I read with interest Dan Kimball’s recent post on Christianity Today’s Out of Ur blog where he posed some questions about whether or not “missional” churches are churches that bear fruit in terms of effectively making disciples. He points to larger “attractional” churches (Willow Creek, for example) whose buildings and impressive gatherings seem to, in his estimation, hold great appeal for many and therefore be more effective in the fruit-bearing department.
A few things came to mind as I read this. I remember taking a van-load of neighborhood kids to attend a worship service at Willow Creek when I was living and ministering in Chicago. They were totally awed by the buildings, the food court, the size, the scope, the big screens that descended from the ceiling, the way the blinds automatically lowered during the service to block out the setting sun. They were engaged, on every level, with the singing, the video clips, and the music. And I can remember so well their reaction when they saw the budget update printed in the bulletin: “Just the amount that they are over budget this week could pay for our program for ten years!”
My kids wanted to go back every week. They loved it. Yes, it ministered to them; it appealed to them. It was impressive and exciting and cool. But would driving there for an hour each-way every week really translate into transformation for them and for their community? As their schools crumbled; as parents abandoned and abused; as gangs walked up to parked cars and opened fire, what difference would video screens and food courts really make? I don’t say that to disparage Willow. I have dear friends involved there, and have no judgment to make about their effectiveness in what they do. But for my kids, an “attractional” church divorced from their community made no sense.
Fast forward to Los Angeles, ten years later. A homeless couple, living in a city park, comes into the park’s rec center one Sunday morning. The hot coffee tasted good after a cold night on the ground, and the people were warm and friendly. Free coffee soon turned into relationships which led to some financial help with first and last month’s rent to get into an apartment. This eventually led to work and sobriety and counseling. And casual Sunday friendships turned into family.
I wrote this about one of these dear friends two years ago, and to this day this memory makes me cry:
I don’t believe Willow should close their doors, nor do I think Church of the Redeemer’s slower growth is any strike against us through kingdom eyes. A widow’s penny was deemed a vast treasure by Jesus, so I am certain that we just can’t look at branches and fruit and harvest the way we do the stock market. The balance sheet can be very confusing…
18 thoughts on ““The church that came to me””
This brought tears to my eyes.
I’m at a loss for words. I’ve tried to write a comment half a dozen times, but I simply can’t express what I feel. I just want to cry.
Preach it!
Thank you, Erika, for stepping up and offering a very sweet piece of missional fruit for those who wonder what it might look like. The “taste” brought tears to my eyes many times and on many different levels.
Erika … I read your comment at Out of Ur and of all of them, bickering back and forth, yours sparkled. Now I know why.
Thanks so much for sharing this, Erika. Real stories are so needed amidst the batting back and forth of numbers. Those numbers represent lives, and we need to know the stories behind them more often than we do. Again, thanks.
Hi Erika,
Your post made me think of a book I just read, “Qu(e)erying Evangelism; Growing a Community from the Outside In,” by Cheri DiNovo.
You mention how your friend told her mom that this was the church that came to her. It seems to me that it was she who “came.” DiNovo speaks about the people from the “outside/the margin” who are willing to come to the church as the real gifts from God to the church – those, like your friend, are the true evangelist; they come to the church (and trust it – not an easy thing to do), and through them, comes Christ’s call to faithfulness.
I would affirm that she was the gift. She came to the church and gave the church the opportunity to be who the church is called to be, the embodied witness of the good news.
Just made me think of that
Thanks, Xochitl!
I think that is a beautiful description.
This reminds me very much of some of the stories shared by Stan Hauerwas and Jean Vanier in their new book “Living Gently in a Violent World.” But more.. it reminds me of a story we are living in now. A few months ago we helped a middle aged gal with her rent. She had unwisely used some of her income to buy lottery tickets, hoping she coudl avoid asking for help. With her marginal income cleaning homes and as a helper/server at a bake shop, she is just getting by. A couple months later she was evicted for questionable reasons. We helped her put her things in storage and moved her to a transition house. Last month some friends helped her move into a new, more affordable place. She called us the next day so excited, and reminded us of her promise to help us with a big cleaning project in the spring. She works so hard, we don’t really want her to help. But family works that way.. we have to let her give back in the way she chooses to maintain her own sense of dignity and to know herself as one who gives and not only receives. And she does give all the time.. with warm smiles and hugs, she always shines with the love of Jesus.
i commented something similar somewhere else but it just made so much more sense.
Organic fruit just tastes better, and we all know it when we bite.
Liked Xochi’s comment a lot.
Spending some time right now trying to figure out why ‘prophetic’ churches and organizations sometimes do so little good for poor or otherwise marginalized people.
The attractional thing is obviously a gated cul de sac from the point of view of folks seeking new kinds of economic or social justice and a different kind of church.
Still, lots to be said for those who think that privileged prophetic communities are often much longer on rhetoric than real service to the people on the margins.
Wonder if Xochi has her finger on something.
Whose courage and faithfulness and risk taking do we write about and speak about and celebrate most often?
I have made an index of the various comments related to Kimball’s post in the blogosphere.
Following Dan Kimball’s Missional vs. Megachurch conversation
I thought of the woman with the alabaster flask. The way sometimes we just need somebody to point out the wonderful acts of worship in what may initially seem absurd.
This is a lovely story…..thanks for sharing this. This as well brought tears to my own eyes today; and a bit of a chuckle as well …I drive a whole whopppping 2 hours each way-a total of (4 hours) to get to this Blessed Palace–excuse me, fun!!! And gosh…its well worth every bit of it! A small twist of discerning capabilities; as well as Gods hedge of mighty protection….following along foot a mighty brilliant scholar friend as well..a blessed teacher in smallness of words! This man teaches with a humbleness of gesture; and calm and collective posture…one that contains a transparent figure with a mighty stance for a corperate awareness called peace…..peace to the fullest! And , well worth the effort and drive trouncing through the SNOW!!! Hi – Ho -hi-Ho Hi -Ho!!! It’s Off to Sir’ Hybles Church we Go!!!!Hi-Ho, Hi-Ho….hi-ho!! Rahab
Wow! Praise God for His love and His desire for us… Redemption brings with it – RESTORATION!
This is a powerful post, full of truth and insight. It makes me wish I had gotten to spend more time with both Doug and you at Fuller.
All I can say as I sit here crying is bless you all. It reminds me of similar ministry times in the past and a lot of precious people and sadly church members who could not see what my wife and I were about – “putting the rectory at risk….”
Who knows what our actions translate to in the supernatural. It is not for me to judge but I’m betting that our normal tendency to assign value based on visible impact is WAY off base. I can’t wait to have eyes that see and ears that hear the kingdom of heaven in eternity. You gave life by taking a nap. How ironic is that?
This brought tears to my eyes.
I’m at a loss for words. I’ve tried to write a comment half a dozen times, but I simply can’t express what I feel. I just want to cry.
Preach it!
Thank you, Erika, for stepping up and offering a very sweet piece of missional fruit for those who wonder what it might look like. The “taste” brought tears to my eyes many times and on many different levels.
Erika … I read your comment at Out of Ur and of all of them, bickering back and forth, yours sparkled. Now I know why.
Thanks so much for sharing this, Erika. Real stories are so needed amidst the batting back and forth of numbers. Those numbers represent lives, and we need to know the stories behind them more often than we do. Again, thanks.
Hi Erika,
Your post made me think of a book I just read, “Qu(e)erying Evangelism; Growing a Community from the Outside In,” by Cheri DiNovo.
You mention how your friend told her mom that this was the church that came to her. It seems to me that it was she who “came.” DiNovo speaks about the people from the “outside/the margin” who are willing to come to the church as the real gifts from God to the church – those, like your friend, are the true evangelist; they come to the church (and trust it – not an easy thing to do), and through them, comes Christ’s call to faithfulness.
I would affirm that she was the gift. She came to the church and gave the church the opportunity to be who the church is called to be, the embodied witness of the good news.
Just made me think of that
Thanks, Xochitl!
I think that is a beautiful description.
This reminds me very much of some of the stories shared by Stan Hauerwas and Jean Vanier in their new book “Living Gently in a Violent World.” But more.. it reminds me of a story we are living in now. A few months ago we helped a middle aged gal with her rent. She had unwisely used some of her income to buy lottery tickets, hoping she coudl avoid asking for help. With her marginal income cleaning homes and as a helper/server at a bake shop, she is just getting by. A couple months later she was evicted for questionable reasons. We helped her put her things in storage and moved her to a transition house. Last month some friends helped her move into a new, more affordable place. She called us the next day so excited, and reminded us of her promise to help us with a big cleaning project in the spring. She works so hard, we don’t really want her to help. But family works that way.. we have to let her give back in the way she chooses to maintain her own sense of dignity and to know herself as one who gives and not only receives. And she does give all the time.. with warm smiles and hugs, she always shines with the love of Jesus.
i commented something similar somewhere else but it just made so much more sense.
Organic fruit just tastes better, and we all know it when we bite.
Liked Xochi’s comment a lot.
Spending some time right now trying to figure out why ‘prophetic’ churches and organizations sometimes do so little good for poor or otherwise marginalized people.
The attractional thing is obviously a gated cul de sac from the point of view of folks seeking new kinds of economic or social justice and a different kind of church.
Still, lots to be said for those who think that privileged prophetic communities are often much longer on rhetoric than real service to the people on the margins.
Wonder if Xochi has her finger on something.
Whose courage and faithfulness and risk taking do we write about and speak about and celebrate most often?
I have made an index of the various comments related to Kimball’s post in the blogosphere.
Following Dan Kimball’s Missional vs. Megachurch conversation
http://www.andyrowell.net/andy_rowell/2008/12/following-dan-kimballs-missional-vs-megachurch-conversation.html
Thank you for this.
I thought of the woman with the alabaster flask. The way sometimes we just need somebody to point out the wonderful acts of worship in what may initially seem absurd.
This is a lovely story…..thanks for sharing this. This as well brought tears to my own eyes today; and a bit of a chuckle as well …I drive a whole whopppping 2 hours each way-a total of (4 hours) to get to this Blessed Palace–excuse me, fun!!! And gosh…its well worth every bit of it! A small twist of discerning capabilities; as well as Gods hedge of mighty protection….following along foot a mighty brilliant scholar friend as well..a blessed teacher in smallness of words! This man teaches with a humbleness of gesture; and calm and collective posture…one that contains a transparent figure with a mighty stance for a corperate awareness called peace…..peace to the fullest! And , well worth the effort and drive trouncing through the SNOW!!! Hi – Ho -hi-Ho Hi -Ho!!! It’s Off to Sir’ Hybles Church we Go!!!!Hi-Ho, Hi-Ho….hi-ho!! Rahab
Wow! Praise God for His love and His desire for us… Redemption brings with it – RESTORATION!
This is a powerful post, full of truth and insight. It makes me wish I had gotten to spend more time with both Doug and you at Fuller.
All I can say as I sit here crying is bless you all. It reminds me of similar ministry times in the past and a lot of precious people and sadly church members who could not see what my wife and I were about – “putting the rectory at risk….”
Who knows what our actions translate to in the supernatural. It is not for me to judge but I’m betting that our normal tendency to assign value based on visible impact is WAY off base. I can’t wait to have eyes that see and ears that hear the kingdom of heaven in eternity. You gave life by taking a nap. How ironic is that?