I am a church member, ready to be served.
After Suvi pointed me to that great quote from God’s politics, of which i posted on here as well, I began to think through what that might mean for our church.
What if belonging to a faith community meant becoming an employee, instead of a customer? It seems to me that when people decide to be a member of a church they are saying that now I am going to be a loyal customer as long as you serve me.
Now this is not a new concept, I understand that but sometimes I wonder if it will not matter how often we preach or teach that, but as long as our church structure looks like that it will continue to be that way. Say what you want about Sunday morning, but that structure suggests in many ways that the employees (and the volunteers) teach the customers.
The big idea/concept I am working through this holiday season is how do we grow as a church, and how do I lead in this growth, without needing to control through a regular large group weekly gathering. How do I free up all those who say they belong to the community to serve all those who are not in our community. You see if we as members are to be employees, then that means the customers are all those who do not consider themselves “members” of the open house.
What I am trying to get at is for us (and sometimes i mean me) to move through this recent time of transition, it is going to mean letting go more and more, and then trusting God to communicate vision and direction even when other open house’rs don’t “see” me that often.
Not sure where I am going with this, other than to say to all those who consider themselves part of the open house that I am going to need you. I am going to need you to take action, to take initiative in anyway you know how to move this ship along. It’s going to be up to all of us and I wouldn’t have it any other way.
ah, the consumer-conundrum. switching from customers to employees just may be subversive enough to usher out the consumption model altogether….keep this line of thinking going.
Kyle … this is great. Hope people “get” your use of language and terms … I know what you’re getting at. If you haven’t already, get yourself a copy of the Starfish and the Spider for Christmas. They talk a lot about de-centralization and trusting and letting go, from a catalyst point of view. I found it very insightful.
dlc
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Starfish_And_the_Spider
I wonder what a business would look like if it never had a training program for new employees or never had a meeting to discuss direction, goals, methodologies. I guess the epistles could be chain letters that were passed person to person and the copies we have were simply stored in someones attic and discovered by a distant ancestor. I guess Solomons porch was just a big house party held by the disciples to celebrate the resurrection.
Kyle, the gifts were given to prepare the saints for the work of service. I wonder if there is not a place for large meetings for training and equipping of the saints. Jesus seemed to use parables and miracles in very significant sized groups to communicate the message. I just went through three services today with only one aimed at the lostness of the community with no music or preaching but lunch and an effective series of monologues to raise questions. The others were aimed at believers to help them grow in faith through a deeper understanding of the Word. Maybe it is the purpose of the meeting that needs to be questioned and the not the existence of an organized meeting. The culture does gather in significant number to stare at a screen or listen to a band that is “entertaining” them while at the same time recreating the culture and defining it.
Hey Ray, thanks for your thoughts.
I sense your sarcasm, but I am not sure if Solomons porch was the only place believers gathered, and i think it was more than a large church service. There is much to be said about their sacrifices to each other as a way of drawing people into the sacrificial lifestyle and church. As well the letters were very personal, and I am thinking that it would be hard to read a personal letter about releasing a slave to a church of hundreds, when none of them know who the slave was. just a thought.
I definitely see the need for gatherings to train, share vision, etc., but how many different shapes can they take on? I’m thinking that Sunday morning (or large weekly group gatherings) are supposed to be spaces to gather the workers, to encourage and to send off, but my worry is that Sunday morning has become the entry point for new people, hence a place for customers. Therefore the space itself (although not intending to in the first place) has become by way of default a space that encourages passivity and the need to be served. That might mean that the space has lost its meaning.
You actually prove that point at the end when you make note of the theaters, and concerts. Both of those are employees/volunteers entertaining the customers. Those people bought tickets to go to the show and the concert. I am not sure if that should be our goal for Sunday morning. But if entertaining on Sunday morning is our purpose then lets just be honest with that and really go for it.
Don – the starfish and the spider was a great book. thanks for reminding me to go back to that book. one that has been helping me out of late is “Big is the new Small” Seth Godin.
James – thanks for your thoughts, consumption is a big part of this whole thing i think.
I like your questions and the emphasis on employee lifestyles
Could it be that sometimes we are customers first who are window shopping not really sure what we are looking for or what we truly desire or even where to look until we meet a community or person who changes our lives and invites us into a relationship that leads to worthy employment. In some weird way it is not the salary and benefits we get paid that motivate us, or the great group we work with but it is the inner sense of satisfaction of doing what we were made to do and getting a fresh start.
By the way, I am not saying Solomon’s porch was a place for the church to gather but it was a public place to hear and see a better option. for those seeking something else than what the culture was offering at the local venue. There is no telling how many slave owners may have been in the gathering or for that matter run away slaves seeking freedom.
by the way is there a “sweet spot” in this discussion