Church as town
Here's something I started a few weeks back. Actually forgot about it, but had it saved. Good thing, cause I really like the idea of it and now it's out there for me to remember. It's one of those long term vision things. Basically it's the idea that church should be like a town. Provide what a town provides only with a much more eternal purpose. I originally began to think on this when I was living in SoCal. My wife and I were driving through the Valley and saw this huge park and people doing all kinds of things, picnics, rollerblading, sports and I thought why can't a church provide those things. Then a few weeks ago I was thinking about it again and thought why can't a church be not only the local park, but the local town. Maybe not police and fire, but all the other aspects of living in a community. I bulleted a few of the ideas below. Now all I need is to get the King of Town and the PoopSmith in on this...
provides basic services
provides direction
works of limited source of funds
some flourish and grow, others wither and die
-security
-education
-social programs
-sports programs
-convention center
-get as involved as you desire
-some never leave, others leave and come back, others move away
-provides healing
-sense of identity
-community involvement
-community
provides basic services
provides direction
works of limited source of funds
some flourish and grow, others wither and die
-security
-education
-social programs
-sports programs
-convention center
-get as involved as you desire
-some never leave, others leave and come back, others move away
-provides healing
-sense of identity
-community involvement
-community
posted by Ben at 9:41 AM
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2 Comments:
Don’t you think that it is dangerous for the church to have that much control over a town? If the Church is that involved in what the town does than the Pastor has become a king. He is the provider of their spiritual and physical needs and I think this is a dangerous place to be. I think that this will cause fear and a cult like atmosphere. People will fear speaking out against the church because the church controls their everyday life as well as their spiritual. Not that I see your intentions becoming cultish, I just think that a lot of cults are birth out of creating an ideal living environment where people are saturated with a “Christian” culture. The ideas are grand but it ends up creating an inbreed, festering pool of circular thinking. I think about when Jesus went in and started turning over tables in the temple. Did temple allow venders because they wanted to rip off the people? I don’t think so. I believe that it started out well meaning “hey lets provide a place where travelers can purchase their sacrifices”. The problem is that this left people with no options. I think that creating a town where the church runs all the things you bulleted would probably end up having similar effects as the things I mentioned above.
Why not let the church be the church and encourage the Church body to get involved socially. Encourage them that the best place they could possibly minister is the town they live in. Encourage them to get involved in the local sports programs. Encourage people to become teachers and teach our children well. Encourage them to look out for the well being of others, thus creating a place of security in their town. Encourage doctors to keep doing what they do but also remind them to pray and share the love of Christ with their patients. Empower and encourage the church body to make a difference in their town, city and state. I think this will have the greatest effect.
People need to have options, when it comes to what church they will attend, what store they will shop at or sports program they will be involved with. Competition breeds healthy businesses. But mostly people need to realize that the Church (organization) is not what they should look to for the source of their life, but God. They also need to realize that God did not call pastors and the church (organization) to reach the world with the good news of salvation. He called every person to share His love with others. The church body should be actively involved in the lives of those around them. When this happens then the church will truly become a town.
I think you took my post more literal than I intended. I'm not thinking an actual incorporated town, but more a community where lives intersect. I think today's society has become too reliant on the government to provide the basic needs, and as our nation becomes more and more secularized this becomes dangerous. A community, village, town, whatever you want to call it was historically a place of connectedness and support. Now it is not much more than an address. The past concept of town as community is what I had in mind. Certainly a pastor does not become mayor, and a church does not become isolated from the "governmental" town around it and become cultish. That was not my intent at all.
"Why not let the church be the church and encourage the Church body to get involved socially...." I agree with this paragraph completely, the church is called to train ministers to go out into their community. But I believe the church also should be part of the community, helping the community, engaging the community. Can't a church be resourceful enough to provide resources to the town/community it is in?
Your last comment "When this happens then the church will truly become a town." I think sums up exactly what I inteded with my thoughts. Good times! Great discussion! Is anyone else reading this?
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