Support for
Downsizing a Church
When asked why GracePoint doesn’t use Facebook or Twitter or other
social media to communicate our message (The Grace Perspective), I explain that
it is not intended for an open forum, that we communicate it through personal
emails only to those who request it. All of which makes for a small audience.
When asked why I don’t write a book, I explain that more books don’t
need to be written to interfere or conflict with the time needed to read a Book
which has already been written that surpasses all others.
When ask why I don’t pastor a traditional church (GracePoint is a grace
renewal “come and receive” church, not a performance-driven “go and give”
church), I explain that traditional churches often exist to
- provide
support and opportunity for guilt and ego driven service in the community
to help circumvent the outcome of poor choices,
- teach what
they think the Bible says, and
- raise money
in order to
- build
buildings and programs,
- increase
attendance, and
- pay salaries.
Jokingly I say sometimes that I might consider a traditional church
that wants to downsize (maybe to meet in the broom closet). That’s because the
ministry support I give (for learning how to read the Scripture in order to
hear God in order to experience Christ to a fuller measure each day in order to
manifest his Likeness in the world beginning at home) is not a popular or
welcomed message. It resulted in the crucifixion of Christ, the martyrdom of
his disciples, and the persecution of the First Century
Church
Members would leave the church in droves, especially if they are
addicted to
- entertainment
music,
- codependent
relationships called fellowship (but not the koinonia of Scripture),
- whooptalyptics
preaching or either profound sounding intellectualizing to learn what the
Bible says (not the same as understanding what it means), and especially
- feel-good, ego, and guilt motivated programs to superficially relieve the pain of the needy.
