The Next Frontier

I grew up a half a century ago, when mainline Christian denominations largely had little to no concept of fulfilling the Great Commission. We assumed that people would want to join churches, naturally. Those who wanted to do so could find their way to churches. We were unaware that a crippling decline was underway.

I the late seventies I awakened to the centrality of evangelism, along with thousands of others across mainline Christianity. For the next two decades many of us would work and struggle to put disciple-making closer to center stage in the midst of denominations that were confused about their primary purpose at best, and fractured over it at worst.

In these days, at least in my state, our denomination has taken bold steps toward making the main thing stay the main thing - making new disciples for Jesus. For me, it's something for which I've longed and prayed for nearly thirty years.

In this important trajectory, I see a new frontier opening. In my experience, even evangelicals have a basic presumption that isn't too far from the laid back attitude of mainline churches a half a century ago. We assume that people turning to God need to come to us. They need to make their way to our worship services. They need to come to our revivals and special services. They need to respond to our advertising, our signs, and our promotions. It's unintentional and subtle, but it communicates something powerful - If you need God, you need to come to us.

That's not the model I see in the testimony of the Christian Bible. Time and again, Jesus went to where people are; he didn't wait for them to come to him. Jesus-followers found ways to go to people living far from God; they didn't set up camp somewhere and wait for unreached people to take the initiative. That's what I see dynamic church fellowships doing. If you need God, we'll come to you. Jesus-followers spend more time outside their walls and structures than within. That's the next frontier for most of us.

Have a blessed and safe Memorial Day weekend. Remember the reason for the observance. I'll see you around the next bend in the river.