3. The church typically functions as a “religious
service provider” trying to attract and keep “customers.”
John Ortberg was the first person I heard use the term
“religious service provider.” It succinctly
describes what may be the single most off-putting characteristic of the church,
at least for young adults.
In the post WWII era, churches learned to tap into (or maybe
give into) the hyper-consumerism of our culture. By using marketing strategies to make the church
more “appealing” to un-churched people, we have taught church members to
function like customers.
I realize that statement sounds harsh. You may think it is inaccurate. I would respectfully respond by asking you to
reflect intently on statements that I hear from church attendees on a regular
basis. I don’t like that music. I
got a lot out of that worship service. The programs at that church were not
meeting my needs. We’re going to try
out another church.
While many may feel that these statements are a “natural”
part of church culture, most young adults I know are reacting negatively to
this kind of religious consumerism.
Frankly, as a pastor who feels the pressure of producing “better
products,” I’m glad they are.
Striving for excellence in our service to God is healthy. Striving to please church customers is
unhealthy. Churches who really want to
minister to young adults (and everyone else for that matter), must muster the
courage to defect from the “religious service provider” model.
4. The church seems to be compelled to
distinguish ourselves by pointing out the sin of those outside the church
instead of our own.
Most of the young adults I know frequently call attention to
Jesus’ teaching against judging others.
They are drawn to his words in the Sermon on the Mount when he
admonished the crowd to take the log out of their own eye before they attempted
to take the speck of sawdust out of someone else’s. (Matthew 7:1-5)
In his book, Blue Like
Jazz, Donald Miller tells a story from his years as a student at Reed
College in Portland. Along with some
other Christian students (definitely the minority at Reed) they set up a
confession booth on campus during a Renaissance festival. But instead of hearing the confessions of the
students, they confessed to the
students all the sins of the church down through the ages. The students were shocked that Christians
would confess to them. They were also
disarmed by it. Some became open to
conversations about Christianity.
I tell that story, not just to illustrate the fact that
young adults outside the church have come to expect those inside the church to
be judgmental, but to point out that a little honesty and a little humility can
have a big impact. To misquote a
familiar passage from 2 Chronicles 7:14, If
we (the church) will humble ourselves and confess our sins, then young adults
will hear and respond.
What would happen if the church became known, not by our
tendency to call out the sins of others but by our willingness to confess our
own? If we hope to minister to young
adults in a meaningful way we need to place a high priority on extracting the
beams from our own eyes.
To reiterate what I said in the first blog, I love the
church deeply. I am not an outside
critic trying to tear the church down.
I’m a member of the family attempting to initiate conversations
(sometimes hard conversations) that will facilitate healing.
As I write this blog the church I’m privileged to pastor is
conducting a dental clinic, providing free dental care for those in our community. Right now people are shopping in our clothing
closet for free clothes. I’m grateful to
be part of a wonderful family of Jesus followers who are living out their faith
in such beautifully redemptive ways.
I’m also committed to helping the church (particularly the
church in our part of the world) become more beautiful and more
redemptive. I’m happy to hear from
others who would like to participate in the conversation.
