seeker friendly

It comes from the Church Growth Movement.

You can grow your Church huge if you bring in professional production and stop telling people they need to repent and actually live like they believe in Christ.

Our church is not "seeker friendly" in the way you speak of, but I will tell you that if your church makes every effort to remove traditional barriers that many people almost expect to find in a Baptist Church, and you make sure the only reason they will be offended is by the message of the Gospel, than your church will grow, not just by churched folks joining up, but by the influx of new, unchurched people who come because they see something different in the lives of the members, and because they are hearing the truth.

There are several people who are attending our church who I would classify as "seekers" they are in all liklihood not saved, but they attend Church and Bible studies and are really looking for something.

So if seeker friendly has a bad connotation for you, being not-seeker-unfriendly should be your goal. Make every effort for anyone to feel totally comfortable coming into your church and being accepted by the people, but make sure they are still hearing the truth.

Two Biblical phrases from the Gospels can be useful to develop such a philosophy of ministry. 1. The Word of God increased and the number of disciples multiplied 2. By this shall men know that you are my disciples, if you have love one to another.

 

I agree.

 

Our church is seeker-safe, not seeker-sensitive. There's a world of difference there, and a good one, I think..

 

Yesterday(Sunday)I presented the infallable, inerrant, inspired word of God in the most basic elementary way that I possibly could----Kingdom Husbands---straight from Ephesians 5---exogetical context verse by verse---like Nehemiah of old, I "gave the sense causing them to understand" what was written!

Then after invitation---on their way out the front door---I gave our first time visitors a gift bag---coffee mug, ink pen and a gospel tract---something to show our appreciation and to remember us by----

 

I agree Dr. Bob, The right message is many times delivered in the wrong way.

As long as you don't take the seeker sensitive philosophy so far as to eliminate the need for repentance, and an acknowlegement of Sin, it is a good method to follow.

 

So, what sort of things are you doing or not doing to be less offensive? We don't have to debate these if you don't want to, but I am curious as to what changes you have made.

Andy

 

Despite all of the arguments given on the subject, I'm finding that those who are opposed are simply those who don't like the new stuff. Many people on both sides of the debate come in with preconceived opinions, and simply fill themselves with evidence that fits their opinion.

That's why this endless debate keeps going on.

 

of course not - and you may not want to debate, but you'll find there's no shortage of comments pro and con on many threads here...