Why aren’t they coming to church?
“Why aren’t they coming to church?” is question that I, as a pastor, ask myself, like daily. I know it is the same question any of the faithful church members would raise too.
The question, ‘why aren’t they coming?’ has to do more with the church and less with the people in society. Whether we know the purpose of being established in our location or not, [bctt tweet=”our vitality will always depend on the kind of relationship we define between us and the people in our community”].
In every relationship, for one to get the best out of the other, he or she has to start working on him/herself. The church has to work on the church, not on the people in the community.
But, how do we do that?
It all depends on our ability to answer these two questions: who are we? and why are we here as a church? These two questions provide some guidance on how to address the question, ‘Why aren’t they coming to church?’
A starting point to address the above guiding questions could be to look at what I would call the foundation of who we are as the Church. This is found in Ephesians 2: 8-10, “People called to God’s works, which God prepared beforehand for us to walk in them.”
What this implies to the church is twofold.
First, [bctt tweet=”to every single local church, God has already prepared works the congregation has to do and in which they have to walk.”]
Second, [bctt tweet=”clarity on what God’s works are for a local church, and in which they have to walk, is key to the local church’s vitality.”]
Working on who we are and who we should be is what it takes to see the best in the people around us. To be more concrete on this, there are things, as a church, we should do based on Mark 6: 30-44 (the feeding of the five thousand). In this story, Mark says that, even though Jesus and the disciples chose to withdraw from the people, they were still able to recognize them. And eventually, they would follow them. The story tells us that Jesus multiplied five loaves and two fish to feed over 5,000 people who came to hear the good news. Out of the story, I have learned the following, and which could help with our vitality as a congregation:
1. Jesus is the only perfect image of what the local church should always be. While the disciples want to send the people away, Jesus has compassion for the people. He looks at possibilities and not limitations.
2. Jesus uses what is available: five loaves of bread and two fish. However, the disciples had to identify what was available. It will take an intentional searching for what gifts and talents that people, in the congregation, have.
3. We have to present and offer what we have to Christ. The disciples took everything, they were able to find in the group, to Jesus. Presenting ourselves and what we have should be a daily practice of surrender. It means acknowledging that on our own we will never make it work. [bctt tweet=”Prayer is a private mark for vitality in pastoral leadership and ministry! “]
4. We should listen to Jesus’ instructions and do as Jesus wants them to do. Churches have to be aware of what is going on in culture and society. That is the only way we will know what kind of hunger and thirst the people have. Once, we know what the people need (not what they want), then we will have to listen to Jesus’ instructions in order to do according to what He has in mind for the people.
By doing the above, our community will be fed, not with what we provide for what they want. They will be fed with what Jesus gives.
The question, “Why they are not coming to church,” will always have to do more with us (the church) and less with the community. Just as Jesus came to us so that we now know the way to the Father. So should we go and meet the people where they are. Eventually, they will find the way to the Father too, and who will bring them to Church.
This reflection was based on the sermon, “Why Aren’t They Coming to Church,” delivered by Pastor Emmanuel at the United Methodist Church of Harris and Lake Park. To listen to the sermon, please click here.
