Attracting A Crowd Is Not A Sin

I think the assumption of those that watch attractional churches is that they are all about the numbers. Well, maybe so but who cares?

Honestly, I know of NO attractional style churches that have NO desire to preach the truth and win people to Christ! I do not know of ANY that have NO desire to disciple, and send people on mission. On the other side of things, I do not know of any anti-attractional churches that blame their lack of growth on preaching the truth. The “”truth, according to the scripture, both attracts and repels people.

Many of those in the organic church movement pride themselves in being “biblical forms of community” and yet from everything I read of the birth of the Church in Acts, a truly “biblical” community can’t stop growth! Read Acts and tell me about the small house churches without incorporating the phenomenal and rapid expansion of the church, (even in large settings). These two things don’t exist separate from one another, they go hand in hand.  (Don't misunderstand me, I am not anti-organic church. I am pro Church! Whatever form it takes.)

Why can't we take into account that God uses certain people to draw big crowds? Could that be God's Design? Listen, If God truly "draws" people, then growth is God's desire when a church explodes on the scene. Right? God draws people not the craftiness of the planter. Let’s keep the movement of God’s Holy Spirit in its proper context.

Honestly, there are some who are “attracted” to the "organic" movement. Shall we not then label it “attractional” as well?  

I know what your thinking, “Why is he ranting about this? This is a stupid blog!” Exactly! Your right! But the battle rages on, and on, and on. Do we seriously have to find something else to fight about? In a speech to educators in 1985, former United States Assistant Secretary of Education Diane Ravitch stated, “The person who knows "how" will always have a job. The person who knows "why" will always be his boss.”  In other words, to know “why” is always a higher calling than knowing “how”.

Isn’t it interesting that Jesus never spent his time telling the Disciple’s “how” to do ministry? He never told them which methodology was the best for reaching new people. He never told them how to hold a church service. He never told them how to ordain another priest or how to serve communion. In fact, you will be hard pressed to find Jesus telling us the “how-to’s” of anything, with the exception of prayer.

All of the debate in the church-planting world about how to plant a church has little value if the ideas behind why we plant churches do not take a primary role in the discussion. If we don't start with a good foundation, then our "how-to" methodologies of church planting won’t really matter.

We must clearly understand that the Great Co-mission is NOT an issue of traditional or contemporary. It is NOT an issue of attractional versus incarnational methodologies. It is NOT an issue of modern versus post-modern ministry philosophies. It is not an issue of organic movements over the traditional and established ways of doing church.

 The bottom line is this: If you don’t fully understand “why” ministry is done, then “how” doesn’t really matter. The fact is, God blesses every form, every kind, every style and every method of church movement and organization that: puts Him first, is obedient to His word, and is doing the work they were commissioned to do

Paul made a statement in Phil 1:8 Paul writes "But what does it matter? The important thing is that in every way, whether from false motives or true, Christ is preached. And because of this I rejoice. Yes, and I will continue to rejoice." As I see it we need more rejoicing as less battling. God will sort it out in the end.