Wednesday, March 14, 2007

cliff notes

Anne Jackson posted the following list on her blog from her notes on Chuck Colson's book, Being the Body.
Misconceptions of the Church/Identity Crisis

-The Church is a building
The word church is from the Greek word Ekklesia, which means gathering of people. It really was used more in a political sense in the New Testament times but believers began using it to describe their gatherings
Instead of an abundance of “go and tell” it has become “come and see”

-The Church goer is a consumer
  • What’s in it for me?
  • Go where you “feel” good - where you feel “led”
  • Many churches aim to provide support over salvation
  • Help…over holiness
  • And convey the sense of “spiritual equality” and not God-ordained authority
  • Many churches also unintentionally encourage spectators instead of participators
  • People are invited to “discover themselves” in churches — and self realization and God realization are diametrically opposed
  • Consumerism works against the unity of the universal Church.
You know you have heard conversations about people church hopping because of better programs, and I know it may not be the heart of any particular church to “steal” these people away, but let’s not be stupid here. It happens. And unity is the single greatest evangelical tool the church has — It shows that Jesus is who he claimed to be.


HT: Anne Jackson

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

"You know you have heard conversations about people church hopping because of better programs, and I know it may not be the heart of any particular church to “steal” these people away, but let’s not be stupid here. It happens."

Church hopping may, in some cases, indicate an unwillingness to make a commitment to a body of believers. But if I were a parent of young children or teenagers, I would want them in a church with strong children's and youth ministries--not just programs, not just babysitting and lots of "activities." Ministry. Some churches, pastored and attended by good people, just don't have that for our younger folks.

Anonymous said...

thanks for the link back...

i think it is great that so many parents are willing to get their children involved in the church - it is a great place for them to learn and make friends and grow...really.

however, i have been learning that a lot of the time parents have been in some ways relying on the local church TOO much for this, and not encouraging growth at home.

the church can help this by equipping parents to be THE source of a child's spiritual development. not leaving the church out of it, but remembering it is only an element.