This week i conclude my sabbatical. It has been a wonderful 12 weeks of rest, reading, recreation (golf specifically), relationships and reconnicence! Yes - I have been on RECON this summer checking out 14 different churches (really 15 but you don't review and evaluate your in-laws church!). It has been a fascinating experience and eye opening to see what was happening in a lot of churches who are very close to NewSong in size and ministry. But also it has been insightful to see how different churches are. I have to tell you how hard it was not to "critique" the churches each week. Not that I was critical or thought that we are perfect in any way, but it is just what a pastor does when he goes to another church. Also I really had to hold back from being TOO dissecting -- primarily because many of the pastors whom I visited are my friends. If they want a truly honest evaluation I will be glad to share it with them. However I do want to share a few general things I learned this summer - both good and bad about church life. And I take all I learn back to our ministry to help us become the very best church we can become.
1. Most church are not very friendly. Lets start off the bat with a negative that I believe is the key ingredient to a growing church -- friendly reception of new people. I will say that at most (75%) of the churches were not friendly. From the "greeters" (which is ironic) at the door to the person in the pew next to you, not many people went out of there way to say hello or engage me in a conversation. I guess that is one insight - there is a big difference in someone saying hi in a polite way and another thing to have someone come over and ask a few questions. Only at one church, did anyone introduce me to someone else which tells me they wanted me to meet others.
2. Most churches were not doing true exposition of the scriptures. Now I recognize it is the summer and many churches had special speakers or special sundays, but when preaching was done most of it was not true exposition. This both concerns me and encourages me! My concerns lies in the fact that most of evangelical Christianity is Biblically illiterate and need to study the scriptures in depth. Most Christians go to church - once a week -- so the pulpit will be the place where they will get the scriptures taught to them. I am encouraged because this is what will make our church different then others and we should constantly promote that element of our church's ministry emphasis.
3. Children's and youth Ministry is a priority. Every church I went to had extensive children's ministry happening -- even though it was the summer. And most were promoting student ministries as a value. I believe that reaching unbelievers in the next ten years will be through the children. You see the generation now becoming parents are both scared to death for their kids spiritual and character development and they are unsure what to do with their kids. Most of today's parents come from broken or blended homes and have no clue -- even though they are very committed to be a good parent -- how to raise kids! The church MUST have exciting, relevant and scripturually SOAKED children and youth ministry!
4. Most churches are concerned about evangelism. I was getting a complex -- but almost every church I visited was talking about or preaching about evangelism as a church. Funny is that NewSong is entering into a major push concerning outreach with the "grand re-opening" of our building in September. The problem is that all the training, talking, preaching and prodding of a church will not make a church more evangelistic. I like what one church said - "they want to create a culture of outreach." It has to be in a church's DNA.
5. Most churches were hurting financially. I have never liked the idea, but many church post the church's giving in the bulletin weekly. In most (65%) of the churches visited, they were behind in their giving. I can not understand this with an economy so strong. Everyone is working. My guess is that tithing and sacrificial giving is not taught.
6. Small groups are in a few churches; but they are not churches of small groups. Years ago we tried to delinate the difference between "a church WITH Small Groups and a church OF small groups." One has groups but they are an optional program that people can go to if they want. NewSong attempts to be a church OF small groups -- where to be in the church, you need to be in a small group. Again this is encouraging because it marks our uniqueness!
Again this is not to criticize any one church -- it is just a general obsrvation of church life. There are many wonderful churches in Lancaster and elsewhere. NewSong is very different and that's alright as well. I use to say - "I want newSong to MAKEa difference and to BE different." This summer's visits have proven that true!