Richardson states on the bottom of page 50, "Most people will come to faith today in the context of a community. Belonging comes before believing." Community is not a place or a program. Community is the experience of belonging, being known and knowing others on a very personal level. The old model of evangelism effectively kept spiritual seekers at arms length until they accepted Christ inspite of the fact that Jesus himself never modeled that kind of approach. Instead Jesus often accepted the outcast and valued them before they believed. He did that with the blind, the lame, the shameful and the downright sinful. Over and over Jesus afforded people space to feel accepted in order to provide them the freedom to explore and believe subsequently.
There are a lot of reasons for the need to belong before we believe but basically it's because we no longer live in a culture where there is a common biblical understanding that ties our culuture together. People don't have any common spiritual thread of understanding or language that ties them together, speeding up the process of communicating the gospel. Today, we cannot afford to speak Christian ease with those who are not in a realtionship with God. It is probably not a good idea with those who are in that realtionship!
To deal with this, we have to let people establish a sense of belonging in our community of faith as they progress in their spiritual journey. Along the way we love them, answer their questions, share our experiences and invite them to take one step further down the road as we stay by their side in an authentic friendship.
Life Groups and Men's & Women's ministries are ideal for creating the kind of atomosphere where someone can belong and continue on a journey toward Christ. The larger congregation is ok but it is very likely they will remain annonymous and not experience belonging in that context.
This is a fundamental value / belief we, as leadership have to agree upon and uphold in our areas of responsibility if it is going to be a part of the culture at CBC. Let's let people belong before we require them to believe.
This doesn't mean they are alllowed to "join" the church. It means we accept them and lock arms with them before they believe so that they can believe. Remember, they need you. You and I are essential parts of this mission as we partner with God to reach them. He wants our hands and feet, He needs our ears and voice to manifest Jesus to people who are seeking.
I will post a second topic on the second half of chapter 3 where is deals with the gifts of the Holy Spirit.
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I agree with your comments but I think you are getting the horse before the cart with getting folks in the various ministries. We can easily do this with believers but not seakers. This is where the your version of the model fails. We have found this out in DC.
ReplyDeleteYou first have to get the seakers to some nuetral ground where they can find out first hand that we (the so called christians don't really do all those weard things we are supposed to).
The seaker has to find a way to be around us and find out first hand the we really arn't weard. RR points this out in one of the chapters that "folks" believe that there is something spiritual they just don't want to get mixed up with the christians. I have heard this to many times. They have had some experance with a church in the past that has soured them on churches but they know in their hearts the they need God.
We have neutral areas like trunk or treat, DC, MOPs and a few other small ministries. With DC those that are hurting will sometimes come for help. Some come for a while but arn't really ready. MOPs is easier for ladies to come to. Trunk or treat is even better as everyone can come. The easter egg hunt and events like that really work but are limited to being seasonal.
What we really need is something that has a draw that is not seasonal that happens on some sort of a regular basis that is easily accessable.
Friday night at the movies which shows quality secular films is a possibility if done correctly. this must be a place where the "folks" can truly get the fealing of this being a reasonable neatral area. To do this it needs to be thought out and then planed out with missions, goals, and objectives.
Obviously prayer is the fundimnental root of this.
Does anyone know how to acsess the spell check on this? Found it once but can't find it now.
Stan,
ReplyDeleteI agree with what you are saying but I really beleive we can accomplish what you are talking about in small groups. Here's how I see it possibly happening. As we go through our day we meet all kinds of people. Talk to people: at first it may just be simple hi's, how are you's. As we continue to encounter that person the conversations become longer and more personal. Eventually there will be opportunity to invite, maybe at first it's just the two of us getting together for a coke or something that we both have in common and eventually life group. If our life groups are going to be key in all of this, they will be a place that is non-threatening to the pre-christan. Bible studies will be simple and most of our time together will be spent "doing life".
The big events are important so that we can show the community who we are and that they are important to us. Big events are just like corporate worship though, you can't really get personal and build individual relationships. And people will not really gain that true sense of belonging that RR is talking about from the big events.
So the way I see it there are a couple of things working here: Big events to reach out to the whole community at one time. We do that together has a church family. Our own personal outreach to individuals and helping them to belong through life groups, DC, MOPS, and other ministries. And of course eventually Bible studies and corporate worship.
I agree with each of you on ways to reach out. I think RR is asking cristians to just try a new way and find out what is best for each person to reach out to a pagan world. One on one . He says to change the words we use and that the mega churches seem to just bring them in for a show so they are there but not seen just a number that day.No comment yet. Stan I agree that the world thinks we are a club of some sort and it just makes people stand back and watch.
ReplyDeleteaffirms the statement in the first part of chapter three that "belonging comes before believing" and that is where small groups should and do play a huge role in fullfilling, as well as large "intentional" church events. Recognizing the spiritual gifts within yourself, and others, and then asking God for that team or community where He will be most able to help you contribute is key!
ReplyDeleteBelonging doesn't mean they are leading. For example a non Chrisitan could find a sense of community in any of our life groups or in the women's or men's ministry by being accepted where they are without being made to "believe" as a prerequsite for belonging. Finding that sense of belonging then gives them a context and a pathway to believe. They don't have to lead a ministry, just feel accepted by those in the ministry.
ReplyDeleteHey Gang- I totally agree with the belonging before believing. This book has really opened me up to what my pre-conceived notions were towards evangelism, and it is parallel with what RR was speaking of with non-believers and how they see the "church" or "Christians" I had (have) always felt guilty for not seeking the seekers, instead of asking God to show me who needs sought after. I do not believe I have ever walked into a room, and asked God to show me who I could talk to- or to give me that gentle nudge to talk to someone.
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