Challenge for our churches

Last night we had a mixed bag at the National Quartet Convention. There were some excellent groups and songs along with a lot of average groups with songs to match. But, the Talleys really touched me with their set. One song in particular summed up the challenge our churches face today if they are serious about having an effective ministry. The title is "The Broken Ones," and the message in the song is that we believers in Jesus Christ need to be seeking and loving the broken ones as Christ does. We need to find ways to help them experience the healing they need and to introduce them to Christ who is often the only one who can bring healing to their broken lives. Lauren Talley is a great talent with a powerful voice that really brought out the message of that song. It touched me so much that when their set was finished I went to their booth and bought the new CD that had that song on it.

So much of our time, our energy, and our finances are spent on ministering to the people who are already in the church. We offer one Bible study after another and challenge people to sit on numerous committees that accomplish very little. We wrap ourselves up in our Christian bubbles to help ensure that we won't be contaminated by the evil that exists in the world. Yet, when we read the stories of Jesus in the Gospels we find him walking among the hurting sinners of his time and ministering to their brokenness. Should this not be the example his church should now follow? Don't misunderstand me here, I believe that attending church for corporate worship and the opportunity to learn more about God is important, but did Jesus ever once invite people to attend a church? Did the Great Commission say anything about "Go out into the world and invite people to your church?" I don't think so. Yes, church is important, even vital for one's spiritual growth, but the challenge was that as we are going throughout our activities we need to be inviting people to trust in Jesus Christ and become a disciple of his. And the way that Christ himself demonstrated how to do this was to develop relationships with the people we encounter.

How many non-Christian friends do you have? If you have been a Christian for more than a few years the answer is that you probably have very few, maybe none. How can we be salt and light to a world if we never enter that world? How can we fulfill the Great Commission if we never go into the world that Christ died for?

We in church leadership need to challenge our churches to engage their communities, developing relationships with people outside our walls, and begin to make a difference in people's lives. We will also have to model that so they can see what that should like like. I'll admit that it may be a little risky, but I believe that it is a risk we must be willing to take if we are going to be serious about impacting the 21st century for Christ.