Ramblings on Rumblings in the Church

In a time of social upheaval the church is bound to follow suit at some point and perhaps that point is now.  For many evangelicals all across the nation the pattern of doing church exemplified by the business model of church is stifling and suffocating to an entire generation who demands the church be defined less in terms of what it does and more in terms of what it is.  Following are what I hope to be some thought provoking comments taken from an interview with Joshua Harris in Outreach Magazine in their Sept/Oct 2007 issue.  Enjoy.

“The Gospel is most clearly understood in community and in believers’ lives being joined together…To truly understand the Gospel’s power, you have to see it lived out-in the lives of Christians who are connected to one another.”

“Ultimately, a church only changes when people claim their role in the body of Christ and work hard to contribute and strengthen other members.”

“The Gospel advances when we care more about lost people than we do about protecting our rights and our own comforts.”

“I’d rather preach in front of 10,000 people than sit down across from one person and try to share the Gospel with her!”

“Essentially, we want the only stumbling block to be the message of Christ crucified-not politics, our religious lingo or religiosity that’s not a part of the central truth of Christ crucified.  If people are going to stumble, let them stumble over the message that they are sinners who need a Savior-let’s get the other stuff out of the way.”

“I think my church for years has been more event-driven.  We want people to encourage their friends to go to this event or show up for that special day.  And although these things aren’t bad, we’re trying to move away from that.  We’re saying, love people and get in their lives, care for them, know them, serve them and then bring them into the community in different ways.”