What people really want from the church are the characteristics the New Testament has always told us the church is supposed to be about.
Pastors want bigger churches.
Church members? Not so much.
Sure, a lot of people go to big churches. That’s what makes them big, after all. And the majority of them are strong, healthy churches doing great ministry. But if you ask the average member why they attend, “because it’s big” won’t even crack the top ten.
And non-attenders? Quite frankly, the default is to distrust any church they deem as “too big.”
Is that too simplistic a way of viewing the church? Of course. Every one of us can point to many exceptions to each of those rules. But those exceptions are… exceptional.
What Does A Better Church Experience Look Like?
It’s only pastors who say “you know what the problem is with that church? It’s not big enough.”
Only pastors ever say “you know what the problem is with that church? It’s not big enough.”
When people go to a church, or when unchurched people think about going to church (if they ever do), they’re not looking for a bigger experience, they’re looking for a better experience.
That better experience can happen in a church of any size or style. Small, big or mega. Traditional, contemporary or hipster. Denominational or nondenominational.
The categories church people use – even fight about – are not just a non-issue to the world around us, but the fact that they matter at all to us is increasingly seen as one of the reasons we’ve become irrelevant in most of their lives.
What people really need, and increasingly say they want from their church experience isn’t any of the things we’ve added to it – whether long-held traditions or new fads.
What people really want from the church are the characteristics the New Testament has always told us the church is supposed to be about.
The Evangelistic Attraction Of A Better Church
People want to attend and serve at a church where they can experience being loved by the God who made them. They want to know why they exist. They want to be called to something greater than themselves.
They want to connect with others who are asking the same questions and looking for the same answers. They want to participate in doing good for others, with others.
They want to be in a community of people they trust so much that when they fail to live up to their ideals, someone will call them on it without getting legalistic or mean about it.
The most powerful evangelistic tool in the world is not a program, a special service, a booklet or a flashy presentation. It’s a group of people who live what they say they believe. Worshipping Jesus, loving each other and caring for their community. In other words, a healthy church.
Worship. Belonging. Ministry. Discipleship. Accountability.
In a place, and with people who live it out in a genuine way. Not perfection. Not flash. Not sloppiness. Not ancient traditions or cool new fads.
Integrity.
That's not a bigger church. That's not a smaller church. That's a better church.
"This article first appeared on ChristianityToday.com on (August 3, 2018). Used by permission of Christianity Today, Carol Stream, IL 60188."

       It has been 10 months since my arrival in the Saint John the Divine and Church of the Holy Communion parishes.  We do not yet know each other as intimately as I hope we will in the future. However, after 40 years in parish life I can state that some features are consistent across cultures, time and churches.  One constant is that everything is always evolving, hopefully for the positive. 
         Our message never changes, but our methods and approaches must change to ensure that we answer Jesus' Great Commandment to trust God and serve others.  We also have to remember that Jesus gave us the Great Commission to make disciples of all nations.  We must fulfill both if the parish is to become an outpost of the Kingdom of God on earth. 
         The speed of change has increased dramatically in the past 10 years (i.e. think of the smartphones, the internet and the growth of social media as clear examples.) As a result, I am convinced there is a feeling of urgency in society that was not present even 5 years ago.  
         The local parish’s continued sustainability is reaching a crisis point. I, however, take strength in the notion that the word “Crisis” in Chinese is formed by the combination of two symbols: “Dangerous” and “Opportunity.”  Therefore, a Crisis is a “dangerous opportunity.”  
         In the coming weeks, I will share with you my own thoughts and those of others reflecting on our life together in the future. It will contain some difficult and hard truths, facts and observations; however, we need not be defeated or despairing. We trust in a God who saved Israel and the Reed Sea and raised Jesus from the dead.         
      Our Scripture is full of stories that demonstrate that God can work with very little to produce nothing than miraculous results.  Think about it: 

• God used a man who had no children to become the father of a great nation
• God used a shepherd boy with five stones to slay a giant and build a great nation
• God used two fish and five loaves to feed thousands on multiple occasions
• God used 11 fishermen, revolutionaries, criminals and nobodies to conquer the most powerful Empire in the world.

         And there are vastly more examples throughout our history where God has used ordinary, insignificant and broken people to accomplish amazing outcomes.  I am confident that God has provided us with everything we need to thrive and flourish!  
         Our commission and mission to become who God is calling and expects involves:

• Praying for God to reveal God’s image of what our future could be, if we truly follow God’s will, nothing more, nothing less!
• Knowing our “Why” not in a general sense but in a very precise, detailed, explicit, unambiguous and articulated way.
• Knowing our current condition as an authentic, candid, straightforward, direct and frank manner as possible, regardless of how difficult or painful.  Honest, self-assessment.
• Knowing the concrete, practical, and tangible actions that we need to make and having the COURAGE to pursue them with God’s help. This means having a picture of our imagined future.

 
I want this to be a two-way conversation, therefore, leave your comments below or

• I am going to set-up a private Facebook page for ongoing conversation. 
• In the future, I intend to have open discussion times where we can engage in conversation face to face.

You can always send me a private email as well. Let’s see where God’s Spirit takes us!
 
Shalom,
Fr. Kevin+