Seeds of Changed Lives

How do you reach people today who have no need for "church"? How do you get on their radar screen at all? You can do vibrant worship (and you should), have awesome children's ministry (ditto), and teach biblical truth (amen) but they don't come.

So you try "events" (and you should), but they are of limited effect. First because Las Vegas and Disney do it better, and secondly because they don't really attach themselves to spiritual needs.

Nancy Ortberg, in this month's Rev. Magazine is helpful when she writes:

(emphasis mine)

We have to move beyond our own "defining moments" and live out authentic, biblical, God-centered community that becomes a magnetic apologetic for the gospel. I think this demands a new kind of leadership.

For nine years when my husband, John, and I lived in Chicago, we had neighbors who wouldn't come to church with us. It wasn't for lack of an invitation. In fact we'd mention when either of us was preaching that we'd love to have them join us. We even threw in a free lunch as a sort of consolation prize, but nothing. Then one spring day, the husband came bounding over to me in our front yard and asked when services were that weekend.

That week someone they worked with was the recipient of a free car that our church had given away to a single parent. It was a ministry that was a few years' old, which regularly gave scores of cars away each year. No strings attached. Our neighbors were absolutely blown away by this gesture and wanted to "check out" a church where people lived their lives in such a generous fashion. It wasn't a sermon, it wasn't even our friendship with them or a free lunch…it was the lifestyle of someone at our church that got their attention.

Leadership for this new age must focus on how we live. A dramatic moment may create suspicion at worst and a reaction at best; a lifestyle of generosity and selflessness that reflects Christ captures attention. We must strive to create biblical community, not just great weekend services.

If there's one thing I have learned over the past few years it is this - an authentic Christian lifestyle of compassion, generosity, kindness, and authenticity will open far more doors than the latest postcard from Outreach Specialties ever could.

As a church, we have to be constantly looking for opportunities to "fly", like the dandelion seed, into the soil of the neighborhoods around us. It's not enough to be at the baseball games, we need to serve in the concession stand, rake the field, coach. It;s not enough to be in the school PTO, we need to be on the principal's speed dial.

I laughed the other night when Amy Anderson, our embed at Valparaiso Elementary, said she was sitting in her classroom prior to Tropical Storm Fay's approach and a voice boomed over the intercom. "Mrs. Anderson?" Amy said she was pretty sure God would just call her Amy, but still...

"Yes?"

"Do you think that church of yours would have any sandbags?"

Amy said she managed to answer, "I don't think so" and the principal thanked her and ended the conversation. But then she thought "We're In! We're on his speed-dial! If he'll ask for such an odd thing from a church, he must genuinely think we'd do anything to help."

He's right.

Hey friends - who are the people in your neighborhood? What are the points of entry into the networks of school, daycare, scouts, little league, soccer etc.? Where does the Red Cross set up at? What other organization really could use the church's help?

Take a look around. We'll pick up this thread later.