Willow Creek Repents

Given the fact that we are exploring the Morgenthaller's claims in Worship Evangelism, I was struck by the news out of Willow Creek that they are reevaluating how they do ministry to seekers. In a response to this article, Greg Hawkins points out that the issues they have discovered are not limited to Willow Creek nor has Willow Creek given up its evangelistic focus on the unchurched. Instead they are simply (actually not so simply) reevaluating what needs to be done to truly move people into a committed relationship with Jesus Christ.

Worship Evangelism--Longing For God Part Two

The Downside of Seeker Services

Downside #1 -- Worship Deprioritization
The old model of seeker service emphasized provided an introduction to Christianity. Traditional church language and symbols were left out of the service and the messages stayed on a pretty introductory level. The idea was that once people came to know Jesus they would move to a "real" worship service. (Places such as Willow Creek have always distinguished between their seeker services and their worship services. The difference between the two not being a matter of style (traditional vs contemporary) but of content.) But what they found was that people found a home in the event through which they entered the church and they tended not to move. The result was large numbers of Christian infants who were not being challenged to grow in their discipleship.

Christian maturity and long-term commitment to outreach are ultimately dependent on the worship life of the congregation. What is gained in the short term may ultimately be forfeited when worship is allowed to slip into a number-two or lower position.

Downside #2: Seeker Events Equal Worship

. . . Christian worship is not only offering all that we are to a Holy God (spirit). It is an intentional response of praise, thanksgiving, and adoration to The God, the One revealed in the Word, made known and accessible to us in Jesus Christ and witnessed in our hearts through the Holy Spirit (truth).

Worship is not education or introduction but rather it is "God's service (to us) and our service to God." True worship requires a way in which we can respond to the love that God has given to us. In fact, the three terms most often used for worship in Scripture all indicate that we must DO something in order to worship: shachah (to bow down, to do homage); proskuneo (to kiss toward); and latreuo (to service, minister.

The fact is, great musical performances, thought-provoking drama, toucing testimonies, relevant messages, and apologetics about God and faith are wonderful tools God can use to touch the seeker's mind and heart. Notice, however, that their operation does not hinge on any sort of movement or response from those in attendance. . . Spectator worship has always been and will always be an oxymoron.

According to Morgenthaller the litmus test for worship is transformation--when people worship they are transformed both internally and externally and that only happens when our worship costs us something meaningful and valuable.
And finally she points out that only worshippers can lead in worship! That means those of us leading worship and even those who participate in worship through music leadership or even those who wil assist in the start of this new service by being present to create a critical mass must be worshippers ourselves!

Let me know who you are!

Hey everyone,
I have just added a guest book to this page. I would love to know who is reading this blog and who has an interest in reaching new folks at Trinity. So let me know who you are! And remember to please share this with anyone who has a passion for helping with this ministry!

 

Your assignment . . . should you choose to accept it.

For the next two weeks, I want to challenge you to pray about how we can reach out at Trinity. Pray about the names of those we would want to invite to participate in this ministry--whether as part of the leadership or simply to attend. Invite folks to read and comment on this blog. But most importantly, simply pray for God's guidance in what we do and how we do it so that we can truly make a difference for Christ in our community and in a new generation!

Worship Evangelism—Longing for God -- Part One

(This is so good that I broke it into more than one entry although part two may have to wait until I get back from Israel.)

In Chapter 2 of Worship Evangelism, we explore how to retrieve Biblical Worship. She suggests three steps:

Step 1 – Worshipping God Instead of Ourselves
As Charles said today, worship is what we are made for and Biblical worship is all about God. Furthermore, Christian worship is all about God as revealed in Christ. Worship, therefore, is not about felt needs but about our true need for God and to worship.
Step 2 – Making Worship Number One
Using David as our guide for what a life of worship looks like (yes—even with his very obvious failings), Morgenthaler points out that reading the Psalms we discover the following characteristics of David’s worship life.
• David’s kind of worship is a life.

‘Although it is a life weekly punctuated by the corporate evens we typically call “worship,” David’s kind of worship begins outside the sanctuary in the context of a daily walk with God.’

• David’s kind of worship is uncompromising. His worship is whole hearted and lavish.
• David’s kind of worship witnesses. His worship was very public.
• Worship was, unequivocally, number one in David’s life. Therefore, she suggests that the purpose of evangelism is to produce more and better worshippers. She quotes Joseph Carroll in his book How To Worship Jesus Christ as saying

Have you ever noticed in the Pauline Epistles that Paul never urges Christians to witness nor has he anything to say about foreign missions? Nothing! How interesting! If you have to constantly be telling people to witness, something is wrong with them. . . . What is Paul always doing? He is consistently bringing you to Christ and leaving you with Christ. When Christ is central in the heart of the man, what does the man want to do? He wants to tell others about Jesus, and he will do so effectively.

She then goes on to quote Christian ethicist Gustafson who said, “If God himself becomes our goal—even above evangelism—we will become better evangelists.” Therefore, she says:

When God and the worship of God are first in the life of a church, growth will follow.

Step 3 – Defining Worship
One of our problems is that Christians don’t have a good idea of what biblical worship actually is. While she points this out in her book, I must share that this is a common theme in much of the research about worship. In fact, most American Protestant Christians have a tendency to do one of two things: Either we equate worship with preaching or we equate it with the music (this is in traditions where they speak of having a time of worship then a time of teaching as if they are different things). She then quotes Paul Anderson who says:

We have so elevated the pulpit . . . that we have created stiff-necked people who think they have worshiped if they took good sermon notes.

What do 20 somethings think?

Okay--if you are twenty-something--I'd love to hear what your thoughts are on worship that touches not only your heart but your friends. If you go to church regularly, why? If you don't, what would draw you back on a regular basis?
(and for those of us over thirty--please introduce your 20 something friends to this blog and ask them to help us out!)

Key to reaching 20 somethings?

Check out this interesting article written by a 20 something about reaching his generation and be sure to read the comments to the post. Here are some of the comments that I found most thought-provoking:

I talked to a handful of 20somethings who dropped out of church for a few years and are now back and engaged. When I asked them about the worship style of our church (we’re a mix between blended and traditional), the answers were all different. Most of them indicated that they would rather we sing less and get to the preaching quicker. “That’s what we’re there for,” said one. Others mentioned how much they loved the organ. A couple mentioned that the “hymns” could be hard sometimes, but that they wanted to learn them anyway, as they felt they were important.

Even funnier is the mindset among the Boomer generation that if we were to start using the organ and singing hymns again that all the young people would leave. The Boomer generation is making the same mistake that their parents did, thinking that what attracted them to church is what will attract their kids. Sorry. It isn’t happening.

It’s easy to update musical style and think that this is the “sacrifice” it takes to reach the younger crowd. It’s much harder to actually invest in the relationships and serious Bible teaching that are actually more effective in reaching the 20somethings.

And from the comments to his blog:

When we focus on worship style, we miss both worship and God. When we focus on God, we can’t help but worship.

i would say that this is pretty dead on. being “contemporary” is so uncontemporary, and following closely behind is the irrelevence of being “relevant”. The one drawing factor I see for 20 somethings in church is honesty, and a super produced contemporary service is not delivering that, at least in image. if we got rid of every dynamic media and production feature, i doubt we would lose anyone, save those who are there to be entertained, and we need their seat anyways. what we have been sold as “an enhancement to your worship experience” is most often the brainchild of some guy at a worship corporation designed to eek out a few more shekels from the faithful. if every hour spent strategizing on how to impress people with our churches was spent on our knees in prayer, revival would already be here. ouch. i better go pray now.

i agree up to a point. i think the people that are wanting to sing less are possibly taking a jab at the music in a roundabout way. and i think that style doesn’t matter to 20 somethings in the church who’ve grown up in the church. for an unchurched person, most church music is considered boring and dated. an electric guitar is probaly far more asthetically appealing than an organ to someone who’s never set foot inside a church before. either way though, you’re completely right about when you focus on God, you can’t help but worship

I’m not sure I can place much credence in your observations, in as much as they are based largely upon anecdotal evidence.
For every one comment of music irrelevance you encountered, I’ll bet I have found two that indicated the music was, in fact, central to their return/rededication to the church.

Worship should be a mutual connection with God and people. Seen this way a music time is VERY relationship focused as it encourages a community experience. A music time in church can be twenty times more powerful than the community experience you find at a concert. This translates to simplistic arrangements that are easy to sing with. This means it can’t be in too high of a key that intimidates, contains minimal harmonies, and a consistent beat so one can clap if they are uncomfortable singing. Done this way the focus is on community building not on music.

recently heard an interesting take on why many 20somethings disappear from church (and some return in their 30s). Churches are creating this rock n roll, high energy, small group, not many adults, setting in youth (middle school/high school). When the kids get out of high school, they can no longer relate to “Big Church”. So they feel like they have no where to go, and they leave.

FAMILIES need to be together in church, crying babies, squirming seventh graders…the whole group. There isn’t community in church when we continue to adhere to a model of segregating our children from “big church” (what a term, eh?)

What Post-Christians Wish The Church was like

Another post from April . . .

• I wish church was not just a sermon but a discussion.

  They would love to be able to participate and ask questions.

• I wish the Church sometimes met outside the church building.

  Can’t you worship in a coffee house, a home, a dance studio?

• I wish church was less programmed and allowed time to think and pray.

  They long for more time to quiet themselves and pray meditatively.

• I wish the church was a loving place.

  Post-Christians believe that folks in the church love one another and perhaps others that are like them but they do not love those who have different beliefs or lifestyles.

• I wish the Church taught more about Jesus.

  Post-Christians like Jesus or at least they like what they think they know about Jesus and they would like to learn more. And they would like it if the Church acted more like Jesus taught!

• I wish someone would ask me to be a part of a church.

  They want an invitation from someone they trust who they believe accepts them and loves them as they are.
  
  Outreach magazine
  

Are we at Trinity the kind of church they are looking for? If so, how do we reach out? If not, how should we change?

What Post-Moderns think of the church

Here is something I wrote for the C&C blog back in March . . .

In an article in this month’s Outreach magazine, pastor Dan Kimball, lists some of the comments he has heard from non-Christians about common perceptions of the church and what they wish the church was like. Most of the people he spoke to were in their 20s and 30s and while some had grown up in the church some had no experience in the church. Six most common perceptions of the church:

• The Church is an organized religion with a political agenda. In other words, don’t come if you aren’t Republican!
• The Church is judgmental and negative. To outsiders, the Church appears to focus on what we are against more than what we are for.
• The Church is dominated by males and oppresses females.
• The Church is homophobic.
• The Church arrogantly claims all other religions are wrong.Post-moderns are willing to talk to us about Christ and the Bible, but first we have to take their beliefs and the beliefs of others seriously and respectfully.
• The Church is full of fundamentalists who take the whole Bible literally. In other words, don’t come if you believe in evolution or have any questions or concerns about portions of the Bible.

What do you think? Are their perceptions correct? How can we correct misconceptions?