The Church of the Future

In my last blog I wrote about the changing face of ministry.  My opinion is that in the future more ministry professionals will be bi-vocational, holding another job in addition to their church position. In this blog I want to reflect on the future of the church itself.  It is my prayer that in twenty years the church itself will look vastly different than it does today.

One of my favorite movies to watch with my grandsons in the Pixar film Cars.  The movie features a famous race car, Lighting McQueen.  While on his way to the championship race, Lighting finds himself marooned in the small town of Radiator Springs, Arizona.  The once thriving town is now deserted, inhabited only by a cast of eccentric characters. The voices of two of the characters are Cheech Marin and George Carlin; need I say more.  At one point in the story Lighting ask his new friend, Sally, how such a scenic spot could be overlooked by the rest of the world.  Sally point out that at one time Route 66 ran through Radiator Spring, but when the Interstate was build it by-passed the town.   

In some ways the church of today is like Radiator Springs.  The main road of culture once traveled right through the church.  Today, those who live life in the fast lane pass by the church and don't even give it a second thought.  We have been by-passed by culture.  The characters in Cars expected the travelers to come to them.  After all they had a beautiful spot, and were definitely blessed with the gift of hospitality.  We also expect some of the tried and true methods to attract people to come and visit us.  We might post billboards along the highway announcing our location and service times.  We drop off brochures highlighting our ministry at rest areas along the highway.  We have a great product with eternal implications, why doesn't anyone visit us anymore?  In my mind the solution is to move into the fast lane, and maybe even take up a spot on the interstate.  Go to where the people are at instead of expecting them to come to us.   

One of my good friends, Steve Sandfort, is pastor to The Edge Community.  Six days a week The Edge is a coffee house in Lake Worth, Texas.  People from the community gather there for food and fellowship.  The Edge hosts a college night, a recovery ministry, and even offers entertainment some night.  On Sunday morning the place becomes a worship community.  Pastor Steve is there for all of it, interacting with people, listening to their needs and discussing the issues of the day.  Many of those visiting The Edge have no idea it is a church.  Rather, they see it as a place where they are loved and accepted for who they are.  

I am not saying that every church should open a coffee house.  I do feel we need to continue to explore new ways to be God's people in a broken world.  Perhaps it mean operating a community center and offering after school programs for kids.  Maybe it's establishing a hub group in your neighborhood, inviting your neighbors in for regular food and fellowship.  

A while back I wrote blog that expressed my feelings that the church should invest less money in buildings and more money in people.  I think the future of the church lies in being God's people where the people are at.  That means loving them for who they are, not who we would like them to be.