Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing, some people have entertained angels without knowing it. -Hebrews 13:2
An ongoing discussion at my Pullman church (Cornerstone Community Church), has only begun to surface a genuine understanding of who we are as a body--in my head at least. Today we discussed a number of things. One that was most prominent is our inability to retain new members. This has been a concern all year. We moved into a new building during the summer and we were expecting hoards of people to find us. We have had a number of visitors, but only almost none of them have returned.
I think this "issue" is rooted in the type of church we've become. We are a church of mostly twenty-somethings who want a place to worship and deepen our knowledge of the Word and our relationship with God. Sounds pretty good right? It is. As stated at the meeting, we have a remarkable group of people with solid, loving friendships. We love the Lord, and we love each other. In fact I want to share a story that epitomizes Cornerstone: It was sometime Friday that my friend from Cornerstone was told that she had preeclampsia, a condition that causes high blood pressure in pregnant women and can be quite devastating to mother and child. Also on Friday, another parishioner who has battled cancer for a few years was told that she had two large tumors on her brain. At 9:33 am yesterday, our pastor, Nils, emailed the congregation with the "urgent prayer" request. As a body that believes in prayer, I'm pretty sure anyone who got the email immediately had both women in mind. I fell to my knees in prayer. When my roommate and I were leaving for worship practice, our upstairs neighbor who conveniently is also a Cornerstone member was standing at her door, asking what we knew and if we had heard.
Following our 10 am worship practice, the music team stood in a circle, held hands, and prayed once again.
This morning before the service, many were anxious to hear of any developments. Some decided to drive to Spokane to visit both women, who happen to be in the same hospital.
This is what Cornerstone is good at.
And this is what our members have come here for.
I DO NOT SPEAK FOR EVERYONE, but I feel that we have become a selfish group. We talk of corporate guidance: the idea that God doesn't just guide the individual, but that He guides the group. I want to extract this idea of a corporate body and say that we have become corporately selfish. We come to church for ourselves, and we have been unmotivated to invite others into our family. I don't speak for everyone, but I suspect this feeling is shared, and I think it grows from individual selfishness. I DO NOT SPEAK FOR EVERYONE.
In his book Celebration of Discipline, Richard Foster writes "the preoccupation with private guidance in Western cultures is the product of their emphasis upon individualism." There is a relationship between individualism and selfishness. Our culture is all about securing every aspect of life and focusing on one's self. I don't think it is unusual for Western Christian churches to become "corporately selfish" for that reason. I also don't think it is as harsh as it sounds. But I believe it was Gandhi who said "purity of mind and idleness are incompatible." We have an awesome church family, but if we stand idly by, we aren't doing everything possible for our community.
I think we have begun the steps necessary to have God lead us as a group toward that indefinable goal. We are talking about who WE are and what WE can and should do. We have begun to let the spirit lead us, and I am at the edge of my seat waiting for God to tell US what to do. I'll amend my previous statement: We only act selfishly, as far as our hearts are concerned, I doubt that is the case.
I sensed frustration at one point during our discussion when we were getting down on ourselves, especially because we weren't at a place to suggest "fixes." Then as the subject changed, I saw God working in our larger group relationship. There was a rapport that was unmistakably "of the Spirit, and I remembered something a mentor of mine once said. "The people who are hear now, are the ones who are supposed to be." WE are the body of people, the family that will build not just our church, but God's kingdom.
So I ask myself:
How do we redirect that spirit to fill more seats.
Well first I don't think we need to fill more seats--in fact, that is the opposite of the attitude we should have. There are 20-some thousand students at Washington State University, and there are about five thousand other people in Pullman. Many of these people have no solid community to be a part of, let alone a community of believers. Some of these people are looking for this community, and only a few have found us.
The question becomes:
How do we make our family more accessible to the people who are looking for it?
First, I think we need to keep from being discouraged when a visitor does not return. Our church isn't for everyone. I know that I have been that person who sneaks out quickly after a service, not unseen, but certainly unheard. Going to a new church is a frightening experience, especially when you expect the entire congregation to know that you are THE NEWCOMER.
Secondly, God is calling welcomers. It think it is Luke that says "For a Christian, hospitality is not an option. It is an injunction." We NEED to be hospitible. There are many ways that a church welcomes new members. Larger churches have small groups only for newcomers who grow the body...this creates generations of members. Some churches have welcome committees who connect people to small groups and different ministries within the church. My home church (Church of the Good Shepherd, Vancouver, Washington) has a "Three Pew Ministry: Nobody leaves a stranger." This means that it is the responsibility of the core group to spread themselves out in the church, and introduce themselves to the people in front of them, and behind them. It is only a mildly organized policy, but it requires little work from any one person. I believe Cornerstone needs such a policy.
There is a fear that we either don't say anything to visitors, or we attack them with biographical questions. With a focus on welcoming newcomers in a gentle and somewhat organic manner, I think Cornerstone can begin to see some visitors return. I can only imagine what angelic brothers and sisters we might gain in the coming months...
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Now playing: Billy Joel - Keeping The Faith