This Church is Not For You

Everywhere I look I am bombarded with catchy slogans, and ad campaigns to get people to come to a building on a Sunday morning. Whether it’s win a giant screen TV, or come watch the pastor swallow a live goldfish (I actually did that), or some other ploy to get you in the doors, it’s everywhere! Well, I’ve adopted a new way to grow a church, and that’s by NOT trying to grow a church!

If you all remember, there is a little verse in the Bible that says, “You are Peter, and on this rock, I WILL build my church.” This has escaped many of us as church planters. It seems to me that we are trying to build businesses, and not make disciples! I see a lot of slick ad campaigns, with little or no focus on relationships, or transparency. I remember Jesus told us what we should do, “Go and make disciples!” There were no commands to build a church. That’s His job, ours is to make disciples. If we focus on making disciples will have some kick ass churches!

Whenever I meet with people, I NEVER invite them to church, it’s kinda my backwards growth program! I would rather have lunch, go on a hike, ride a few miles on my bike with them than ask them to church. Have them over for a BBQ and a beer before I invite them to church. If they ever ask about church, (the gathering of believers on a Sunday morning) them I gladly tell them about what we do! More people are coming to KeyStone because of real relationships rather than some weird ad campaign, or me begging them to come and fill a seat. That’s consumerism, not discipleship.

So if you are looking for a church that tickles your ears, then this church is not for you. If you are looking for a church that has big spinning plates like an overstuffed buffet, then this church is not for you. If you are looking for a church that has all the latest videos and graphic designs, then this church is not for you. If you are looking for a church that has a huge building, cool lights, lasers and smoke, then this church is not for you. If you think you have it all together and there is nothing left for you to learn because you’ve seen it all and heard it all, I can definitely tell you, this church is not for you!

HOWEVER:

If you are looking for real relationships, transparency, clear vision, stability, messy, ugly at times, dysfunctional, a place to heal, a place to have a voice, a place to lead, a place to follow, and place to argue, a place to listen, a place to grow, a place to sit, a place to work it out. Then you may have found it.

If you are looking for slow and steady, strong and fruitful, discipleship over consumerism, receiving and giving, diversity and unity, then you may have found it.

THE SLOWEST GROWING CHURCH IN AMERICA!

If you are looking for the lost, then you may have found them! That’s who we are looking for!

The only requirement? Be jacked up and willing to admit it. Geesh, I do every day!

8 thoughts on “This Church is Not For You”

that is definitely awesome. i like that.

i like the idea, in theory … where i get stuck – is: what do i do with recovering alcoholics? do i offer them a beer, too ? while they have hit bottom, and sworn off alcohol as the thing that had controlled them … do i drink it in front of them, as someone who is not given to additions; so i can drink it responsibly, whereas, they would become a lush – if the follow my example?

i know Jeus said: ‘it is not what goes INTO your mouth that deafiles you, but, rather, what comes OUT OF your mouth’ … but i must take tyhat with Paul’s injunction, not to cause anyone to stumble.

i detest religion ! … and no one has ever impressed the Lord with their strict adherence to church attendance, or how many things they deny themselves … but we have to be HIs ambassadors in the midst of OUR culture – and we live in a culture of ADDICTION – so, though i think your iseas are sort of, well, Brilliant, i would nix the beeer, and keep the BBQ !
in love,