Leave it or Fix it?

So it seems Christians are leaving the church. Not God, just what we have come to understand as "the church." What's going on? I think Charisma magazine missed it. People are leaving church, because they need to develop community with the body and it's not happening in the traditional church we know today. Think about it:

Every Sunday morning people walk in to a chapel, pick up a program, take the same seats they've sat in for the last (fill in the blank) years, sit by the same people, smile (maybe), then chat about the weather. The meeting starts- they ignore the announcements (keep chatting about the weather), sing a song (grumble about having to stand so long), think about lunch during the prayer, look at their watch and daydream through the message (and grumble about having to sit so long). Then as they leave, shake someone's hand, maybe offering a compliment or a criticism as they practically run to their car to get out of there! They go through the routine like lab rats, never missing a beat, because they've been so well conditioned. I bet they don't have a clue as to who that person is they've just sat next to for the last hour. I've seen it for years and I can put real faces to this example. Sound familiar? Why would anyone want to leave that?! Duh!

Church is not a building; we don't go to church. Church is not a service; we don't have church. Church is relationship; we experience community with the Body. As we turn our heart up toward God, we turn it out toward our Christian siblings. It's a corporate experience not an individual one. It's not about "me," it's about "we." And if that's not happening in a local fellowship, people will naturally long for the real thing. They will become dissatisfied and that alone will drive them out the back door.

Now I'm not advocating giving up meeting with the believers. I think it's necessary to remain in the Body. I am advocating change. We can't expect new results when we keep doing things the same way. Why does church have to be what it has become? It's certainly not what it was back in the New Testament days. So if it's not working today, why not change it so it does work? Isn't that better than just tossing it and losing all connection with the Body?

I believe church will look very different 10 years from now- at least those that are growing and filled with the Holy Spirit. It will look like a bunch of cell groups- small groups of people (cells) who meet together weekly (maybe not on a Sunday), encourage and disciple each other, eat together and really get to know each other. Oh yeah, they'll probably get together for some kind of celebration service (now and then), but that won't be their primary connection with "the church." Imagine how uplifting that would be; imagine how powerful!

If that's not happening in your congregation now, what are you doing to change that? Giving up and walking out the door won't fix it, nor will it meet your needs. I challenge you to start making real connections with those people you sit next to Sunday mornings. Why not even get together with them during the week and pray together?

Radical!