Tim Stevens author of the blog Leading Smart took some notes at the AND conference and posted them. Lots of talk has been taking place about the issue of missional church vs. attractional church. The conference was designed to emphasize that the answer is both/and not either/or. Good stuff about the mission of the church.
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Some quotes from Alan Hirsch’s opening session at the AND Conference…
I’ve always had a respect for the megachurch. The modern church growth movement reintroduced evangelism into the equation of church–and I highly respect that.
Our world is becoming increasingly more complex. There are hundreds of sub-cultures that have the potential to divide us.
Churches tend to reach people like them. That’s fine, but as culture becomes more divided–the reach of the church is diminished.
I introduced the word “attractional.” I wish I could change that–now I would call it “extractional.” Because within 3-5 years of becoming a Christian, that individual will no longer have any significant relationships outside the church. And that becomes a problem for the spread of the gospel!
Recent report said 95% of Americans believe in God.
The vast majority of Americans think highly of God, Jesus and spirituality–but very poorly of the church.
I love Apple, but hate AT&T. But can’t use my iPhone without AT&T. I think a lot of people think that way about God and the church. They give God a thumbs up, but really dislike the church.
The problems of the world can’t be solved by doing the same thing that got us here.
If you keep digging in the same hole, you become very invested in the hole. And so you dig deeper, and become more invested.
The demise of Christendom is not such a bad thing. We didn’t do so well when we were in control. Christianity tends to thrive when it isn’t culturally acceptable.
House church isn’t doing missional very well. They tend to have bad music, bad teaching and all the kids are running around the house. Who wants that?
Church comes out of mission. Not the other way around.
Don’t be captive by your own success. Churches in decline are sometimes more open to hearing God and trying something new.
Is a can opener a can opener if it no longer opens cans? Is a church still a church if it no longer does what a church is meant to do?
The Bible knows no distinction between clergy and laity.
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The conference continued with a tremendous session led by Matt Carter who pastors The Austin Stone Community Church. Some things he said…
I think the attractional model of church is still very effective–and will reach some people that smaller forms of church will never reach.
The attractional model alone won’t curb the decline of Christianity in America.
The primary model of church has been “come to us.” And that’s where it has ended.
Lay people (especially those who are 18-30 years old) are starting to get restless. They want to get in the fight.
I realized even if we build a bigger building and grow another 4,000 people–nothing really changes for the city of Austin.
What if people got the vision not to “come and see” — but to “go and do.”
Jesus wouldn’t make a very good American megachurch pastor. Why? It wasn’t his church-growth philosophy. His church growth philosophy was 12 men.
The difference between a small group and missional community: A small group is primary about community–a missional community is primarily about mission.
We had to change the definition for our small groups–now they must have moved beyond gathering, have found a group of people, and are engaging that group of people to introduce them to God.
There is nothing on the planet that can foster deep, biblical community than getting a shared mission for God.
If we aimed for community alone, we hardly ever got community or mission. But if we aimed for mission–we almost always got mission AND community.
We teach our leaders how not to be consumers–but to be self-feeders.
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Dave Ferguson is the lead pastor of Community Christian Church in Naperville, Illinois — and led the conversation in our final session day one of the AND Conference.
Although the church is in decline, there is a missional impulse alive and well throughout the world. There is much to be hopeful about.
I often hear people in my church say, “I want to do more.” I recently got an email where someone said, “Can we do something for people who won’t go to church?” That is a missional impulse. It is alive in our people.
Missional people PLUS multiplying churches EQUALS a missional movement.
How do you get to missional people? You ordain every follower of Christ.
As leaders, if we want missional people, we have to say “yes” as often as we can.
There’s a business strategy that we’ve used too long in the church — it is to identify your target market, do only what will reach your target market, and say “no” to everything else. That is a brilliant business strategy. But it is not what the church is about. We need to release people.
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