Is one more seeker-sensitive church needed?

Someone suggested in a recent conversation: "Maybe we need to become more of a seeker driven church?" I don't think so! This approach to ministry was pioneered by Rick Warren (Rick would call his approach "seeker sensitive") and Bill Hybels (who would use the term, "seeker driven"). The franchise has been emulated by thousands of churches in America and around the world.

These men have received a lot of criticism from the established church, but let me be clear that my aversion to their approach is not about these concerns. I am grateful for thousands who have come to Christ through the ministries of Saddleback, Willow, and other churches like them. Collierville Bible Church has had the privilege to grow saints who first embraced their Savior through these ministries.

My hesitation to emulate their model is more about a sense of God's calling for our church. I doubt that our modest fellowship could muster the kind of budget and program upon which this approach to ministry depends. But even if we could, do we really need one more church that is trying to do the same thing all the other seeker sensitive churches are doing? Do we really need another church that, because of resource constraints, is doing a so-so job of emulating the franchise when there are lots of other churches that are doing it well?

I don't think this is God's calling for our church. He is directing us to a "makers of disciple-makers" model that is not gauged by its success at "attracting a crowd," but by its ability to mobilize a core of disciple-makers. This is a model that is neither constrained by budgets nor limited in opportunities. Its fundamental challenge, according to Jesus, is a shortage of skilled and motivated labor.

As I consider the many churches in the seeker driven franchise, I view them as prolific birth and delivery centers. I am grateful for all the new births. Unfortunately, way too many saints are spending way too much time in the nursery as receivers. They are provided with a steady flow of goods and services. They "grow" into consumers. We see row upon row of those clear plastic baby tubs on hospital carts - they stretch as far as the eye can see. Who will get these babes out of their bassinets?

What we need is one more church that will help these babes become mature and productive givers. We need a church that will challenge the Christian consumerism that has become the norm. We need one more church that will affirm the destiny and calling of every babe to be made complete in Christ, to become a producer, to bear much fruit, and to reproduce. It is the longing of my heart for us to become one such church. We exist to mobilize hands for the harvest.

Comments

[jo]

You go Jim! This is an awesome article that truly shows the heart of CBC!

[Bubba]

I recall reading a church planting manual once where it highlighted one of the most important charateristics of an effective church planter, namely the ability to know what to say "no" to. One never can outgive, or outdo, the need and it is easy to get off topic trying to.

Your posts highlights the need that different churches need to understand their role in reaching people and need to know what to say not to as it relates to reaching others.

I believe churches like CBC will flourish when it embraces its role, the DNA one might say that God has given it.

There is a danger here though which you highlight. Namely that those who attend spiritually "deeper" churches look down on those that attend more seeker churches.

I think an interesting exercise for CBC, or any church for that matter, would be to identify who it is and then look at the history of the church and ask what times did the church deviate from that identity and what were the repercussions of that deviation. that might prove a valuable excerise in how a church knows when to say yes and when to say no.