made a choice, it remained compulsory in the mind of the culture. Unlike any other church activity, worship was the one time of the week all church members were supposed to gather.

Sometime in the second half of the 20th century, this compulsory attitude began to loosen. As both church and society became more consumeristic, many people began to see worship attendance as optional. They no longer felt obligated to be "in church" every Sunday, or even a majority of Sundays.

But even as attendance and membership steadily has declined into the 21st century, the compulsory attitude has persisted. It's a vexing paradox that church leaders are noticing. Less and less people are feeling personally motivated to go to worship each Sunday, but the Sunday service is still viewed as the compulsory church activity. As a result, many people are drifting away from church participation altogether, and many others who are unchurched are never giving it a chance, since the one thing that is required is something that has little meaning or authenticity for them.

Therefore, in order to have a shot at reaching these folks, we first need to remove that age-old obligation to attend worship on Sunday morning. Which is why telling folks "Don't Go To Church" might be the best way to bring them to Christ.

Next time, we'll examine some of the ways traditional churches are breaking this worship paradox, and are building new worship experiences based on fellowship and mission.














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Don't Go To Church - Part 1

 

Recently, my Session was inspired by an article entitled, “Don’t Go To Church, Be The Church.” It explained that faith does not consist of occupying a pew on Sunday morning. Faith is about what we do out in the world every day of the week.

But as much as we understand the “don’t go to church, be the church” philosophy, we don't always follow it when we seek new church members.  The goal of evangelism in most churches is quite simply to fill more pews. We might initially attract folks through fellowship or mission activities, but the aim is to parlay that relationship into a regular presence on Sunday morning. In short, despite our own belief in “being the church,” we tell our new folks that what matters is “going to church.”

This disconnect happens because Christianity in America is in a time of transition. For much of the 20^th century, the church and its influence permeated every aspect of society. To speak of “being the church in the world” was nonsensical, since nearly everything and everyone in that world was already Christian. “Going to church” was more appropriate, with the “church” being the building and the worship service itself.

Today, we are moving rapidly into a post-Christian era. Each year, the church grows less and less influential on the culture as a whole. As we move from the center to the periphery, the notion of “being the church, not going to church” begins to make perfect sense. In a culture that largely does not know Christ, the need to be a witness beyond the walls of the church building is suddenly relevant.

In many ways, church members are aware of this transition from Christendom to the post-Christian era. Their laments include the end of prayer in schools, loss of Sabbath, and the fact that many of their neighbors don’t belong to a church and don’t want to. Essentially, they are in a prolonged grief process over the death of Christendom.

Most often, though, the change that concerns them the most is that their 20- and 30-something children don’t go to church anymore.  This is where the disconnect becomes most pronounced, and where it ties back into the way we approach evangelism. The way we think about attracting new members suffers from the same deficiency as the way we think about the younger generations that the church is losing.  

On the one hand, there is the recognition that the changing times call for a new philosophy of “being the church” - which points to a whole new realm of new strategies and practices.  On other hand, however, and at the points where the transition becomes most emotional, the tendency is to revert to the old understanding that “going to church,” that presence in Sunday worship, is what defines our faith.

(In Part 2, I will examine one way we can overcome the old attitude of “going to church.” We can give folks permission not to attend Sunday worship.)

From The Pulpit: The Growth in God's Kingdom

(This excerpt is from a sermon preached on June 16, 2013. It is based on the Parable of the Growing Seed from Mark 4: 26-29.)

... It’s a very comforting parable, because it reminds us that the Kingdom is not ours – it’s God’s; and therefore, the growth of the Kingdom is not our responsibility. We are called to participate, but we don’t make it happen. God does. Which means that we don’t have to be meticulous about understanding and controlling every aspect of our faith lives the way we are about securing our homes at night.

But often, when it comes to our discipleship and when it comes to the church, we feel like we do have to exert that kind of control over things. We often feel like we do have to keep the doors locked and unwanted intruders out. We feel like we do have to keep the temperature well-regulated so no one gets too hot or too cold. And we feel like we do have make sure all the lights are turned off when we want to sleep, especially that pesky closet light that shines right in on our pillow.

Now of course I’m not referring to the literal church building when I make this comparison. This challenge that the Parable of the Growing Seed gives is not a reminder to the Property Committee to check all the locks and thermostats and light bulbs. It’s a challenge for all of us to check the ways in which we are trying to lockdown our faith, be in control of everything, and  keep the Holy Spirit from doing anything unexpected; versus the ways we can relinquish that control, open ourselves up to the Spirit, and be surprised by the growth that God is creating. 

And what better real-life example of this do we have right now than an actual garden? I’m referring, of the course, to the Lake Country Community Garden, which got started this spring and embodies the lessons of today’s parable. Remember what Jesus said:

“The Kingdom of God is as if someone would scatter seed on the ground, and would sleep and  rise night and day, and how the seed would sprout and grow, he does not know.” Now in the literal sense, this parable does not apply to the Community Garden, because it been planted by experts using sophisticated irrigation and pest control, and it has been meticulously maintained by a strong team of volunteers.

But in the metaphorical sense, the story of how the Garden was born is all about the unplanned and uncontrollable growth of God’s Kingdom. Bill would be happy to share with you the full story; but the way that the idea was conceived, hit an early roadblock, and then exploded in a different different direction shows us that this is truly God’s work. We can understand it and control it no more than we can control the weather. We are simply called to scatter the seeds, to watch the Kingdom grow as we rise and as we sleep, and then to come together to enjoy the benefits of the harvest.

Later in the summer, we plan on bringing together all of the churches who are involved in the Community Garden and with Backpack Buddies – which is another new ministry that has exploded in unanticipated ways – and having a special service of thanks and praise to God. When we do this, we will understand that while it is a good idea to lockdown and secure our homes and our families each night, it is not such a good thing to try to secure and control the growth of the God’s Kingdom. May the harvest bring us joy and peace. Amen.

 

 

Letter to the Editor: Supporting Youth With the Courage to Speak

(This letter was published in the Mecklenburg Sun, a weekly newspaper in my hometown of Clarksville, VA.)

To the Editor:                                                                                                  March 19, 2013

On March 18, I attended the Mecklenburg County School Board meeting. The key issue on the table was the schedule changes that are being implemented next year. Since I am not an educator, I do not know whether the changes will ultimately benefit or hurt our schools, but being in the room that night helped me to realize one very positive thing.

At least two dozen students from both Parkview and Bluestone High were present. About six of them had the courage to stand and speak during the public input time. Several talked about the band program, sharing how much it means to them and how the proposed changes might prevent them from continuing to participate. One shared similar concerns about the agriculture and automotive programs.

Each student spoke articulately and with passion, a testament to both the education they have been receiving and their own personal character and determination. They are not demonstrating the potential to be leaders, but the fact that they are already leaders. They are standing up to fight for what they believe is right, which is perhaps the most important lesson a young person can learn. I applaud all of the students who took time on a Monday night to sit through a School Board meeting and make their voices heard.

Again, I have no way of knowing whether the decision to change the schedule was the right decision, but I do know that I feel good about our future. I encourage these students not to get discouraged because this decision did not go their way. I hope you will stand and speak with just as much passion when the next issue that moves your heart comes along.

 

Sincerely,

Rev. James E. Moss

                                                                                                       

Stop and Start: 6 Ways For Churches To Rethink Evangelism

1) Stop hoping that a few signs around town, or an ad in the newspaper, or a snappy-looking website, or a banner saying "All Are Welcome!" is going to attract a lot of people.

Start telling people how much you love your church, why you are so excited about what God is doing there, and how much you would love them to be a part of it.

2) Stop telling young adults, "you ought to be in church." Most have no such feeling of obligation, so trying to appeal to one is not going to work.

Start talking to young adults about their spirituality and where they see God in their lives. Help them connect that to the life of the church.

3) Stop looking at other churches who are growing and thinking that the exact same programs and methods will work in your church.

Start emulating the spiritual habits of churches that are growing and the ways they have opened themselves to the Holy Spirit - which will bring growth, but may or may not lead to similar programs.

4) Stop spending your time and energy trying to maintain programs that nobody seems to have much enthusiasm for.

Start focusing resources on the places where the Spirit is moving and the people are inspired.

5) Stop measuring growth by the number of names on the membership rolls, or the number of people attending worship, or the number of dollars added to the budget.

Start measuring growth by celebrating the ways members are growing in their walk with Christ, and in the ways the church is witnessing to Christ's love in the world.

6) Stop thinking of the task of evangelism as "saving souls for Christ."

Start thinking of it as the task of sharing the good news about Christ and breaking down barriers that keep people from hearing it.

From The Pulpit: Do You Not Percevie it?

                 (This excerpt is from a sermon on Isaiah 43:16-21, preached on March 17, 2013)

 

 

"Do not remember the former things, or consider the things of old.

I am about to do a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?"  

 

Isaiah's words give us comfort for changing times, and get us motivated to move in response to the new reality that God is creating. Which really is remarkable, because so often our questions about change are questions about whether it should happen or whether God is present in the midst of it.

But Isaiah is asking a completely different question. He is seeing the changes that are already starting to happen, and he is recognizing God’s hand in them - which means that our task in changing times is not to look backwards, but rather to look around today, to discover places where God is working, and to go join in.

 It’s a beautiful reversal of the way we often think about change, but it does come with one caution. Isaiah is not telling us to embrace any and all changes, whether it be in the church or in the larger culture. We must understand that the new things we are looking for are the new things that God is working, not that are coming from the world.

And it’s not always easy to tell the difference. It takes a lot of prayer, a lot of discernment, and a lot of mutual forbearance for the body of Christ to know what to do in changing times. Fortunately, Isaiah gives us a little hint on how we can do that. At the end of today’s passages, he describes what the Godly changes in our world will bring:

“I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert, for I give water in the wilderness, rivers in the desert, to give drink to my chosen people.” What this means is that when a changing world makes us feel lost, God’s new thing will show us the way. And when a changing world leaves us thirsty and tired, God’s new thing will give us the sustenance that we need.

And here’s the hard part: In the new reality in which we live, we will miss out on God’s guidance and God’s care if we keep looking backward. This doesn’t mean that we don’t honor the past, or that we don’t preserve the things that we still need today. But what it does mean is that God is moving us forward, whether we want to go or not. Staying where we are is simply not an option.

And here’s the Good News: The past is still useful – not to return to, but to learn from and find inspiration in.  Think, for example, about the great historical witness of the Scriptures. Think of all the great characters who are lifted up for their willingness to trust God while God was doing a new thing: Noah, Abraham, Moses, Joshua, David, Mary, and Paul – just to name a few. They all perceived a new thing that God was doing, and they went an joined in. Which is why we still study their stories today.

And then, of course, there’s the story that most completely represents this concept of trusting God to do a new thing. In fact, it is the very story that Isaiah’s prophecy points to – the story of Jesus Christ, and his death and resurrection. On this Fifth Sunday of Lent, as we are almost to the sacred season of Holy Week, reading this prophecy reminds us exactly what God is up to by sending his only Son to die.

In ways none of the Hebrew people could have predicted, Jesus is doing the ultimate new thing. He is fulfilling the covenant given to Abraham. He is accomplishing nothing less than the salvation of the world. He is bringing about the transformation upon which all of human history, and upon which each of our lives, will turn.

So on one level, Isaiah is asking us to look around today and see the new things that God is doing in our lives and in our communities. But in a much deeper way, he is calling us to once again see the great new thing that was done on the cross 2000 years ago, the one new thing that makes possible all of the other new things – the one that all people in all times  and in all places are called to go and join. So the questions is for us is the same as Isaiah’s question: Do we not perceive it?