Rethinking Church

The United Methodist Church (of which I am a member) has started a new ad campaign aimed primarily at people aged 18 to 34. In it, they pick up on many of the tenets of the emerging Christianity (hereafter referred to as E. C.) conversation and present them in a Methodist setting. I've looked at the websites involved, watched the promo video and I have to say I'm impressed. Well, let me hedge that a bit. I'll be impressed if this is embraced by the congregations as a whole and it becomes more than an ad campaign.

The question is how do we do that? Make it more than a series of commercials, that is. I think our focus has to be on making this a better world and bringing the Kingdom of Heaven to fruition right here on earth, right now in our time. As soon it becomes about filling pews or "saving souls", it will become a dismal failure. The people we're reaching out to with this are smart folks and can smell a fake a mile away. We have to present ourselves as people with a better way to live. Not the only way, just a better way. That attitude could well be what drove them away or kept them from getting involved in the church. You'll notice I said "getting involved" instead "attending church". That's one of those things we have to rethink for this to work. Get involved in the church on a personal level and live out our faith on a daily basis. In whatever form that takes for you. Find your gifts (we all have them, you know) and use them. That's what they're for.

Some people in this movement that's not really a movement (E. C.) think that advertising is wrong. Or, at least the wrong way to go about things. Rob Bell said that when they started Mars Hill Bible Church people wanted to put up a sign. He said no, that they wanted people that took the time to seek them out. I understand where he's coming from on this. I even agree..., to a point. I, myself, don't particularly like the idea of a sign out front. Especially those with the pithy little sayings on them. Partly, because I heartily disagree with the theology behind the statements. But, also because I think it cheapens things a bit. It's church and it's wonderful and mysterious and fulfilling and I could go on and on about it. Advertisement, to me, wipes all that out and brings to down to the level of selling used cars. On the other hand, how are people going to find us if we don't put our message out there? The fundamentalists haven't shied away from that and make sure everyone knows where they stand. I think they're so wrong it's not funny, but at least I know where they're about. We Methodists haven't done so well in that respect. How many times have you told someone you were a Methodist and were asked "What's that?" or "What do you guys believe?" I'm hoping that we'll rectify that oversight with "Rethink Church". I also hope we truly do "Rethink Church".