a question for you guys - post your opinion (ooh how fun! look, it's interactive!)
what do you think is more important - a church that has a huge outreach and produces many weak (new) Christians and a few strong Christians or a church that has little outreach and produces few new Christians but produces a large amount of strong Christians?
in other words, i guess it can be summarized by saying this - is it better to focus on getting people saved or better to concentrate on giving saved people head knowledge?
this question came up in a conversation i had last night, just curious to see what people's thoughts are.
keep it real.
~jen~
2 comments:
'allo Jen! A most intriguing thought indeed. I usually get "smacked" at the Seminary because I am of the mind that "church" is for the saved, called out Body of Christ and not for the unsaved. That doesn't mean unsaved people can't come to church, but I do think that the ministries of the church ought to be geared toward the corporate edification of believers, not necessarily evangelism. Doesn't mean we don't teach, preach, and live out the Gospel in the midst of church (I present the Gospel in my Sunday school class quite frequently because I know there are unsaved folks, kids and adults alike, among us) but it does mean that the goal of "going to church" is to glorify and worship God, to be encouraged and challenged by the Word, and to be readied to go back OUT into the world and reach others for Christ. Jesus said to "Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you." Our purpose in "churching" people is to do just that --- disciple them and help them to grow (what am I saying?! Help ME to grow and be discipled!!). So, I guess, in attempting to dialog with your question, I would vote for a church that is more focused on discipling believers than in evangelizing, in the sense that if the church is indeed discipling its people and teaching them the commands of Christ, then those believers in turn will go out into the harvest fields and gather in others. It's cyclical in a sense, I think. How'd you like that nice, ambiguous answer?? :o) Thanks for giving me something hard to think about today!
Valerie - i'm in the same boat as you when it comes to the mind set that the local church is for the saved, not for the unsaved. i think the instances of "church" meetings/gatherings in the NT support that. not to save unbelievers CAN'T come to church, but i always cringe when i hear people ask others who are witnessing to unsaved friends, "well did you invite them to church? bring them to church!"
and so having that mindset, i think i lean more toward "voting" for a church that produces strong believers from the church itself, yet see's many new believers come and grow in the church BECAUSE of those strong believers actually going out and giving the Good News to people in the community. so i think i just took parts from both "sides" and mixed it into my own third choice out of the original 2 :)
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