VFTP: My promise to be more clear

My mind is racing today with all of the responses I need to make to the comments I have received regarding my “Bring a Friend to Church” posts. I will try to address some of these issues in future posts as I comment on Church trends, assumptions, behaviors, methods; and far too often, misguided actions and activities.

When I started blogging, blurb-blogging seemed like my best style. I wanted my posts to be short, to the point, and clear. After my first month, it has become quite obvious, I need to be as precise about what I am not saying as I am about what I am saying. Hopefully, everyone who is a regular reader will see an improvement in the way I frame my opinions in future posts. Please keep your comments and criticisms coming.

When I wrote the “Bring a Friend to Church” series, I should have been more careful to differentiate between the “Bring a Friend to Church Special Sundays” and just plain old inviting a friend to come worship at your Church on any Sunday or weekday service. I do believe that the Church is the body of Christ. I also believe that participating in Church worship and other activities is the best way for anyone to experience the body of Christ. If any of us has friends who are not a member of a Church, we should invite them to our Church. However, when inviting friends to Church becomes a Church program, and members are pressured to find and invite someone who may not even be a friend, and nothing really special is done for visitors besides sell the Church, or give an alter call, then the efforts are counterproductive.

I also should have been more careful to differentiate between the “Bring a Friend to Church” programs that do not work at all and the “Pack a Pew” programs that do work to increase attendance, but do nothing to edify the body of Christ. For the most part, it is better for people to be a Church regular than not be a Church regular. However, I am very concerned that non-believers and marginal believers are getting the wrong impression about Christ because of the way we do Church.

I am planning several posts in the future where I will address the topic of personal evangelism. I have a sacred cow to roast. I’m cleaning the grill right now. Stay tuned…