This past Sunday, our church celebrated the 10th year of its existence. The service was spectacular. In fact, it is the best church service I ever remember. The staff did a tremendous job in planning different ways to share and display how lives have been changed. While it was a long service I never once wanted it to be over.
Towards the beginning of the service there was a short slide show that chronicled the history of this congregation. A local radio host who used to be a member before moving too far away provided the voice over, and this slide show was also professionally done. The part of the entire service that moved me the most was when the slide show moderator mentioned that right about the time the existing building was completed the church was asked a question: If the church closed its doors, would anyone in the community besides the members, notice. The life of the church was shaped forever at that point. The congregation determined to truly minister and reach out to the community. The rest, as they say, is history.
Is that not the question all churches should ask? How many congregations would be afraid to ask such a question simply because they are afraid of the answer? What would be the result and what would change if every church truly asked the question, and then were not afraid of the answer?
It is my opinion that this is the question that MUST be asked. We as Christians, and our churches, must not be afraid to ask and answer this honestly. We may argue with the answer, and not like the answer, yet that will not prevent the answer from being correct.
Is this not the purpose of the church to reach out to the community? Local congregations are not simply to be a safe haven for members, although that is a role. Churches are to be a place of healing and ministry. We cannot pick and choose our targets for ministry. We cannot decide we will only minister to certain people in certain socioeconomic conditions. We must minister. If we follow the example of Jesus we will reach out to anyone and everyone. If we follow His example then there is not a sole that is off limits. No one is too far gone or too bad to attempt to reach.
Does your church need to ask this question? If you do ask, be careful. You might not like the answer. The answer may cause change. We all love change, right?
The essence of ministry is reaching people where they are. If every church would do that, the world would be a much different place. And then that would be Change I can Believe in! (I know that is grammatically incorrect. Oh well.)
