EDITORIAL: So what if your church disappeared?

Before you start this editorial, go read the news article I wrote titled “If your church disappeared, would anyone even notice?”

OK, you’re back. Let’s talk:

How would you go about implementing the kinds of service projects that comprise the core identity of Chase Oaks and LifeBridge Christian churches?

Tough question, huh?

(Just in case you didn’t read the article, here’s the deal: Leaders at Chase Oaks and LifeBridge asked themselves, “If our church disappeared, would anybody miss us?” They didn’t like the answer—“Probably not.” Problem was, they were like most churches. Through the years, they had geared all their programs toward serving and pleasing church members. They barely made an impact on their communities. So, they decided they had to change. They made service projects to the hurting and poor and disadvantaged a core component of what it means to be a member of their churches.)

In-between sessions of the Next Big Idea conference, I asked other participants a couple of questions. Our conversations went about like this:

Q. Do you think you can implement a comprehensive service program like Chase Oaks and LifeBridge?

A. It’d be pretty difficult.

Q. Why?

A. Sunday school.

Don’t get me wrong. I loved the presentations. These two congregations have ministered to thousands of people in their communities. God only knows how many people feel Jesus loves them because a group from Chase Oaks or LifeBridge lovingly tended to their physical needs. On top of that, the churches are booming. Many Christians these days resonate with the idea that their lives should be poured out, invested in others. So, they have flocked to churches where the emphasis transcends “What’s in it for me?”

But sometimes, I’m just too practical. Neither of these churches have adult Sunday school programs. (And, in case you’re up on the latest lingo, they don’t have adult Bible study programs, either.) They have small groups—now typically called life groups—that meet in homes sometime other than Sunday mornings.

At Chase Oaks, they’ve decided that every fourth time the life groups get together, they should meet at their ministry site and serve people outside their church.

My wife, Joanna, and I lead a young adult Bible study group. We meet—when else?—on Sunday morning. So, I got to thinking, if we did like they do at Chase Oaks, we would take 28 adults and seven children away from “church” once a month. I haven’t checked with our church staff, but I don’t think that would fly.

Still, I was impressed by the courage—even more than the creativity—of these and other churches, which have decided if they are going to “be” church, then they can’t let anything get in the way of their direct ministry to people outside their congregations. In many cases, that’s meant disassembling long-standing programs.

Church life is complicated these days. Although it’s not our intention, we often mirror our consumer culture. We design programs, products and services to please the faithful. That’s well-intentioned, and it’s not all bad. But it’s certainly not best.

If we’re going to make a difference on behalf of Christ in our communities across the state, then we’ve got to quit satisfying ourselves and start serving others.

That probably will mean re-thinking how we do church, paring programs and pushing ourselves outside our walls and into our communities. Next Sunday, ask this question: “If our church disappeared, would anybody notice?”