tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31029580.post5256618729723213728..comments2022-05-24T13:31:34.944-05:00Comments on On Raven Street: Musing on Church Growth StrategiesHeather Weberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11600363520986510021noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31029580.post-83809556151420886882007-10-02T12:32:00.000-05:002007-10-02T12:32:00.000-05:00It's easy on us when people get saved by coming to...It's easy on us when people get saved by coming to church. Truly, it is. I mean, it all happens on our turf, our environment. We don't risk a whole lot. We are not the ones going into a new place.<BR/><BR/>Maybe that's why everybody's doing these new programs. They know that straight up Jesus talk isn't going to bring someone to church. Maybe the idea is to turn the contemporary church model into something unbelievers will want to go to regardless/in spite of the Jesus content. Make church the new Children's Museum, the new ice skating rink, new bar, new coffee shop in town and people will come. And through building relationships with them, we might tell them about Jesus? <BR/><BR/>If that's what it is, then I don't think we can have both the worship/teaching/prayer aspects and the social evangelism aspects all combined in one event venue. I think the church wants it both ways--have our cake and eat it too: Stay in the safety of our walls, worship how we want, pray how we want, talk our churchy language that no one outside could possibly understand AND we want something super attractive with great "cool factor" to get unbelievers in the door. <BR/><BR/>I just don't think it can work both ways.<BR/><BR/>I'm all befriending those who don't know Christ, getting involved in their lives. But I think we're trying to kill two birds with one stone when it comes to the official methods of our churches.Heather Weberhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11600363520986510021noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31029580.post-8232842803126888552007-10-02T09:53:00.000-05:002007-10-02T09:53:00.000-05:00It does often seem that people with "church growth...It does often seem that people with "church growth strategies" are using "man's" wisdom, rather than God's wisdom.<BR/><BR/>I did have the interesting experience this past Sunday of hearing: "What we need are more churches, because people get saved by going to church." <BR/><BR/>While I know the man loves God deeply, it clearly doesn't always keep him from the influences of his own, human, warped, thinking.Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03297346879608610342noreply@blogger.com