Tuesday
Dec062011
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Tuesday, December 6, 2011 at 9:51PM
Tuesday, December 6, 2011 at 9:51PM 007 - The Biggest Building in Town
The message that churches are no longer the largest building in town came off somewhat as a finger being pointed at the people and their materialistic values. And while I’m certain there is some truth to that, it’s only fair that churches take a bit of the blame based on their inability to change.
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Reader Comments (16)
This post is very thought provoking. Having been brought up in a small church family, I was taught that the one unchanging part of faith was God. The message to take home here however is not faith changing, but the experience and expression of faith. I will thing about this post for awhile, as I mull over my own experience.
Very thought provoking blog post! I must admit it did make me uncomfortable, but I found myself wondering why churches have not adapted like those other places of business. I served on a board of a church for 3 years and it was always uncomfortable to make the comparisons between a church and a business, but I think that if you are looking to find followers, you must treat a church as such. Obviously the products are different, but the goal of gaining customers is essentially the same.
Our church attendance has been declining for years and we've made small changes here and there, but nothing that would alter the "experience" we offer. I appreciate your willingness to post this video. I will pass this message along to our Preacher. Thank You
To each his own. I've never been to the Southeast Church you speak of and don't have much choice outside of what is offered in my small town. I would like to make some of the comparisons you mentioned. As of now though, I am content with what I've been given.
Great Post! I'm a member at Southeast and couldn't agree more. Having come from a small church it too felt like I was going through the motions of faith and, in the beginning, was unsure what to make of the approach that Southeast takes, but have since come to love it. I like that they offer time for self-prayer (silence), they have many services, it's more casual, and they definitely are more upfront, or transparent as you called it.
I didn't know that being critical of the church was accepted.
On the topic of business, what you are referring to is adaptation. On the topic of church what you are prefacing is Religion vs Spirituality.
I probably should have stated that Growth is more of the Effect. When you create an experience, growth is the outcome. Southeast has been creating that experience...and therefore built a strong following. Not all churches need to strive to be the size of Southeast Christian Church. But that doesn't mean you shouldn't be striving to fill your pews. If they are not full, what are you working on to improve that...and it should be something you've not tried and will therefore require more objectivity than what you've been using. As Einstein states: "Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different result." At least that quote is 'attributed' to him.
Our Catholic church here in Marysville has undergone explosive growth. We are on the second remodel and have ran out of room to expand. I also read today that a group not affiliated to the church is going to start running ads about return to church week for the catholics. I guess i am confortable with my church and the message and the activities surrounding it especially when it comes to the faith of my children. Sometimes bigger is not better-----it depends on the message...................
LongSnap, Thank You for thoughts. In response, using a single church is looking at things from a micro point of view. Certainly there are many main line churches experiencing growth, and as mentioned in the comment section, I'm not suggesting that Bigger is better (although I think Catholic Leaders would disagree), I'm suggesting experience matters. So long as a church is comfortable with the direction of their numbers/followers, then no change should be needed. But to not be satisfied with where those numbers are leading and placing the blame solely on the people seems a bit one sided.
After thinking about this post I have to say that sometimes I feel much comfort in the repetition I see in a church service. There can be something very comforting about the unchanging when other aspects of your world are crashing around you. No one questions singing Happy Birthday all our lives for our special day and it is comforting to relive that celebration so not all habits are bad. With that being said though, I look to my church for spiritual growth opportunity that I don't find in my everyday life. And those things whether in a large or small church need to be available, remembering one size doesn't fit all.
There seems to be some confusion regarding this message, I don't doubt the comfort being experienced by anyone attending a small mainline church. You've gone to that church for years and that church has been a significant part of your life. Nor was this messaged intended to get people to switch. What this message asks is, would you want your church to adapt to a new approach if it was critical to long term success?
Again, this message is meant to show the difficulty found in change. It's an idea that relates not only to churches or businesses, but also individuals. Often is the case that our habits are detrimental to our health and long term happiness, but we would be defensive in responding to suggests of change for those habits and answer with statements relating to comfort. See Cognitive Consistency, http://www.answers.com/topic/cognitive-consistency
True. I sometimes perfer the micro view. I give money but like to know it is feeding children in my community. Not going to rome etc...... The church takes care of people in its area---it is easier to see the differences made when i give time or money or take care of poor people in my office. I like to see results.
Wow~ I came into this chat knowing exactly what I wanted to say and then swaying a bit with the responses of others. Something Shoes said was interesting... the comfort of repetition. I go to church sometimes and not even listen. It is more about me being surrounded by the beauty of the church, and the peace of my mind. Sometimes, church is the only place where cell phones are shut off and I can have uninterrupted thoughts to think about the events of the week, and the people I love that are far from me, and to be thankful and prayer-ful. But as I get older, and am starting (or wanting to start) a family, I could see the community of a place that I grew up with, and forcing myself to change (albeit location, denomination, etc) will be challenges that I see churches having similar issues in trying to not only keep their patrons, but grown from outside.
this is my first message that I didn't correlate with work. Sometimes I guess we don't have to, as it correlates with life. Interesting topic. I have a feeling I will mull it over for a while...
Interesting post. I can certainly see where people might take offense. I do training myself and people don't like change. What Jon is suggesting though doesn't relate to the message of any religion, but how organizations present themselves, such an simple factor, but because it requires change it is complicated. If you look at the churches that are finding growth, they are all using the same basic formula that relates to what people want.
Super Post! Love the ideas presented here and will pass them along!
As a pastor at a small church, I can tell you that there is much truth to this post. I'm not sure though that the congregations within the Churches you describe would be willing to change. I don't want to take all the blame away from Pastors and Ministers, but typically we aren't the ones making the decisions.