Are Seeker Churches Off Target?

[Mike]

I believe they are. We can use scripture that instructs who should be in church, why we should be in church, and how the early church gathered. I have a thread where this was a secondary point, but I'd like to focus a discussion on this.

It seems churches are becoming more common that open their doors to the community and specifically use their time of worship to spread the Message of Christ to every non-believer who will join them. I believe this is dangerous to their believers in that there is no "fellowship of believers", and more importantly, they are not being equipped to take the Gospel to their communities. Supporters of this church model might shame me for being un-welcoming and uncaring of the lost, but I believe this would be misguided. Christians who are not equipped to share the Gospel will be ill-equipped to help them.

Seeker churches will swing open their doors, crank up the volume, pass out food and coffee, and act as a marketing machine. They will avoid "third-rail topics", scripture and teachings, so they don't offend their seekers. I believe this waters down the message to the point that they are honoring man; not God. In Acts 2, we see that this wasn't the case. It was a time for believers to assemble, and they were strengthened by this time together.

In 2 Timothy 3, we're told that the Word is for correction, teaching, reproof and training to be equipped. We're supposed to get into the Word during this time so that we can then take the Message to the world. I believe seeker churches have this backwards, and in dumbing down the content to reach seekers, they are sacrificing the growth of their believers.

What do you think?

 

[jasoncran]

you hit the nail on the head.

 

[D4Christ]

I never thought about it much but I have to agree. Church gatherings should be where believers are being fed and strengthend. It is a time for instruction, fellowship and worship to the One in whom we as the church beleive. The church should not have to sit thru dumb-downed messages that do not offend non believers.

Blessings,
Dee

 

[Nick]

Should churches not welcome and evangelise to unbelievers who come in their doors?

 

[Nick]

I never thought about it much but I have to agree. Church gatherings should be where believers are being fed and strengthend. It is a time for instruction, fellowship and worship to the One in whom we as the church beleive. The church should not have to sit thru dumb-downed messages that do not offend non believers.

Blessings,
Dee

I don't think it's as black and white as that. For churches to be able to minister to unbelievers, it doesn't need to be a dumb-downed message, and that evangelistic talk can (and has) be a great reminder for the believers there. I do agree, however, that the main purpose of a church gathering should be to build up belivers in fellowship. But in the process of going out to the community to spread the Word, at some point people will and should come to church to find out more about the faith and what it looks like.

 

[handy]

I agree 100%, Mike... The assemblies should first and foremost be a place for the corporate worship of God and the equipping of the saints.

The world needs the gospel and we need to be equipped to go out and share it... Not bring the world into the assemblies...

 

[handy]

I don't think it's as black and white as that. For churches to be able to minister to unbelievers, it doesn't need to be a dumb-downed message, and that evangelistic talk can (and has) be a great reminder for the believers there. I do agree, however, that the main purpose of a church gathering should be to build up belivers in fellowship. But in the process of going out to the community to spread the Word, at some point people will and should come to church to find out more about the faith and what it looks like.

I don't disagree Nick, but there is a big difference between inviting a person whom one has been sharing the gospel with to church...which is right and proper to do and turning what should be 'family' time into a rock concert/coffee shop experience that appeals to the world...

 

[handy]

Should churches not welcome and evangelise to unbelievers who come in their doors?

Again there is a big difference between being welcoming of all who come into our doors and actually changing the focus of the assembly from worshipping god and building one another up throgh solid study of God's word..,including rebuke when necessary, prayer, songs that glorify God rather than appeal to emotions and communion.

 

[Nick]

Ok then we agree.

 

[D4Christ]

I don't think it's as black and white as that. For churches to be able to minister to unbelievers, it doesn't need to be a dumb-downed message, and that evangelistic talk can (and has) be a great reminder for the believers there. I do agree, however, that the main purpose of a church gathering should be to build up belivers in fellowship. But in the process of going out to the community to spread the Word, at some point people will and should come to church to find out more about the faith and what it looks like.

I agree. But I think Mike's point and my point was that some churches do deliver a water-down message so as to not offend. Unbelievers who want to find out more should absolutley come to the church. But what they find should focus more on conviction of sin and laws which guide our Chrisitian behavior, not a comfortable music jam that leaves them tapping their toes but not addressing their condition.

Blessings,
Dee

 

[farouk]

I reckon the emphasis should be "Hear ye the word of the Lord", rather than: We must never offend anyone and try to make them as comfortable as possible.

 

[Adullam]

Are we called to seek men or seek God?

 

[Mike]

Ideally, I would warmly welcome seekers to a different service or function on another evening or Saturday. I'd be careful to avoid the appearance that they have to take steps before they're permitted to hear the full message or see how we worship. That's what cults do. I would encourage them to attend on another day of the week when a church could teach the basics and answer all their questions.

Nick, isn't there a place and time when we can gather as brothers and sisters in Christ? In Hebrews 10, we're cautioned to NOT stop gathering together, as some had already begun to do. When I read that, I believe Paul is talking about "believers" as opposed to a mix of believers and non-believers. There's something special about that bond we have when assembled, and His Purpose is better met.

Seeker-friendly churches typically have their primary purpose to meet them where they're at. That's perfect for life outside of church, but it compromises the reasons that we should be gathering. If they want to be there with us, I wouldn't prevent them, but they wouldn't get the watered-down seeker style message or a rock concert.

 

[Adullam]

I think too often churches think seekers are seeking for a church rather than God. So "seeker friendly" is just a cover for a "recruitment campaign".

"Spoil them, cash them, stick 'em in a pew."

 

[handy]

I think too often churches think seekers are seeking for a church rather than God. So "seeker friendly" is just a cover for a "recruitment campaign".

"Spoil them, cash them, stick 'em in a pew."

I tend to agree, Adullum...

As a matter of fact, in my 30+ years of being a fairly faithful church attender, I can only recall one incident of an unbeliever comeing to church because he was feeling the promptings of the Holy Spirit in his life and was seeking spiritual food... and that wasn't in a "seeker friendly" church, but rather the formal, stuffy, OPC church.

Almost all of the "seekers" I've seen come into the few "seeker friendly" churches I've been associated with, have been younger Christians leaving their old "boring" churches in search of something more hip.


It's ironic to me that the one church that fairly regularly welcomed new members that were also babes in Christ coming into their first church were in the Calvinist churches I've been in, the OPC and the PCA... both these denominations tend to stress evangelism and when I was attending both the OPC in Modesto, CA and the PCA in Winston-Salem, NC, weekly evangelism in the neighborhoods around the churches was just one of the things folks did. Ironic, because Calvinism teaches that it isn't man who seeks God at all, but rather God who calls men.

In all other churches that I've attended, including the one I'm going to now, each time there has been a "new members" service where new members were welcomed into the congregation... all the new members were from other churches. Not that all of these were "stolen from another branch" per se... many were just new to the area and establishing a new church family... this has been the main reason why I've been in so many churches myself (I've moved A LOT!).

I'm sure some reading this thread might remember my thread/rant about Children's Church... that time when kids leave their parents and the "boring" grown up church for fun and games... I think seeker friendly churches with the emphasis on cool music, coffee shop atmosphere, hip preachers who wear khaki shorts, hawaiian shirts and birkenstocks is the natural outcome of teaching kids that church needs to be fun and entertaining...

My two cents, and yep, I'm sticking with it!

 

[Christ_empowered]

I've been lucky because most of the churches I've been too have only been "seeker-friendly" in the sense that, once they knew I was a Christian looking for growth and nourishment, they embraced me. Now, this one local church is an exception. Its a rather large, somewhat (in)famous "mega-church." Very seeker friendly, lots of big screens all around, a rock band, etc. Oh yes, and the Christian coffee shop outside the...auditorium, I guess is what I'd call it.

Not a fan, personally. I guess because I became a Christian at a 1 year, residential Christian rehab, I think people should be confronted with their sinfulness (they certainly did that to me). You have to hit people with the necessity of Christ, not the niceties of Christianity, IMO.