Dan Kimball, pastor of Vintage Faith, a church in Santa Cruz, California, offers the following thoughts from people who are looking for a church (Outreach, March/April 2007, page 67). He writes:
“While our purpose isn’t to change our worship gatherings just so that people outside the church will like what we’re doing, I am all for designing them in a way that resonates with our hearts and culture without compromising the scriptures or the Gospel. I still find incredible insight when I ask those outside the church what they wish worship gatherings were like. Here’s their wish list:
I wish church was not just a sermon but a discussion.
Don’t interpret that statement as emerging generations don’t want to learn or they’re against sermons. They have a strong desire to learn about the Bible and the teachings of Jesus. Rather, they feel they could learn better if they could participate and ask questions.
I wish the church sometimes met outside the church building.
The people I talk with desire to break out of the walls of the building and have church in other places—homes, coffee shops, dance studios, bars.
I wish church was less programmed and allowed time to think and pray.
Emerging generations highly value the opportunity to quiet themselves, reflect and meditatively pray.
I wish church was a loving place.
Overall, post-Christians outside the church feel that the church loves those who are like them or one of them. Those with different beliefs, however, find no love or acceptance.
I wish the church taught more about Jesus.
People in emerging generations are respectful of and open to Jesus. They like Him, or at least what they know of Him, and if they’re going to be part of the church, then they want the church to be about Him and His teachings.
I wish someone would ask me to be part of the church.
But the invitation has to come through relationships of trust. They don’t want a stranger walking up to them on the street and handing them a tract. Nor do they want a casual acquaintance putting pressure on them in a weird way to come to church.”
There’s the wish list. May the church be a place where Godly wishes really do come true.
Dennis Lynn
