I came across an article by a fellow named Brad Hightower. He seems to be quite astute at reading the modern church. Read this:

What the church offers is programs and teaching. In other words, the church offers people church. The real problem with the church in America is that we convert people to church and not the kingdom. BUT if we in the home church, simple church, organic church simply convert people to daily, authentic church as opposed to weekly superficial church, we are merely re-arranging the deck chairs on the Titantic.

Continuing, he says:

The problem with the mainstream church, and I believe the mainstream church is on its death bed in America, is that church life does not necessitate authentic spirituality and does not model the life in the kingdom. Life in the kingdom is living daily filled with the power of presence of Jesus Christ through the daily imitation of Jesus Christ in community…

Intrigued? How about this:

We do not baptize people into the Church, we baptize people into Christ. We are offering people a daily relationship with the living risen Jesus Christ. Jesus is alive. Jesus is powerful. Jesus delivers. Nothing short of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ in the power of the Holy Spirit will deliver those around us.

The whole post is worth reading and re-reading.

So, what’s the point that I, not Brad Hightower, want to make? Simple — are we willing to go balls to the wall to reach the unchurched and dechurched, or are we content to simply rearrange “the deck chairs on the Titantic?” Does the language I use cause you more consternation than the fact that the majority of those around you have no stake in an eternity in heaven? What can we, as the “church,” offer people?

It best be good!