PASTORS, IT'S OUR FAULT TOO

One of the trends that has had a negative effect in churches today is "consumerism". This refers to the "It's all about me" attitude that some people have when they gather with their church family. An attitude that says, "I want my kind of music" or "I want my kind of preaching". What happens in this type of situation is the disappearing of that person if he or she doesn't get what she wants when he or she attends our churches.

Researcher George Barna recently observed, “We are a designer society. We want everything customized to fit our personal needs — our clothing, our food, our education. Now its our religion.”

United Church of Christ minister and journalist G. Jeffrey MacDonald recently lamented the consumerization of faith in his book, “Thieves in the Temple: The Christian Church and the Selling of the American Soul,” (Basic Books, 2010). “Faith has become a consumer commodity in America. People shop for congregations that make them feel comfortable rather than spiritually challenged. They steer clear of formal commitments to Christian communities. They flee when they are not quickly gratified or when they encounter interpersonal problems. Changing churches has become as routine as changing jobs. As a result, churches are no longer able to help people develop solid moral characters.”

Titus Benton, who writes for a website called Relevant, said, "Many churches innovate, but innovation is based on trends. Innovations are fine, but they play to the consumer. Who is it we are trying to please? Could it be that we are obliging the very people that will cause our extinction? Could it be that the methodology we embrace will take us to a place where we are innovated-out and tired of selling?"

While it is true that all of us have shown consumerism tendencies in our lives in various ways, what are pastors and other church leaders doing in order to be the churches that God wants us to be? Or should I ask, "What are we supposed to be doing?" 

In order to reach people for Jesus Christ (which is our calling as gospel churches), many of us who are pastors and other church leaders have been guilty of looking for that next big secret to powerful church growth. Some new book or conference. Maybe something we read on the internet or something that we saw another church do. Then we take it home to our local churches and say, "Here's the answer to all of our problems! We need to start _______________________ (you fill in the blank)."

Personally, I have been guilty of that at times as well. Thinking, "What can we do to reach more people and keep them connected to our church family?" but I am convinced now more than ever that the problem is the fact that we are focusing on what we can do instead of what God can do. We need to be more focused on what God can do when we are seeking to be faithful and fruitful as He leads us.  

So what are we supposed to be doing? Faithfully preaching the Bible. Praying that God would be glorified in our personal lives as well as in His church. Singing songs in such a way that Jesus is the focus instead of our musical performance. Connecting with fellow believers in continual fellowship instead of only seeing each other occasionally at the church house. Telling others about Jesus in a way that is real and personal instead of sounding like an old infomercial. 

Let's preach the Word and sow the seed of the gospel. Let's be faithful in what God has called us to do and stop trying to find the next big gimmick that will double the size of our church in 20 minutes or our money back. Let's depend upon God who will determine the when and how our churches grow as we continue to serve Him.

Maybe, just maybe, if our congregations stop seeing us shop around for those gimmicks so much, maybe they will stop some of the consumerism as well?