Just read this email this morning…
I have attended Granger for over a year now. I joined some friends who invited me to attend the sex series along with them. Wow!!!! that was not my grandma’s church service. I have felt at home from day one. I have connection with a people who long to move forward with Christ. Thru this past year God has stirred my soul to go deeper with Him, to trust Him more than I have, to surrender parts of my life I didn’t even know I was holding on to. I noticed last fall after Mark had been gone awhile from speaking that he came back with what appeared to be a new passion, a deeper desire to communicate the love he holds for the God we serve. I am glad the bar is held high to give God our all in the messages, the worship, the arts, to introduce new ways to give and new ways to engage, thru gccwired and the incredible mobile connection to GCC . I don’t know if you are told this much, but all the time spent in preparation, be it a series, the greetings, the videos does not go unnoticed. Thank you.
His email reminded me of a paragraph from Pop Goes the Church:
If you don’t offer something people need, they won’t come. If the people don’t come, you can’t teach them the truth. So an effective church is busy identifying people’s needs and letting the community know you have some help they should consider. If you speak their language, there is a better chance they will come to a service. If they do that, the odds increase significantly that they will hear how much they matter to God, and they just might respond.
If the church of Jesus Christ can offer the world help in dealing with these real needs, we can see the world change! If we can scratch them where they itch, then after they accept Christ and begin to grow in their faith, we can teach principles they don’t even know they need yet, such as memorizing scripture, becoming systematic in their giving, and learning how to pray.
Looks like that strategy, at least for this man, is working. What do you think?
11 Comments
AMEN!! I'm so happy that this man took the invite from his friends AND I'm thankful the friends invited him. You never know what God is going to use to get your attention, in this man's case…SEX
Tim, I really like the "feed 'em what they're hungry for" approach. I'm finding that the men in our church are particularly hungry to have someone believe they matter; that they are necessary and that they can be champions. They don't necessarily have to be rock stars or olympic medalists or even very good at being good but they want to know that within them is a spark of greatness that Jesus is willing to stir to living fire; and that somebody noticed.
Jay Gonsalves
We are 2 1/2 years into a church plant. A huge portion of our regular attenders stem from our “Sexy Sundays” series in February 2009.
I guess the Church should be talking about what people are thinking about.
So, what about telling them they are dying and going to an eternal torment unless they repent and trust Christ as their Savior? That isn't enough to get people in the doors? Salvation from eternal damnation isn't "sexy" enough? Christ's death and resurrection isn't relevant?
People don't want to be condemned. Telling them they're going to hell isn't a very effective way to get them in the doors, they're just going to get angry and make sure to stay out. By speaking about what is important to them, you're showing them that they matter, and that you care about them.
"Christ's death and resurrection isn't relevant?" –that is not the question, the question is how are you going to teach them about Christ's death and resurrection in a way that a person who has never gone to church before will understand.
There is only one thing important, and it isn't a better sex life. Christ's sacrifice on our behalf is the only thing that matters.
I understand that people don't want to be condemned. Trouble is, we all have a death sentence hanging over our heads, and unless someone tells us, we'll never know. We'll also never know what was done to mitigate that sentence unless someone tells us. We'll also never know how to receive the free gift unless someone tells us. But as long as we have "spiritual" guest speakers, money-managers, and better sex lives, most people will never hear the real good news.
What could possibly be better than telling someone they have been pardoned of their crimes against God? That is what matters.
There is a remarkable assumption being made that a church that believes and teaches the Bible's teaching on sex does not also teach about Christ's sacrifice, the gift of salvation, and how to get it. I have never attended Tim's church yet I have listened to those things being taught simply by watching a video of services. It's the easiest research project you could ever undertake.
I have a question: If teaching on sex is not important, why did the Holy Spirit inspire that teaching and include it in the Holy Scriptures? Should we tear out those pages? If we believe the Bible is the inspired word of God, then we better teach all of it. I for one am not going to tell God his teaching on sex is not relevant.
Tiger Woods is experiencing all kinds of 'life change' right now and he's doing it all without Jesus.
Jesus has called the church to proclaim repentance and the forgiveness of sins (Luke 24:46-48) NOT life change.
I can only imagine Paul and Silas in prison, when the jailer asked, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?"
Paul: What do you think, Silas?
Silas: If you don’t offer something he needs, he won’t follow us. If he doesn't follow us, you can’t teach him the truth. So you should identify his needs.
Paul: But isn't his "need" to hear the Gospel?
Silas: Not yet. If you don't meet his needs first, he won't listen. But if you meet his needs, the odds increase significantly that he will hear how much he matters to God, and he just might respond. Tell him about sex.
Paul: Good thinking!
Thank God Paul and Silas (and Barnabas, Peter, and the rest of the Apostles) didn't worry about meeting needs, and instead replied, "Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household."
And we should reply the same way when we are sitting in the same room with the guy asking the question. But of course, your analogy is ridiculous.
We aren’t talking about people who are asking “what must I do to be saved?” We are talking about people who are paying bills and raising families and working long hours and have absolutely no interest in Jesus or religion—and certainly no interest in Christians. But they do need help with their kids. And their marriage. And yes, maybe even they have confusion about their sex life. How do we get that guy to a point where he is asking the same question as the jailer? We show him the love of Jesus. That is…we meet his needs.
And that jailer that Paul and Silas witnessed to was different how? He wasn't worried about the bills? He wasn't concerned about his family? Since he probably worshiped Zeus or Jupiter, I rather doubt he cared about Christians, except to wonder what all the fuss was about. You still haven't told anyone how meeting his felt needs does anything at all to witness to his eternal soul.