Church isn't a Club

This post has been prompted largely by some of the very good points made by other people in dicussion after the talk on evangelism.

It's fairly easy for Christians to talk about church as if it's some kind of club that we go to, as if it were tennis, judo, ballroom dancing, rotary, whatever. The problems with that are that is isn't true and it's dangerous.

Why it's dangerous

It's dangerous because that makes it sound awfully like it's an optional interest or a social grouping we're involved with. And maybe people might want to come along and try it, in the same way they might go along and try yoga or something. It'd be interesting to know how the take-up rate compares for people inviting their friends along and for the friends coming along.

Why it's not true

And it's not true because church isn't about meeting together over a common interest, like warganming or something. It's about meeting together to praise, and meet with, the one true living God - the God who created the entire universe and who has claim to our obedience.

I've heard church leaders pray that people would come to see how amazing church is. Yes, we should be loving one another and caring for one another, but that's not the point. The point is people coming to see how amazing God is. And he's not an "optional interest". It's time to start talking more about Jesus.