(Continued- In the first post of this four part series, we used the illustration of "moving the mouse", i.e. sitting at a desk and looking busy by having one's hand on a computer mouse and moving it around, to illustrate the busy but often pointless activity that has become the current expression of church. For this post, we'll change images to a restaurant to strengthen the point)
Picture for a moment your favorite restaurant. There are two or three that come to mind for me. Living in a resort town we have a number of very fine eating establishments – from moderately priced to so expensive that you feel you have earned the right to steal a picture or to kick the owner in the shins on the way out.
Now, imagine for a moment all of what takes place behind the scenes to make a good restaurant. I once owned a couple of Pizza restaurants so I know a little of which I speak. A long time before any of the other staff shows up, the prep cooks arrive. These folks prepare: all the sauces, things which need time to thaw out and marinate, things which need time to rise and to be poked down, and things which need to be cut in little bitty pieces to put on or in other things. These folks also keep track of inventories, place orders and receive orders with various suppliers. Sometimes the prep cooks stick around and do a little cooking for the first shift. Sometimes they do not. The next set of folks that show up are the line cooks and the wait staff. These folks are there to put on the show – so to speak. Throw in a floor manager or two, a bartender, some busboys and dishwashers and you are ready to rock – you are ready to “have restaurant.”
Imagine now that the manager has assembled all of the staff: prep. cooks, wait-staff, line cooks, busboys, dishwashers, bartender, hostess, etc. - in a room for the big weekly pep talk. For this motivational time together, the manager has gone to the trouble of rounding up a few motivational songs that all of the staff can sing to get them fired up. One of the songs has to do with the greatness of the food being served. The next song focuses on working together in harmony. The final song is about the customers for whom the food is prepared – how hungry they are and such. For this portion of the presentation, one of the busboys has volunteered to accompany the singing on his guitar. He proceeds to strum vigorously and after a slow start, the assembled workers get with it – singing fortissimo with arms akimbo in rhythm. Next, there is a motivational speech by the manager about the restaurant business and its primary purpose: “to feed people.” Everyone nods their head in agreement. Suddenly, the lines cooks, in a moment of inspiration, run to their stations and begin to cook food. The wait-staff gets excited and begins to grab the food and to hand it out to each other. The busboy sets his guitar aside and waits in eager anticipation for the chance to dive upon any dirty fork or spoon or plate and to speed it back to the dishwasher. The bartender and cocktail waitress get into the act and start pouring adult beverages right and left. Everyone takes one sip, and then another. A good time is had by all. People have been fed. They have had a great dining experience. The manager smiles: “Yes, yes…they get it.” Finally, the manager says: “Good job everyone. We have had a great restaurant experience this evening. Now, if everyone could please put a portion of your paychecks in this little box on the way out, that would be great. See you all here next week.”
How is that for a business model? A bit absurd? Sure. A restaurant that doesn’t feed anybody but its own wait staff will quickly go out of business. And so it is with how we, in the west, have gone about doing or being the church. A great deal of resources and energy - a great deal - are being spent to feed, entertain and satisfy our own people.
The church in America is a puzzle to the church in Asia, India, or any third world congregation. They are amazed by our resources. They are equally amazed at our anemia. Talking with church leaders from other countries who have observed our “closed restaurant” mentality, they quietly suggest that God might have better uses for the resources of the western church than say to: build, heat and air condition massive facilities that sit empty most of the week; continually invest more and more time, treasure and talent into very complex Sunday morning productions that last only an hour or two; create unlimited specialized ministries based upon the “felt” needs of the congregation in order to keep them from heading down the road to another church that has more & better membership benefits, etc. In the words of my analogy, we are building nicer and more comfortable restaurants with more amazing ambiance, and page after page of new and exciting menu offerings - but people outside the restaurant are not being fed.
In a research article published in Christianity Today by, Rebecca Barnes & Lindy Lowry, entitled: Special Report: The American Church In Crisis, the following statistics were given: Less than 20% of Americans regularly attend church – half of what pollsters have reported – the number is closer to 17.7%. This will trend down because of population growth to around 16.6% in 2010 & 15.4% in 2020. Between 2000 & 2004, the net gain (the number of new churches started minus the number of churches that closed) was 5,452 in evangelical churches. When you add the start/closure numbers from mainline denominational churches, there is a net loss of 2,200, leaving an overall gain of only 3,252. The most telling fact is that a net gain of 13,024 churches would have been necessary just to keep pace with population growth during this period. Only 6% of American churches are actually growing. Most admit that they are simply trading members. In the words of R.C. Sproul it is simply , “…a game of church musical chairs.” (to be continued…)
Picture for a moment your favorite restaurant. There are two or three that come to mind for me. Living in a resort town we have a number of very fine eating establishments – from moderately priced to so expensive that you feel you have earned the right to steal a picture or to kick the owner in the shins on the way out.
Now, imagine for a moment all of what takes place behind the scenes to make a good restaurant. I once owned a couple of Pizza restaurants so I know a little of which I speak. A long time before any of the other staff shows up, the prep cooks arrive. These folks prepare: all the sauces, things which need time to thaw out and marinate, things which need time to rise and to be poked down, and things which need to be cut in little bitty pieces to put on or in other things. These folks also keep track of inventories, place orders and receive orders with various suppliers. Sometimes the prep cooks stick around and do a little cooking for the first shift. Sometimes they do not. The next set of folks that show up are the line cooks and the wait staff. These folks are there to put on the show – so to speak. Throw in a floor manager or two, a bartender, some busboys and dishwashers and you are ready to rock – you are ready to “have restaurant.”
Imagine now that the manager has assembled all of the staff: prep. cooks, wait-staff, line cooks, busboys, dishwashers, bartender, hostess, etc. - in a room for the big weekly pep talk. For this motivational time together, the manager has gone to the trouble of rounding up a few motivational songs that all of the staff can sing to get them fired up. One of the songs has to do with the greatness of the food being served. The next song focuses on working together in harmony. The final song is about the customers for whom the food is prepared – how hungry they are and such. For this portion of the presentation, one of the busboys has volunteered to accompany the singing on his guitar. He proceeds to strum vigorously and after a slow start, the assembled workers get with it – singing fortissimo with arms akimbo in rhythm. Next, there is a motivational speech by the manager about the restaurant business and its primary purpose: “to feed people.” Everyone nods their head in agreement. Suddenly, the lines cooks, in a moment of inspiration, run to their stations and begin to cook food. The wait-staff gets excited and begins to grab the food and to hand it out to each other. The busboy sets his guitar aside and waits in eager anticipation for the chance to dive upon any dirty fork or spoon or plate and to speed it back to the dishwasher. The bartender and cocktail waitress get into the act and start pouring adult beverages right and left. Everyone takes one sip, and then another. A good time is had by all. People have been fed. They have had a great dining experience. The manager smiles: “Yes, yes…they get it.” Finally, the manager says: “Good job everyone. We have had a great restaurant experience this evening. Now, if everyone could please put a portion of your paychecks in this little box on the way out, that would be great. See you all here next week.”
How is that for a business model? A bit absurd? Sure. A restaurant that doesn’t feed anybody but its own wait staff will quickly go out of business. And so it is with how we, in the west, have gone about doing or being the church. A great deal of resources and energy - a great deal - are being spent to feed, entertain and satisfy our own people.
The church in America is a puzzle to the church in Asia, India, or any third world congregation. They are amazed by our resources. They are equally amazed at our anemia. Talking with church leaders from other countries who have observed our “closed restaurant” mentality, they quietly suggest that God might have better uses for the resources of the western church than say to: build, heat and air condition massive facilities that sit empty most of the week; continually invest more and more time, treasure and talent into very complex Sunday morning productions that last only an hour or two; create unlimited specialized ministries based upon the “felt” needs of the congregation in order to keep them from heading down the road to another church that has more & better membership benefits, etc. In the words of my analogy, we are building nicer and more comfortable restaurants with more amazing ambiance, and page after page of new and exciting menu offerings - but people outside the restaurant are not being fed.
In a research article published in Christianity Today by, Rebecca Barnes & Lindy Lowry, entitled: Special Report: The American Church In Crisis, the following statistics were given: Less than 20% of Americans regularly attend church – half of what pollsters have reported – the number is closer to 17.7%. This will trend down because of population growth to around 16.6% in 2010 & 15.4% in 2020. Between 2000 & 2004, the net gain (the number of new churches started minus the number of churches that closed) was 5,452 in evangelical churches. When you add the start/closure numbers from mainline denominational churches, there is a net loss of 2,200, leaving an overall gain of only 3,252. The most telling fact is that a net gain of 13,024 churches would have been necessary just to keep pace with population growth during this period. Only 6% of American churches are actually growing. Most admit that they are simply trading members. In the words of R.C. Sproul it is simply , “…a game of church musical chairs.” (to be continued…)
3 comments:
Good word!
Indeed a very good word, and i second it! I'm thankful for faithful men, and for this prophetic voice. Lets us take heed!!!!
Only you could come up with an analogy like that. That was great and really makes you think....
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