Watching your (Christian) language

It's no wonder the Church struggles to communicate effectively with the rest of humanity.  It invents words and creates terms that are only understood by those who invent them, in an effort to sound relevant and in an attempt to be (pre) inclusive.

Unbelievers have become "pre-christian." Outreach has become "missional." In an effort to grow in numbers at the expense of our congregation's spiritual depth we have become "attractional." Programs have replaced community, production has replaced authenticity. Bonhoeffer spins in his grave.

The Bible gives us the language we need, there is no need to invent anything new. We are ambassadors, living in a culture to which we do not belong; despairing over issues that the Church abandoned long ago (as indicated by Rookmaker in Art Needs No Justification). We have one task: reconciling people to God (2 Corinthians 5:20).

We need not complicate our task by pretending to speak the language of the culture we live in, when in reality the words we use are foreign to those for whom they are intended. A true ambassador learns the language and culture in which they are living. We must do the same and quit speaking "Christianese."

Crazy about the numbers

Churchianity drives me crazy.  Talking about discipleship but evaluating a program based on numbers drives me really crazy.

Why is it all about numbers? Where is the depth in the American church? Three years ago, Willow Creek's research revealed that their emphasis on programming over relationships had failed. Has it really been like this for over 30 years?

Focusing on quantity over quality is a sign that spiritual growth has been replaced by a measurement of success.  The church sees the tantalizing numbers of early Acts, and want the same for their own ministries.

Paul states in I Cor 3:6:

 ⁵ After all, who is Apollos? Who is Paul? We are only God’s servants through whom you believed the Good News. Each of us did the work the Lord gave us. ⁶ I planted the seed in your hearts, and Apollos watered it, but it was God who made it grow. ⁷ It’s not important who does the planting, or who does the watering. What’s important is that God makes the seed grow. ⁸ The one who plants and the one who waters work together with the same purpose. And both will be rewarded for their own hard work. ⁹ For we are both God’s workers. And you are God’s field. You are God’s building.
 ¹⁰ Because of God’s grace to me, I have laid the foundation like an expert builder. Now others are building on it. But whoever is building on this foundation must be very careful. ¹¹ For no one can lay any foundation other than the one we already have—Jesus Christ. (New Living Translation).

Can we presume then, by a measurement of numbers, that if a program isn't growing numerically, that God isn't in it?  Must we value activity for activity's sake to evaluate success?

It's easier to count numbers and declare that a ministry is growing than to spend time evaluating it from within to determine if true discipleship is occurring and spiritual growth is happening.

I propose that growth can occur even if numbers don't increase.  How do we measure influence and impact? How can we measure significance?

I can't recall any Scripture that states that God's goal or measure of evaluation in the body is numeric growth, but depth of growth:

Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong. (Eph 3:17, NLTse)

Church leaders, if a program doesn't seem to be growing, are you equipping your staff and volunteer leadership to help it grow?  Have you spent enough time in the program to see where the growth is really occurring before creating an artificial measurement of success?  As pastors and teachers are gifts to the church (the body of Christ) for the purpose of equipping, so are church leaders the gifts to the staff and program leaders – pastors and volunteers alike.

Equip us before you evaluate us.  Then we're all working toward the same goal, and being evaluate by a common standard – and with the same purpose!