Friday, June 02, 2006

The "De-Churched" and the Future of Missional Emerging Congregations

Interesting, the idea of being "de-churched" while going to church. One of the problems with large churches is the anonyminity factor. You can attend, but not participate and no one is the wiser. There is no relationship, spiritual formation or community. It doesn't have to be this way but often is. Chur is not something we just do on Sundays, it is a lifestyle, an understanding that we are the priesthood of believers.

For years, the mega churches, seeker-sensitive churches, and the gigantic lecture hall arenas of our day have all targeted “the unchurched.” Many of these evangelical churches have performed surveys and research asking their surrounding target market “why don’t you go to church?” As a result, many of these churches have been accused of marketing the gospel and/or changing church to appeal to the unchurched. Amidst all the criticism, these churches have countered, “We have attracted the unchurched into a place where they could receive the gospel.” But could they actually be doing something else?

I have no doubt that many people outside of the gospel have been introduced to salvation in Christ through the various mega churches. I have no doubt a lot of people have been introduced to the gospel who other wise probably would have not. But alongside this activity to His glory, I think I can make the case that something else has ALSO been going on which is falling short of the mission of Christ and may help us understand the way forward for the missional emerging churches of the future? Read More.

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