Welcome vs. Invitation

This past Sunday in church we discussed how God is deeply intentional about inviting his children to be in relationship with him, all of them, regardless of who they are.  The text version of the sermon can be found at www.bellsprings.org, in case you missed it!  Just click on "Worship" and go to "Sermons".

Today for our devotional I wanted to build on this idea.  Too often as a church we have the idea that we are a welcoming church, and indeed we may be; but simply offering welcome to others is not the idea.  Christ does not come breaking all barriers on heaven and earth simply to be available for us to approach.  Yes, Christ is approachable, because he chose to be; but he goes another step further to invite us to approach him and enter into relationship.  Too many churches feel that their goal is to be a welcoming presence, but that people will wander into worship all on their own, uninvited.  Statistics show that most people will not enter a church without receiving a direct invitation from someone they know and trust, and only then if they are assured that this person will be present.  If this is the only thing stopping people from coming to church and entering into relationship with God, then what is stopping us?!

First, we must throw away our old assumption that people are likely to wander into our churches.  This is simply not the way our world works in 2015.  Some people will, but they are not the majority.  They may, however, be the majority of new members in your church, and that is because your church is not actively inviting anyone into its doors!  So often people will cite the evidence that all of their new members wandered in on their own, but this is a false example.  Churches will spike in attendance and participation if only their members will invite others to come.

Second, we cannot assume that most people have a church.  Statistically in the US, fewer than half of all Americans will go to church even once this year.  Are the stats better in the Southeast, here in the Bible belt?  Surprisingly, no!!!!!!!  Let's use Bell Springs UMC's community as an example.  In a five-mile radius, there are seven churches with a total attendance weekly of about 300.  And there are 4,500 people living in that radius!!!!  Did you know that 4,500 people live within five miles of our church in Noah, TN, which appears to be as rural and remote as one can get?!  Just because we have beautiful, quiet scenery does not mean we are a sparsely populated community.  And in our community, people are not going to church.  Yes, we have statistics to demonstrate this as well.

Third, we must not assume that everyone who wants to go to church already does so.  This is another misconception as well.  People don't walk into churches anymore, but that doesn't mean they don't want to be invited.  Statistics again show that 7 out of 10 people have never been personally invited to church by someone they know and trust, and if they were, a surprisingly large percentage of them would likely attend at least once.  A lot of people think that America is becoming increasingly unreligious, and while that is true, it doesn't mean they want to be.  They simply want to be wanted, to be invited, to be part of a group that will treat them as a family.  More than 90 percent of Americans believe in God, and most of these unchurched people want to learn more about that God, but may be confused about that God.  Remember that while there are many churches of all backgrounds and denominations, many of them will preach a Gospel of a judging, damning God, which is simply not the case, and certainly not the United Methodist witness.

Fourth, we must overcome our fear that inviting people to church is "pushy" or manipulative.  Certainly, you could be pushy or manipulative--but that's not our goal.  We don't want anyone to participate in the life of the church against their will, because our God does not overcome our free will to choose to love him.  If that were the case, we would be robots, unable to make our own choices in life.  Now, attempting to shame or force people to attend church is definitely the wrong way to go.  But this is a far cry from inviting them in love.  You won't ruin your relationships with your friends, family, co-workers or neighbors; rather, they will most likely be receptive and appreciate your offer.  Those who are not interested will politely decline your offer, and those interested may as for more information.

Fifth, we must be prepared to invite people to church.  Your church's website should be committed to your memory, as statistics show that more than 8 out of 10 people visit a church's website before visiting the first time, even and especially after being invited.  If you can't remember the web address, then carry it with you at all times.  It also helps to know when worship begins, what ministries and outreach programs your church offers, and how we relate to the community.  At Bell Springs our House of Ruth outreach and Backpack program with North Coffee Elementary are two great ways to get others involved and excited about being a part of our family.  You don't need to know everything about these ministries; but giving people a feel for what we do as Christians is very important because they want to understand who we are and what our priorities are.

Finally, be willing and available to help incorporate new people into the life of the church.  Especially for those whom you've invited, help them out by introducing them to others in our church so that they feel that they know more people than just you.  It's helpful to introduce people who are similar in age, life stage or profession, so that they have something to talk about.  But don't stop there; invite new congregants to lunch or dinner along with another family from the church.  This one hour of sharing a meal will help solidify their place in our church.  They will feel like they are a part of our shared family, and will begin to feel ownership of the church and its ministries.  Finally, help advise your pastor of how the church can involve the new individual or family into the life of the church through its mission and discipleship growth.  You know these new congregants best; so your advice can prove invaluable, and will be cordially welcomed by your pastor, I can promise you!

If you would like some help inviting others to church at Bell Springs UMC, visit the Information Station table in the Fellowship Hall.  There we have recently printed flyers that give general information on our church; our House of Ruth and backpack ministries; and of course the pastor's business card, which has all of the church's pertinent information, like the website and physical address.  If you feel that you could use another resource which is not yet available, let me know and I will produce it for you!

Being a welcoming church is critical; but being an invitational church is the mission of God.  Let us never hesitate to invite others to join us at the table where Christ offers himself in the fullness of time for the restoration and redemption of the world.

Our Tabernacle

On Sunday we spoke about the Tabernacle, the nomadic dwelling built especially for the LORD as the Israelites wondered through the wilderness awaiting their destination at the Promised Land.  In the Book of Exodus, we learned that very specific instructions were given to the Israelites to construct this portable marvel, and we saw that the contributions to the Tabernacle were given by those who were quite eager and desired to so give.  The wisdom which God gave the Israelites to build the Tabernacle was given by God's spirit, the wisdom to construct, weave, and assemble.  "Wisdom" is not only cognitive but can be thought of as a trade skill or ability, something completed by one's hands.

Through Jesus Christ, we learned that no longer does the spirit of God dwell within one structure, the Temple, which was the more permanent replacement of the Tabernacle under King Solomon.  Now the spirit of God dwells within the body of his only begotten Son, who came to dwell and live among us in the flesh, who died and rose again and has made God accessible to people all over the globe.  Thankfully God continues to dwell with us today in Coffee County through our church, the group of people who faithfully gather at Bell Springs UMC, as merely one "Tabernacle" of God on earth.

Our church building is best described in biblical terms as a "Tabernacle" rather than a "Temple" because Christ's body is the Temple of the LORD, whereas our church building is a temporary, earthly dwelling which invites the presence of God when two or three (or more) are gathered.  When we think about how to care for our church building and how we should consider it within our ministries, we must take care not to confuse our building with the Temple of God, which is the body of Jesus Christ.  Instead, we should consider our real estate as one of many "Tabernacles".  So what do I mean to say by this?

Perhaps obviously, first we know that we do not have a monopoly on God.  Our church is one of many where God's spirit fills the air during worship on Sunday mornings, or other times during the week as we are assembled.  The one true Temple of God is Jesus Christ, who is present and available throughout the earth, which is good because that means he is available to us right here!  But if this is true, then anytime the church (that is, the people) are gathered, Christ is present.  This includes non-church buildings, such as your home, a restaurant, your workplace, or in an open field.  Christ's presence is not limited to a building, and definitely not to our building.  This is great, because that means when we are gathered to do God's work, to fulfill the mission in the community, Christ is present with us there just as strongly as he is in church.

This also means that the church real estate must have some other purpose than merely "storing up" the spirit of God.  Like the Tabernacle in Exodus, our church serves many functional and earthly purposes, as we are people with bodies who live in a three-dimensional world.  We have very real needs, such as shelter, in order to protect us from the elements so that we can focus on worship when we do gather on Sunday mornings, for meetings, and for other studies and missions.  The church building's purpose is very practical and tangible on one hand, because we live in a practical and tangible reality.  But on the other hand, the church building helps us to connect with God, the divine, as its sole purpose is to further and strengthen our relationship with Christ while we are yet on earth.  So the church building is like the Tabernacle, in that it functions as a cross-section of time and space where heaven and earth meet.  If we are the church, and Christ is the Temple, then the church building functions as an intermediary between the two.  Simply put: us --> church building --> Christ.  The church building is not a necessary step to encounter Christ, for sure!  But it acts to speed up the process, to eliminate barriers between the two, as a catalyst, if you will.  

So how should we appropriately understand the way to use the church building, if its purpose is to function as a catalyst and "speed up" or "make simpler" our relationship with Christ?

1. We must not think of the church building as the most important part of our church's ministries, although it must not be neglected either.  Many churches will sacrifice their mission in order to preserve their building; still others will allow the building to crumble into disrepair.  We cannot do either.  The most appropriate action for us is to recognize that the true work of the church has nothing to do with our building, but the building helps us to complete that work more efficiently over time.  The building is one tool among many which we use to come closer to God and draw others into relationship with Christ.

2. We must be flexible in how we use our church building in order to better fulfill our shared mission.  Too often churches (or individuals within churches) will resist any change to their church building, in an attempt to preserve a historical memory of the past.  We cannot forget the past, nor neglect the witness of the past, but the church building is not the best means for preserving our history.  With modern technology, we are able to take pictures, keep archives, and even produce miniature models of our church buildings in an attempt to keep the past witness alive.  The church building, however, is an epicenter, a Tabernacle, for the present and future witness of the church.  To that end, we must be willing to modify, expand, tear down, remodel or re-purpose our church building at any time in order to better fulfill God's mission in our church and community.  The way humans live and interact is always changing, and so too must our real estate in order to best function as that catalyst for bringing people and one another closer to God.  The attitude of preserving the church building to maintain the past and its history comes out of an honest desire to respect and love God, but in reality it is counterproductive for this purpose.  Such individuals must be encountered with love and understanding, not chastised for unwillingness to change, but at the same time, the church must understand that these attitudes can lead us down a path of irrelevancy and ineffectiveness.

3. Our church does not exist within the walls of the building; the building is most effective when the church (the people) is actively engaging in the community, every day, but draws people, resources and energy back into the building as an epicenter of ministry.  When we think about the church and church building as synonymous, we have crippled God's ability to work through us in the world.  Instead, we need to act as if the building is an epicenter, a Tabernacle, like the locker room for a football team or desk for a teacher.  It's a place to plan, strategize, be restored, learn, and weep together.  But it's primarily a place of preparation for leaving it and going out to do the real work.  All of our shared ministry ought to return to the church building for analysis, planning, healing, etc.  That means the people we meet, the resources we gather, everything we learn and even the baggage we pick up along the way, everything should be brought back into the church building, the Tabernacle, in order to better prepare for tomorrow.  The church building ought to be a sanctuary as it is the intersection of the earthly and divine.  But when churches begin to treat their building as the end to their mission in itself, the mission has been completely bypassed.

I pray that together we would develop or maintain a healthy understanding of our church building, not in order to tear one another down or argue, but so that we may be healed and made holy for the world around us, for the sake of the Gospel, for Jesus Christ, and for God's ultimate mission to restore and reconcile all things back unto himself.