You make some excellent points here. I love the fact that you’re turning the whole consumer thing back around so that it sort of backfires on the anti-consumer approach. Like it or now, I’m afraid we all have our agendas of what we would like church to be or not be. It’s just really hard to get away from it. I’m so glad you’re thinking and exploring these things. There are NO easy answers to any of this.

First of all, I wanted to briefly respond to your thoughts about the Golf Course Church. I think it’s an emerging trend that we are seeing more and more in the church because people really are growing tired of the same ol’ routine. However, it makes me a little nervous. It could just be my love of tradition, but I also wonder if having these small groups would exclude many people? What about the people that are just joining the church on a limb – or maybe after being away for many years? Would they feel comfortable calling The Guys and asking if he/she could join them for a game of golf? Then are we left with a church building full of new Christians without any other more mature believers to follow alongside? Just wondering.

Now onto the topic at hand. The consumer driven church. Ryan and I have had many conversations surrounding this matter. Attending a contemporary and fairly new service that is an extension from the main service of my church has not been without its frustrations. We are constantly facing frustrating members, sound technicalities, and “overall feel” of the service. Ryan finds himself distracted by these things, I find myself frustrated that Ryan can’t focus on anything else and together we have a hard time ending the morning with much positive to say. We’ve discussed looking for another church home or at least trying different places several times. And perhaps if it ever got to the point that we were truly gaining nothing from this church we would look elsewhere, but for now we are not and here is why. When these frustrations were at their peak I told Ryan that going to another church just isn’t the answer. So many times we think that other churches have the right idea or they’re going in the direction we want, but more times than not those churches end up having the same or different sets of problems themselves. I always tell Ryan ,”Be the change.” Cheesy a little, but I very much believe it. Being a part of a church body is about contributing to it’s whole, not sitting back and letting it work its magic on you. I don’t think thats what Paul (or Jesus for that matter) had in mind.

Often we think church only exists for ourselves. To make us feel better. I’m afraid that is not the case. Part of church exists for our spiritual growth and accountability, but the other part and a large part is so that we can come to a place as one body and glorify God. Right? Is it about how it makes me feel? Or how it makes God feel? The consumeristic mind set puts such a division between the church’s real purpose and it’s people.