If I were not already predisposed to believe the negative things bloggers and writers say about the Attractional Church, I would think that “Attractive” would fit into the definition. But as I read on and on no one ever says anything positive about being an Attractional Church. So I will take my liberty here to crank out a positive description of the Attractional Church. Why? Because I believe in the mission of Attractional ministry…the way ARC does it. Anyway, here are some thoughts.
The Attractional Church is attractive… The vocational church is not attractive… The missional church that is not attractive soon loses its momentum and becomes vocational. (Read my blog on the vocational church) It’s true that the Attractional Church has a strong focus on Sunday services, services that are designed to draw many unchurched people. For discipleship purposes an emphasis on small groups is commonly found. It has a city-wide vision that includes outreach to all groups of people and specific missions to the needy and hurting. Often there are small groups in the Attractional Church that are very missional in their approach. KEY: The more the pastor and leadership express the need to be missional, the more missional the church becomes.
The Attractional Church tends to draw people to its services because of its “attractive” style and relevant approach to communicating the Gospel. In most cases worship is contemporary but doesn’t have to be. Services are fun, happy and the people are friendly.
Theologically, the Attractional Church is biblically rooted and the messages are biblically based. There is also concern and consideration for the culture around it. Therefore, much is done to know the “market” or culture in the area, and subtle adjustments are made to be relevant to that market. So the way the Bible is presented is influenced by the culture/market that is being reached. The difference is not in the content of the message but rather in the style of presenting it.
Application of the truth presented is a big part of the message in the Attractional Church. “What I want them to know” and “What I want them to do” are huge elements in the presentation. It is in the application of the message that missions and outreach is encouraged. Application of truth is also related to everyday issues such as family, employment and finances.
The Attractional Church has a large variety of services that it offers the community. Eventually, with growth, its financial and human resources can be a one stop shop for nearly every need that a member would have. If I were going to make a comparison in medical terms, it is more of a “hospital” whereas the Missional Church is more of an “urgent care” clinic. The Vocational Church would be a classroom on the ills of society. Apparently we need all three types because people attend them all on a regular basis. One is not better than than the other…just different.
Challenges – The Attractional Church can become inwardly focused and lose sight of its mission to the under-churched culture around it. It can inadvertently train up a group of Christians who speak “Christianeze” and become introverted and isolated from non-Christians. The fact is that most churches lose their evangelistic and missional mindset after four years.
Alan Hirsch, who is widely attributed for coining the term “Attractional Church”, said at a recent conference, “To be missional means we must live as a “sent” people. People that go into their community and reach others for Christ. The church goes to people not the other way around. Sent people go into their community and reach others for Christ. Acting “incarnationally,” sent people equip those that they reach to reach their own culture” He added, that in a missional setting, when we act “attractionally”, we effectively extract them from the host tribe/culture and that this is highly problematic. The reason is, the Gospel travels along relational lines within any given culture or sub-culture for that matter. Acting “attractionally” in a missional context effectively extracts people from that context and leaves unreached people and cultures unchanged”
The lesson here is not to “extract” people from their culture once you win them to Christ. So “acting attractionally” is really acting “extractionally.” Bottom line is this. What I define as a true Attractional Church is one that lives as a “sent people,” reaching and discipling converts in their own culture through small groups and outreach, and then providing them with places of worship to bring their families and friends to hear Christ preached….anyway that’s what we’ve been doing for the past ten years. And it works.
Give me some of your thoughts. Billy
