Apprentice 2 Jesus

An Anglicostal Connecting to a Real World

At My Best

Dan

I was talking with a pastor friend over lunch and he left me with a particular thought. He said someone he knew with the Gallup organization (that does polling) was working on a question where it would answer how effective a church was in a community. What statement would show those members really were maturing as believers and the church was doing something significant in that community?

Here is the true/false statement they came up with: “Church is where I do what I do best.”

Their opinion is that when the majority of church members answer “true,” that church is really having an impact in their community.

If I could ever get some feedback, I’d like some here!

1. Is that a true gauge?
2. Is that true here?

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4 responses to “At My Best”

  1. Jake and Missy Avatar
    Jake and Missy

    I can't see how any statement that doesn't mention God can be a true gauge. After all, isn't the church the body of Christ? Shouldn't a gauge have something to do with how well we respond to Christ? If I were talking about evaluating a physical body, I'd likely want to know how well the body is able to carry out what the head wants to do. Can't that apply here to? What does God want to do in our body? Is He able to do that here?

    Reply
  2. Dan Avatar
    Dan

    I think there are times where we are looking for answers to questions out of polls that are artificial. Why not ask church people about their relationship to God? Could it be that we've so watered down our churches over the past few decades we may not like the answer?

    Reply
  3. Nick Zeimet Avatar
    Nick Zeimet

    I don't think that the gallup statement reflects what they wanted to know. What it does reflect is how many people are looking at the church.

    To answer the question, "How effective is the church in being significant in a community," the gallup people asked people about themselves. It seems to be all about ourselves. Even in asking a question as to how effective the church is in the community, it is stated in a way that makes the individual think about themselves.

    Question: Are there needs in our church body and the city that are going unmet? Does our church attract the hurt, broken, and lost? When they come, what do we offer them? Do we offer more than just an inviting place, coffee and donuts, or camps, conventions, and overnights?

    When people come into contact with our church body, do they encounter God in a way that CHANGES their lives?

    Reply
  4. Dan Avatar
    Dan

    Trying to gauge the true impact of a church without engaging true spiritual questions seems a bit backward. If the question was something about the Lord truly being glorified, would people even understand that? Would that be IMPORTANT to them?

    Reply

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