Some Tough Questions for the Church

Had a great visit to my home church the last Sunday in April. Whenever I go back there, I get all nostalgic and overwhelmed with a sense of Heritage and Steadfastness. I spent practically every Sunday of my growing-up years planted in the second row, right behind the, in my mind, ancient deacons with enormous ears...while they waited to pass the communion trays and offering plates.

They've had a new preacher since November, and it was refreshing to hear him stir things up a bit; rousing the sleepy little country church of my youth into a new kind of wakefulness.

One of the spoons he used (to stir things up) was this list of questions taken from Reggie McNeal's book, THE PRESENT FUTURE: Six Tough Questions for the Church.

TRADITIONAL QUESTION: How do we do church better?
TOUGH QUESTION: How do we deconvert from Churchianity to Christianity?

TRADITIONAL QUESTION: How do we grow this church? How do we get them to come to us?
TOUGH QUESTION: How do we transform our community? How do we hit the streets with the Gospel?

TRADITIONAL QUESTION: How do we turn members into ministers?
TOUGH QUESTION: How do we turn members into missionaries?

TRADITIONAL QUESTION: How do we develop church members?
TOUGH QUESTION: How do we develop followers of Christ?

TRADITIONAL QUESTION: How do we plan for the future?
TOUGH QUESTION: How do we prepare for the future?

TRADITIONAL QUESTION: How do we develop leaders for church work?
TOUGH QUESTION: How do we develop leaders for the Christian movement?

Truth is...these are great questions for ANY church...for any CHRISTIAN...for me.