But truth be told, I just don\u2019t get what this seeker-friendly church stuff is all about.<\/p>\n
For a long time now, I\u2019ve just assumed somebody else knew what they were doing. But after nearly four decades in Christian circles, I\u2019ve come to realize what a silly assumption that is. In fact, it\u2019s quite possible that we\u2019ve just slapped a God sticker on a smelly garbage can and called it a seeker-friendly church.<\/p>\n About a decade ago, the mayor of Cleveland, Ohio, came up with a brilliant idea to raise funds for her cash-strapped city. She offered citizens of the blue-collar bastion on Lake Erie a chance to sponsor \u2013 wait for it \u2013 a garbage can. The cans would be strategically placed around the city to receive trash, thereby cleaning up the streets of unwanted litter.<\/p>\n And the best part was that for a small donation, you or your family could have your name emblazoned on one of those cans! That\u2019s right. It would still be a smelly garbage can \u2013 but with your name on it! Just donate and slap a sponsor sticker on it.<\/p>\n Needless to say, the plan met with the success it deserved. I think the mayor and a few other politicians desperate for cheap advertising actually sponsored a can or two. But the basic idea is a popular one in the church today. Find an idea somewhere in the world that seems to work and just slap a God sticker on it \u2013 everything will be just fine.<\/p>\n Maybe that\u2019s where this seeker-friendly stuff came from. We saw how to get people to show up for Aerosmith, at the mall, or even for an Atlanta Symphony concert and thought, \u201cHey! Let\u2019s just slap a God sticker on that! Do what they do, but call it church. We\u2019ll give it a cool name like \u2018seeker-friendly\u2019 and we\u2019ll pack \u2018em in!\u201d<\/p>\n Don\u2019t get me wrong. I have nothing against being friendly. And the magic act, 3-D glasses, and popcorn we\u2019re pretty cool. Certainly, as Christ-followers, kindness to all, even our enemies, should be a priority. And every church should be a welcoming environment to all comers.<\/p>\n Don\u2019t get me wrong, those items should be present in any diet, but not as the main course. As a father of six, I know how that diet ends. Either I don\u2019t grow as I should or there\u2019s going to be a cleanup in aisle 4. At some point, God\u2019s people need to eat real foods \u2013 whole grains, veggies, and a little meat, even at the risk of offending those who just stopped in for the free soul candy.<\/p>\n If I could distill my concerns down to bullet points and stick them to the glass entry doors of your church with the adhesive approved for use throughout the facility by the Pastor of Maintenance and Facility Care, I suppose they\u2019d read like this:<\/p>\n It\u2019s about where you put your focus. What\u2019s the point of designing your church to seem attractive to those to whom the gospel is unattractive? Is it just to get them in the door? I\u2019ve got to tell you, at times your church more resembled a network marketing meeting than a church service. Been there done that. Just get people to the weekly meeting and let the flashy band, superstar speaker, and stellar child care do the rest. Don\u2019t forget to take a sample and sign up on your way out \u2013 oh, and tell your friends about us!<\/p>\n Sounds like the classic bait-n-switch to me. I don\u2019t recall Jesus charging his disciples to \u201clure potential recruits in with flashy programs, comfy chairs, and a free foot massage. Then, when the mood is right, guys, drop the whole repent thing on \u2018em \u2013 but subtle, boys, subtle with a capital S and that rhymes with \u2013 well, you know \u2013 that word we do not speak of. (Wink!)\u201d<\/p>\n Quite the opposite, I recall him telling us to go out into the world, not bring the world into the church. He has called us to be ambassadors who go out, not sales reps who stay in, lurking at the hotel to sign up prospects lured in by the promise of sweet treats and easy riches. He told us to make disciples, not water down the gospel power to make it more seeker-friendly.<\/p>\n After engaging in worship in spirit and truth, the natural next priority of the church service should be to make disciples. We could also rightly call it training worshippers. Seekers can\u2019t be disciples. But believers can be and should be ever growing as more fully devoted followers of Christ. That is the great commission after all \u2013 the mission of the Church \u2013 to make disciples.<\/p>\n Is there a place for evangelization in the church service? Of course. I agree with many voices who have stressed that every sermon should call hearers to repentance in the context of the gospel. But 80% of our focus should be on discipling believers to go out and live out the gospel, to make every day of their lives a worship experience for all to see. Rather than investing 80% of our energy attracting non-existent seekers, why not focus on those who already believe, are desperate to grow, and are urgently needed to live out their faith in this fallen world.<\/p>\n Like I said, it might just be me. No doubt many will accuse me of being old, out of touch, and grouchy \u2013 exactly what\u2019s wrong with Christians these days. \u00a0Some days I feel as if all of that is true. Except that I feel it a lot less now since I left your seeker-friendly church. Maybe that was\u00a0Why I Stopped Showing Up On Time at Your Church<\/a>.<\/p>\n I suspect there are a lot of other Christians who\u2019ve left for the same reasons but didn\u2019t want to say anything for fear of being taken to the evangelical woodshed. Maybe they\u2019ll speak up now. I don\u2019t know. Do seeker-friendly churches burn heretics? Can\u2019t think that would look good on the evening news though it might cause a bump in attendance.<\/p>\n Or maybe I just don\u2019t get what it means to be seeker-friendly. I thought the Church was supposed to be God-friendly, not seeker friendly. Silly me. Who knew?<\/p>\n Have you become frustrated by your church\u2019s fixation on being seeker-friendly? In what ways do you think the Church focuses on the wrong things \u2013 and the right things \u2013 on Sunday? Leave a comment below with your thoughts.\u00a0<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n _____________________<\/p>\n Get your copy of\u00a0Why I\u2019ve Stopped Singing in Your Church: Answers to Questions You\u2019ve Been Afraid to Ask about Church Issues<\/a><\/em><\/strong> Finally, someone speaks up to offer answers to the questions you\u2019ve been afraid to ask about church issues. For all those in the Christian church who feel their voices are not being heard, Why I\u2019ve Stopped Singing in Your Church<\/em> is entertaining therapy for the frustrated soul.<\/p>\n Unfortunately, truth is not always welcome in the Christian church today. Yet without it, the church has little reason for existing. This book is a collection of truth-telling essays, comedic rants, and open letters offered with a twist of humor and sarcasm in the hope of focusing attention on real church issues that are often ignored.<\/p>\n Some readers will laugh, others will cry with empathy, while others will try to burn it \u2013 perhaps not the wisest thing to do with an e-book, but so long as they don\u2019t use any four-letter words, I suppose it\u2019s all good.<\/p>\n Click the book cover below to begin reading, learning \u2014 and laughing! \u2014 in just seconds!<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n <\/p> Have you subscribed to our email updates? Click here to sign up to get my FREE eBook What God Wants You to Do Next<\/i> and receive FaithWalkers posts in your inbox each week.<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/wp-media.patheos.com\/blogs\/sites\/331\/2013\/08\/iceage_church.jpg\" "\\"iceage_church\\"")
<\/a><\/p>\nJust Slap a God Sticker on It<\/h3>\n
What\u2019s Wrong with Being Seeker-Friendly?<\/h3>\n
<\/a>But here\u2019s a simple question: If your worship service is all about attracting those who don\u2019t yet share the faith, why would I stay? Unfortunately, much of what gets communicated on Sunday is a steady diet of gumdrops and milk. Sweet treats for the seekers and milk for those who\u2019ve recently made commitments to follow Christ.<\/p>\nThree Problems I Have with Seeker-Friendly Churches<\/h3>\n
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What\u2019s the Point of Being Seeker-Friendly?<\/h3>\n
<\/a>At some point later, I guess, we\u2019ll talk about all that tougher stuff about dying to self, forsaking all to follow Christ, and \u2013 gasp \u2014 hell and sin. But for now, just push that Easy Button. Settle back into your stadium seating and enjoy this riveting drama and dance routine we\u2019ve cooked up for you while we smile incessantly.<\/p>\nWhat\u2019s Church for Anyways?<\/h3>\n