Compelling Church
Mark Tidsworth, Pinnacle Team Leader
Listen to the conversation. Listen to the music between the notes. Listen for the story beneath the words. This is how we know when we are being church in life-giving, compelling ways.
At this point in history, our churches must live a compelling story, else they will fade away. When we are living a compelling story, no one can hold us back from involvement in our churches.
So how do we know whether we are a compelling church; one which compels us in a really good way? Sometimes it’s as simple as listening to the conversation, identifying the storylines as they emerge. When churches becoming compelling faith communities, we begin hearing statements like the following.
Our church’s version of the gospel is very good news.
Have you noticed? Every church expresses the gospel of Jesus Christ in varying ways. Their understanding of the gospel leads to varying expressions of the gospel. Some emphasize social justice while others focus on personal piety. Some pursue racial reconciliation while others invite people to be born again. Each church emphasizes different aspects of the good news of Christ. I for one am grateful for the diversity of understandings and applications of the good news. The point here though is that disciples in compelling churches believe their church’s version of the gospel is very good news for themselves and their community. They believe the way their church tells the gospel story, the way they live into it, is a life-giving alternative story to the popular cultural stories around them. The bottom line is that these churches believe their version of the gospel is really good news to the ears of their community.
Our church is needed in our community, opening the doors to God for our neighbors.
Recently I was with a church who excels at social justice ministries. They are the embodiment of the gospel, serving as the hands and feet of Christ among the dispossessed in their community. When someone has a physical, material, or socioeconomic need, this church is ready and willing to serve. Yet, they are not quite sure what to do with people like them. What I mean is, they know how to help those in material poverty, yet aren’t sure what to do with those who are middle-class or affluent. Compelling churches embrace a version of the gospel which is good news for all people, including those who have no apparent material needs. Compelling churches live into a gospel story which is good news for the rich and powerful as much as it is for the poor and powerless. Not everyone in your community will resonate with your church’s version of the gospel, yet there are some people in your community who would discover God if they encountered the good news as you know it.
We want our friends, family, neighbors, and coworkers to experience our church.
Why would we even need to say this? Don’t we all want this? Well….
When was the last time we invited others who are not a part of our church to participate in some way? How we answer this question clearly communicates how compellingly good we believe our church is. When we are living a compelling version of the gospel, we find ourselves talking about it. So, if we are not inviting others to participate in our church, this speaks volumes about our perception of our church. If we are not inviting others, it’s time to investigate what that’s about. When we are inviting others, then we apparently believe our church’s version of the gospel IS really good news.
Our church is part of God’s transformation effort in this community.
It seems that God’s intention is to bring the kingdom here, to our world (see Lord’s Prayer). Compelling churches know they are caught up in a larger story, in God’s mission to transform society. They are integrated with their communities, partnering with others who are working for the good of humankind. These churches know they are significant channels of God’s redemptive work; healing, reconciling, and renewing their communities. This awareness compels them to engage, giving meaning and significance to their everyday lives.
If God’s power and presence went away, our church would not achieve its goals and may even fall apart.
We saved the best expression of compelling church for last. These churches are reaching into the zone, the zone where God’s presence and power are required. Compelling churches are so convinced they are called to participate with God’s kingdom work that they reach high. They push themselves, setting stretch-goals, pursuing big dreams. They purposefully live into holy adventures which are beyond their inherent strength. They know what they are doing can only be accomplished if God shows up. No they don’t act foolishly, yet they march right up to foolishness’s border. They follow the nudges of the Holy Spirit, trusting that God will give them the strength they need to live into God’s hopes and dreams for them as an invigorated faith community. Compelling churches trust in God’s power, presence, and strength.
Anything less? Can we be anything less as churches? Well, yes, but not for long. In today’s religious environment, people will write church off right quick if it’s not genuine, authentic, and substantive (see Nones and Dones). Besides all that, isn’t this why we are part of this Christian Movement anyway? We are hungry for genuine engagement with the gospel of Jesus Christ. We yearn for authentic engagement with other disciples, pursuing the very good Way of Jesus together. There’s no way we want to miss out on that; on being part of compelling church.