Coronavirus is shaking up the traditional model of church
Here are a few highlights from an article in the Christian Post, “Dinner Churches and how the coronavirus is shaking up the traditional model”
The problem with most churches is that our living rooms look nothing like the front porch.
What are known as “nones” are those who have no particular religious affiliation. “Dones” are those who are burned out on or “done” with church.
Dinner Church feels like this is a group of people who say, ‘Hey, let’s break bread together and sit down together and share these mealtimes, share God’s Word together, pray together, and do some work together.’ And that’s all it is,” he explained.
We’re not there for any other ulterior purpose but to simply be present with one another and be present with Jesus.
To give people an aesthetic of worship that is so removed from their Monday through Saturday is not doing them any good service. It’s teaching them that in order to connect with God, in order to grow as a Christ follower, you need to pretend that you don’t live in 2020 anymore. And I don’t think that kind of formation as disciples is going to have lifelong transformation,” he said.
The entire church came on Sunday expecting to see a great show, were fine to leave a little money in the plate and then come back next week to do it all over again.
“That’s cancer, full-on cancer,” he reiterated, “because church is supposed to be a missional expression of Christ in their community, their neighborhood and in their city. Anything shy of that is different from the Christianity that Christ laid out.”
Thus, only one out of a hundred Christians know how to reach the secular lost person, introduce them to Jesus, and get their life on a meaningful spiritual flow, he noted. And it’s in the absence of being on the front lines of Gospel mission that consumer-cancer starts to grow.
“Christianity is not the issue.”
“Churchianity is the issue,” he stressed.
Expecting everybody to sit in rows and hear a message from a stage is a huge sociological oversight.”