Barna's Revolution
Barna's new book, Revolution, has sure hit a nerve! He lets church dropouts off the hook!
My friend, Keith Drury, goes so far as to call it heresy. That's perhaps an overstatement.
As a pastor, I've had to deal with dropouts on a regular basis. Even good folks who love Jesus, attend small groups, read the Bible, are active intercessors -- for some reason or another, choose not to attend church on Sunday morning. That's not ideal, certainly, but it's a fact of life.
How should pastors handle folks like that? Love them back! Encourage them. Bless them. Serve them. Cheer them up. Don't marginalize them. Don't write them off.
I've found it doesn't help my cause a bit to berate, belittle, or de-Christianize them. I'd rather work with them.
Often, there is some small issue that needs resolution -- and if guided by a loving shepherd, they usually make their way back into the Sunday morning fold.
Barna's book doesn't really help much in this endeavor. I sure hope my drop-outs don't read it.
Barna, unfortunately, seems disillusioned and jaded. (maybe he has good reason.) I wish he could see some really good, healthy churches in action -- maybe he would change his opinion.
I like what Kevin Miller said in a recent Christianity Today review:
"Do you want to become a Revolutionary? First, trade your copy of Revolution for Life Together, the manifesto written by Dietrich Bonhoeffer during the dark days of Nazi Germany. Then, if you want to do heroic and revolutionary exploits, go back to your local church."
My friend, Keith Drury, goes so far as to call it heresy. That's perhaps an overstatement.
As a pastor, I've had to deal with dropouts on a regular basis. Even good folks who love Jesus, attend small groups, read the Bible, are active intercessors -- for some reason or another, choose not to attend church on Sunday morning. That's not ideal, certainly, but it's a fact of life.
How should pastors handle folks like that? Love them back! Encourage them. Bless them. Serve them. Cheer them up. Don't marginalize them. Don't write them off.
I've found it doesn't help my cause a bit to berate, belittle, or de-Christianize them. I'd rather work with them.
Often, there is some small issue that needs resolution -- and if guided by a loving shepherd, they usually make their way back into the Sunday morning fold.
Barna's book doesn't really help much in this endeavor. I sure hope my drop-outs don't read it.
Barna, unfortunately, seems disillusioned and jaded. (maybe he has good reason.) I wish he could see some really good, healthy churches in action -- maybe he would change his opinion.
I like what Kevin Miller said in a recent Christianity Today review:
"Do you want to become a Revolutionary? First, trade your copy of Revolution for Life Together, the manifesto written by Dietrich Bonhoeffer during the dark days of Nazi Germany. Then, if you want to do heroic and revolutionary exploits, go back to your local church."
Barna's a quack
ReplyDeleteI also liked Kevin Miller's article...and especially his close-out...if we all read "Common life" once a year we'd get church right.
ReplyDelete