Our church's competition...

    Our church's competition is not another church. The question we ask at MLC is not: "What will cause someone to pick our church over another church?" Wrong question! The question we ask is: " What can cause someone to pick us over their BED on Sunday morning?"  "What would cause someone to pick church over going to the lake?" "What would cause someone to pick church over bar-hopping on Saturday Night?" We're trying to reach people who DON'T go to church, right? Therefore, a church's competition is not another church! It's everything  else! 
        We've got to change the way we think about church! We've got to stop basing our ministry approaches on what other churches are doing and then just trying to do it better.  What we need to do is look at the Mall, the bowling alleys,  the amusements parks, the coffee shops, and the bars, and ask ourselves :"Why are people CHOOSING to spend their time THERE instead of HERE?" "Why are people CHOOSING to do life outside the church rather than in it?" "What are the ways in which people are seeking to get their relational needs met that the church can better meet?" "The question then becomes, not"How can we get them to come to church?" but "How can we take the church to them?" If we can just begin to think that way in the church,  lives will be changed and new people will be reached for Jesus Christ!   

Comments

[michael]

bedside baptist...i often wonder what it is that keeps one away...what kept me away.

a perception of hypocracy and pride...it is very much up to us (the people) as the church to engage people to want to become the church (through the holy spirit).

i think the front that spiritual pride puts up is devastating to the world.

[Jeff Green]

I really wish others would get this! I'm working with a community based ministry that seeks to connect young adults inter-denominationally with each other and God ... in that context I run into those who are territorial time and time again.

We need to be more Kingdom minded!