Evangelism

I was reading a report today for our Annual Conference and read this statement:

Whatever the reason one becomes lost, someone must seek and find the person at the point of their need, just as Jesus did when he met the woman at the well; Matthew at the tax collecting table; Peter, James and John at their fishing boats; Nicodemus, who came to him by night. The point is: Jesus met them right where they were, not where he wished they had been.

How often have we heard the phrase, "Those are the kind of members we need." As we work toward trying to revitalize our churches, we seek to add to our membership rolls. Why do we do that? Do we look for members who can contribute large amounts of money to the budget? Do we try to "recruit" those who are like us, who like the same things we do, who worship the way we do? Do we try to replicate ourselves to increase the size of our church?

To use the overused and trite phrase, "What would Jesus do?" I know that we need money to run a church. I know that we need people who are willing to volunteer their time. I know that we need children and youth in order to keep the church young. I know all of that.

I also know, and so do you, that none of those are the purpose of the Body of Christ. We are called to go out into the world and make of all disciples. Can it be, could it be, that if we were to do that, that the rest of it would take care of itself? Could it be that instead of trying to recruit people to keep the church from dying, we should act like we are alive instead? Alive with a mission?

What does that mean, exactly? I don't know. I'm not sure that I've ever seen it. I'm pretty convinced, though, that acting as if church is a country club, and working to recruit members for it, won't make a church. I'm pretty much convinced that we are called to find the lost, wherever they are (even if they are us) and bring them to Christ.

If we can't do that, why have a church in the first place?

Image: Sunset on the way back from Lexington on Saturday, taken by G.