After searching the scriptures and seeing Christ’s ministry for what it really was we decided we no longer wanted to participate in the spectator sport we Christians call CHURCH. So we said, let’s stop meeting every Sunday. Let’s instead, meet in small groups in each other’s homes. Let’s share a meal and learn how to be true disciples of Christ. Let’s all serve together. Let’s have each small group belong to a cause group that addresses a need in our city. We talked about it, met about it, argued about it, preached about it, sang about it, and read books about it for months. And for the most part, people were buying it. As a matter of fact, the month before the shift, when Shaun was preaching the hows and whys of what were about to do was our highest attendance and our highest offering in all of 2011. We thought that meant people were actually ready to be radical and courageous. 4 months later, it’s clear that what that meant was that people love HEARING about being radical and courageous. It gets our juices flowing and makes us feel all powerful. Then we leave the service, get in our cars, pick up some chicken for lunch, go home, and watch Basketball Wives until the T.O. Show comes on, and then the Falcons game. Then there’s work, and depression about our sucky job, and disdain for our sucky marriage, and then Sunday comes, and we get to be happy again-even if for just a few hours. And then……..you know the routine.
Here’s what we’ve learned this summer: It’s not organizations with boards and secretaries who record the minutes that change the world. It’s not even dynamic leadership that successfully leads the board with the secretary who records minutes. It’s PEOPLE WITH HEARTS BROKEN FOR CHIRST and His people. Before we had 1 service we stopped a man from committing suicide and bought 500 toys and uniforms for school kids in the inner-city. We didn’t need dynamic leadership, by-laws, and committees to do that. We just needed to care.
We will not go back to the stress and relative lack of actual disciple making of the every Sunday model. Sunday morning has its place. I too missed the gatherings, but I will never again participate in a model that replaces the real work of Christ with the mundanity of 2 songs and a feel good sermon. Read more
