Meanwhile, Keeping Up With the Kardashians enters Season 12.
The Pitch is another recent heartbreak. This reality show pitted two advertising companies in a weekly contest to create ad campaigns for a business. I was enamored with the creative process used by these various teams to create an idea for the campaign.
And regardless of the advertising company, they all came back to the same starting point:
"What's the problem being solved?"
Now, I'd like to tweak this question slightly for church life:
"Why should people come to your church?"
(Hint: "Because God says so" is not the answer)
These questions aren't far apart. Both ponder why people should care?
Hebrews 10:24-25 has often been used to guilt people into coming to church, but that's not the writer's meaning:
"And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together...encouraging one another...as you see the [return of Christ] drawing near."
This passage says people should come to your church for:
1. Community ("let us...one another")
People should not be able to walk in and out of a church without being engaged by someone on a meaningful level.
2. Encouragement ("stir up...encouraging")
The world is not our friend. It encourages us to compromise. We need fellow believers who will take the time to biblically encourage us to produce the fruits of the Spirit.
3. Gospel ("you see the [return of Christ" drawing near")
A church that is not fueled by the approaching return of Jesus Christ is useless. Community and encouragement are great, but they must drive us to reach people whose souls are eternally unprepared.
So as you consider these three areas, I ask again: "Why should people come to your church?" What could you do to strengthen weak areas within your own church?
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