The marginalized church
This quote is from “The Externally Focused Church” by Rick Rusaw and Eric Swanson.
“…every statistic tells us that the church in America today is becoming more and more marginalized and less and less influential.”…There are many reasons for this, but two stand out. First…we aren’t always compelling messengers…Second, we have to tell the truth to a world that no longer believes in truth.” Page 11.
When I tell someone at a city function that I am a pastor who is starting a new church in town, you can see their wheels turning. Most are too polite to tell you what they’re thinking, but you know anyway. “What is a pastor doing here?” is the big question.
I think that Rusaw and Swanson are dead right. The church is marginalized, but it’s not because we’ve been kicked out of public life. It’s because we built our own communities and removed ourselves from the marketplace. So we are not “compelling messengers.”
Ordinary Attempts are non-threating, authentic gestures made on the part of the disciples of Jesus that tell the city that we want to be a contributing part of the discourse again. “We’ll join you as partners, not as antagonists,” these OA’s say.
Where are some places you’d like to see the church, with sleeves rolled up, showing her willingness to be a partner with the community?
July 12th, 2006 · 9 Comments
Categories: OA Stories
Pam Hogeweide said
am July 14 2006 @ 12:25 am
helping out the non-profs through donations and volunteerism.
many years ago the church i was associated with frowned upon it’s members donating time to non-profs that were not christian. at that time i was invited to speak about easter at a feminist group that worshipped goddesses. i went to my leader for advice about how to communicate christ with these women and i was told, Don’t do it. It was not a church sanctioned activity and the warfare, I was told, would be too intense. I guess the devil was just too big for God in that one.
To this day I regret not taking the opportunity to share Christ with this feminist organization that I was attempting to serve in. After that I pretty much withdrew, coccooning myself deeper into church culture.
Carl McLendon said
am July 17 2006 @ 1:09 pm
Our presence in our communities outside the church walls on a consistent basis is the place to start. Our willingness to listen, to look for those who are lonely is the key. Quiet, thoughtful, presence speaks louder than any bullhorn ever could. Only after listening, should we then ask how we can meet their needs…
Phil Wyman said
am July 17 2006 @ 3:03 pm
In our city of Salem, MA we attempt to network with the community by offering our services at city events. We painted children’s faces for the 4th iof July fireworks. We will bring extra chairs, perhaps a sound system and music, and tents for the Chowder Fest, and Ice Cream “Scooperbowl.” When Hallloween comes we will provide seven days of free live music, and give away 10,000 cups of hot cocoa. By making ourselves available to serve the community, we now sit in on the board which helps organize Haunted Happenings (the Halloween events.) People don’t wonder any longer what a church is doing here, because they’ve seen us around for a number of years. Now they call us if they could use some help with their events.
Art Salem will be doing an art exhibit in our facility. We will provide music and hot cocoa when the Christmas trees are piled into a big bonfire on the beach, and we may be helping a wax museum run a street fair by offering free Dream Interpretation.
If your city has public events which could use some help to make them run smoother, be more fun, or require volunteer laborers – join in and offer to do anything you can. At first they wonder if you have a hidden agenda, but if you can prove that you do not – that you simply want to serve it will eventually make way for you.
Steve said
am July 17 2006 @ 4:45 pm
I believe in being involved in the community and have planted a church that does just that. However, in reading the above it seems that there is no discrimination used in where to offer to serve. If there is an occult fair in town I do not believe it is appropriate to help run a booth or provide parking for that. Maybe I am to cautious but we can contextualize to the point of compromise.
Bruce Logue said
am July 17 2006 @ 9:12 pm
Steve, I understand and appreciate your caution. Helping a person or persons we disagree with is not the largest threat, however. It is building walls and not helping at all. That is certainly where most western churches are today–behind walls.
So I’d say, “run the risk,” and you might be surprised at what doors begin to open up. Jesus ran in the company of people he didn’t agree with, and he got the hot criticism of the religious establishment. Hardly a picture of caution.
pwatch said
am July 18 2006 @ 3:52 am
Interesting…. The balance between com-promise and community involvement may, in many cases, be paper thin. Seems wis-dom would dictate “Ask the Holy Spirit” how to approach questionable circum- stanes. Who, if we trust in being led by the Spirit, is better qualified to guide us? Ministry in Salem, MA particularly is a challenge requiring His Guidance and His Anointing.
Shaun Kinley said
am July 26 2006 @ 11:07 pm
Bruce,
I greatly appreciate you stoking these conversations!
I was sharing in another blog page how I felt lead to leave full time ministry from disillusionment with the way we were pushing out ministry in program form without much concern for the individual’s spiritual maturity.
Well, I was hired as an art teacher at an all boys Catholic high school. It has been so sweet. I used to work for weeks as a pastor to get a group of 40 young adults to talk to for maybe 30 minutes. Now I am required to pray with and teach about 100 young adults each day. I also am a wrestling coach at the high school. We travel pretty far each weekend and usually stay overnight. These are where the guys really see what you are made of and it has presented so many opportunities to talk to guys and be a light to them. I would just like to pull the trigger a little bit more as far as sharing the gospel.
Many people, myself included, kind of saw my leaving full time ministry as a demotion in the Kingdom of God. I am starting to see the way God really wants to use us to reach the niches of society as well.
Bruce said
am July 27 2006 @ 6:22 am
Right you are Shaun. I’ve spent a year doing nothng but connecting to the new community I’m part of. It has been incredibly rewarding. Even though I’m not currently preaching and doing all the other pastoral “stuff” I feel more fulfilled than I ever have.
I’ve come to think of it as ministry outside the walls.
jeff said
am August 2 2006 @ 11:17 am
I recently helped build a playground at a shelter that was not owned or run by “bretheren”. It felt different. I felt free.For once I was just honoring God by sharing in this good thing. I wasn’t making a statement. I wasn’t “pushing” Jesus.I would rather walk with him than “push” him any day.