The Conversations of Our Times Part: Part Five
Attractional/Incarnational Conversations
We continue our conversation about the various conversations underway today. We have looked at the Emergent, Incarnational, Organic, and now the Attractional/Incarnational conversations.
During this time period, I have been having a month long dialogue with Tony Jones of Emergent Village and many of his friends. You might want to check that out. You can find Part One of this blog and then go to Part Two and Three on their blog.
There are two branches of the Attractional model. On the one hand there are those dying churches that focus primarily on taking care of their members within the institution. It has long been my contention that these churches ought to be closed or transitioned. So, I will not dwell on them.
On the other hand there are those Attractional churches that are also Incarnational. Most of these churches are growing. Some of the most notable voices for the Attractional/Incarnational model are Rick Rusaw, Eric Swanson, Bill Hybels, and Rick Warren, and Larry Osborne.
These folks realize the U.S. church is basically ineffective, that the world has changed, and that a biblical Christianity needs to be reestablished, but none feel as if the institutional church must be eliminated. All believe the church should be an institution that sends people out into the world to share the Good News to advance the Kingdom.
These churches attract people to their worship to experience God. The attractional church evangelizes by sending people into the community and attracting people to its institution of worship. This combination is found in the vast majority of the effective churches in the West.
So, here’s my question to the Attractional/Incarnational leaders. Are you listening to the Emergent and Incarnational and Organic voices since they are clearly showing up the fallacies of most Attractional churches? In one sense they are so correct - the day has come when the church needs to focus more on how to go to world more than on how to get people to come to the church.
September 19th, 2008 at 9:53 am
I’ve never heard the term “attractional church” but it does describe well the methodology of some churches to make Jesus known. I agree that the church needs to be equipped to reach the lost where they are (our neighborhoods, the marketplace etc.) and am one of those laborers who sees the need and have watched God do awesome things outside the walls of “church”. At the same time, I know of others who have been invited to church and it was there that they heard a relevant, timely and biblical explanation of the gospel and then came to faith. So my questions is, “Why would we abandon that style completely when in fact it does bring in “some”?” As Paul said, “I have become all things to all men, that I might by all means save some.” (2 Cor 9:22)
September 19th, 2008 at 9:59 am
You might want to read Alan Hirschs book, The Forgotten Ways or read that section of my blog on the Incarnational conversation. It is one of the major conversations of our time. Your question is exactly the question I put to the Incarnational people. We need both. But what you have to understand is that some folks are saying we dont need the institutional church because it is not biblical and doesnt work today. When they use the term attractional it is not with affection at all. Just the opposite
September 20th, 2008 at 8:32 am
I agree that the fallacies are many for the attractional church, but I also believe there are many great things that can come out of the attractional church. The attractional church can serve as a launching pad for ministry. Or could be thought of as a training center for missional work to be done. They have the audience to teach, train, equip, and send out, much like Jesus did with his disciples. The problem with the attractional church, thus the name attractional, is that they have not called the people into ministry. Traditionally, they believed it was enough to provide great music and relevant teaching. Through these people would have the necessary tools and equipment to change their lives to be like Jesus. What it boils down to is that the attractional church must develop ways in which to build disciples that can be sent out to reach people who have not heard of the message Jesus has for them.