A while back I read an article about a pastor who served a different type of congregation. He didn't have a building and he didn't have a staff, he felt his calling was to minister to OTR drivers (individuals who drove cross country and were on the road more than they were at home). He went from truck stop to truck stop and gas station to gas station bringing church to them. Decades ago, maybe even centuries, we simply built a church building and the neighborhood flocked to it. This is seldom the case anymore and as I think about this I can't help but think about the truck-stop preacher and I can't help but ask the question, are we bringing church to those who need it or are we expecting them to come to us?
Now this is a tricky one because it has been done poorly so many times. I am not talking about standing on the street corner with a sign that says the end is near and screaming at folks to repent. I am not talking about going door to door handing out pamphlets that ask the question "if you die tonight, do you know where you will go?" I am simply wondering do we bring church, and hopefully just the good parts of church, to those who need it or are we sitting on our hands waiting for them to come to us?
What does it look like when this is done well? I think bringing the church to those who need the church looks like a group of individuals who get in a van and drive to a community that was ravaged by a tornado and helps total strangers put their lives back together. I think bringing the church to those who need the church looks like an individual who spends time with an elderly person who may sit by themselves all day long and reminds them that they aren't alone and there is a community out there that cares for them. I think bringing the church to those who need the church looks like an individual who takes the time to talk to the person who is checking their groceries and sincerely ask them how their day is going and then thanks them for the work they do.
Are we bring the church out in to the world or are we waiting for the world to come to us? There is a lot of hurt out there and I believe the church can bring the power of this community into their lives, where they are at right now, and in doing so reveals God's love to them.
Its time to step out of the church "building" and build the church where it is most needed.
See you in church,
Chris
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I love this... It reminds me so much of my first church, Hinson Memorial Baptist Church, where I accepted Christ under the guidance of Dr. Bruce Boria... His mantra was Drawing the inside out to draw the outside in... Our church hosted so many car washes, block parties, weekend car repair, children's festivals, weekend yard clean ups and house paintings, all in the neighborhood where our church sat. Although our church was heavily populated, it wasn't by those who lived right there in the neighborhood.. so we did all we could to draw them in, by trying to be the best neighbors possible.. showing them the love of Christ, by loving our neighbor... many people came to love the Lord through those events..... Great Blog Pastor Chris!!
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