Unintended Signals
Sometimes we send unintended messages. Like this...
One article noted
The choirboys wore costumes from the 1800s. Very uncomfortable. My seven year old son said, "That must be terribly uncomfortable." I wonder if non-Christian or non-church going kids around the world decided they would avoid choir and/or church after seeing what it's like?
The preacher and readers used archaic language that even most native speakers don't understand anymore. It sounds fancy, but I wonder how many people think that's the language of everyday church?
Everyone present was rich. Didn't Jesus tell a story about a wedding where only the richest people were invited? (Go ahead, look it up!)
Not to disparage the wedding. Just makes you think what signals the church sent.
Here's what one church did to check.
They found a great disparity between the perceptions of the long time church goers and the community people. They plan to do the same thing with their worship services, small groups, and service ministries in the community.
Judging from the highlighted security question, Sovereign Bank’s customers must be doing quite well. Maybe next they will ask, “What’s the name of your third-largest yacht?” Or “In what room of your mansion do you keep your Fabergé eggs?”Makes you wonder what inadvertent signals we send as Christians. For example, I watched the Royal Wedding in April with great interest. In most ways it was a lovely affair. Lots of pomp and circumstance and all the tradition of the British Empire was on display. But I worry about how it tangled itself together with Christianity.
The choirboys wore costumes from the 1800s. Very uncomfortable. My seven year old son said, "That must be terribly uncomfortable." I wonder if non-Christian or non-church going kids around the world decided they would avoid choir and/or church after seeing what it's like?
The preacher and readers used archaic language that even most native speakers don't understand anymore. It sounds fancy, but I wonder how many people think that's the language of everyday church?
Everyone present was rich. Didn't Jesus tell a story about a wedding where only the richest people were invited? (Go ahead, look it up!)
Not to disparage the wedding. Just makes you think what signals the church sent.
Here's what one church did to check.
- They invited 5 community members who were unfamiliar with their church to "review" their website. The key question was, "Who do you think this church is reaching out for? And do you think this church would have anything worthwhile for you?"
- They invited 5 long time church members to review their website asking the same questions.
- They compared answers and discussed the results among the church leadership.
They found a great disparity between the perceptions of the long time church goers and the community people. They plan to do the same thing with their worship services, small groups, and service ministries in the community.
