or
An issue from two opposite sides, or two age-old issues pulling to
opposing ideals? There is a social versus church phenomenon surrounding
pastors, pushing and pulling them whether or not they've recognized it.
It is troubling.
The two issues are: One - Churches becoming provider stations for needs
social and spiritual, versus: Two - Churches holding old-time preaching
as their central mission. For instance, most evangelical and some
fundamentalist churches are becoming or have become "provider stations"
churches. They provide activities and entertainment including Christian
dance, physical exercise programs, social opportunities in singles
groups, seniors groups, single parent groups, etc., "enrichment" classes
for drug abuse, sex abuse, alcohol abuse, child abuse, etc. There is a
strong mood today in America for "user friendly," or "worship friendly"
ministries. Even the Barna Reports urges churches to use more open
"user friendly" styles to gain new people in our "worship."
The opposite of this open user friendliness though, is the Biblical call
for preaching as the central focus of our worship and services (Titus
1:3). The problem with this "friendliness" with the world and push to
provide them with what they desire when they come to a church, is the
compromise of the preaching to gain and keep the guests who are visiting
from the world.
So today a church seems to be either/or, with those for the larger
number becoming a "provider."
Getting mixed up in this tug-of-war is such ministries as Christian
schools, AWANA, King's Kids, or other youth programs, Sunday schools and
ministries born out of the Biblical charge to the churches to disciple
and teach all things Christ commanded. In some more fundamental
churches and Baptist churches the Christian school has become evangelism
aimed in philosophy and in violation of I Cor. 2:14 and II Cor. 6:17,
and scientific truth that the bad spoils the good, have done much harm
to a generation of church youth by mixing the world (for evangelizing)
into the school. The church has the mandate to educate from God, but
not to use its education ministry for evangelism. The same could be
said for other good church youth programs. A question should be asked,
are they for evangelism or edification? If for evangelism, shouldn't
they be aimed solely for the world's participation expecting little
discipleship? If some come out of such program ready for discipleship
shouldn't another program separated to ICor. 2:15 "He that is
spiritual," be ready? However, mostly when we see these programs with
mixed students we've seen it operate on a more shallow level.
Am I saying don't have the lost in these programs? NO. I'm saying we
need to recognize which are evangelistic and which are not and operate
accordingly. We need to use caution that the remaining good churches do
not become "user friendly" at the expense of keeping preaching the Word
(Titus 1:3) in the central place of our church's mission (Rom. 10:14).
Today we see Sunday school programs that are "user friendly" in that
teaching the Word of God is pushed aside for socializing time around
food and drink, relaxed and casual attitudes, shared experiences and
comments, until an actual true teaching of God's Word is near to being
lost in this friendliness for the user.
In some of the youth programs such emphasis is put on achievements and
awards that the required Biblical and Christian work becomes rote and is
routed through the heads rather than the hearts, as was in days of old.
I would almost call for the demise of church programs such as Sunday
school and youth (AWANA, King's Kids, etc.) programs if it meant
refocusing on the preaching. I would call for such in churches where
these programs have over-ridden the preaching services, spoiled mid-week
centrality of a preaching teaching service, etc.
However, in those churches where these programs have kept Christ
central and their churchís pulpit in central focus praise the Lord and
keep on keeping on!
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