Marketing the Church

These comments are in response to another blog and its comments. You may read them here: http://blog.9marks.org/2008/09/does-your-churc.html

It seems to me that the church has forgotten Heb 10:23-25. The "church gathered" is for encouragement and exhortation. It is a refuge to meet with one another to build up each other in the faith. Corporately we share our individual expressions of faith. I thought our songs of praise were for our Lord. If I sing off key, what is the difference? I am not trying to impress anyone. It is my heartfelt expression of my love for Him. I come together with other believers to be exhorted and encouraged by the teaching of the Word. If a believer (visitor) comes to a service and cannot see that as the emphasis of our services, I am sorry. Is it not rather a sad commentary on the believing visitor, looking for a church home that the emphasis is on the music, or size of the youth group or how new and swank is the church's building? The question we need to ask is, "Just how critical is this time to me? It it optional or foundational and essential?" If an unbeliever visits a service, I would hope that they would pick up on our heartfelt worship and encouragement. However, the service is not aimed at them. Evangelism is for the "church scattered". It is there in homes, schools, workplace, etc. that we share the gospel. It is the winsomeness of the Savior that should attract unbelievers. Don't get me wrong, I am all for excellence in all that we do. I just won't let the lack of it get in the way of my worship. I remember who I am... as one of my friends used to say... "a good for nothing, saved by God's grace."