THE MAGNETIC CHURCH

VISION STATEMENT:

 

For centuries, churches assumed (Roman model) that non-churched persons knew the bible, were familiar with church who/what/why, and would attend.

Evangelism meant: 1. Present the Christian message to them; 2. Invite them to decide; 3. Welcome those who decide positively. Membership meant ‘learning the rules’.

My Vision is to help churches move from this model to embrace the ‘Celtic’ model, which assumes the people we are trying to reach probably do not think like we do, and don’t necessarily have any interest in attending church.

Then, evangelism will mean: 1. We first establish hospitality by actively inviting non-churched people into our community; 2. Within our fellowship, we engage them in conversation, ministry, education, mission, prayer, and worship; 3. As they learn about the faith and discover that they believe, we invite them to commit. Membership will involve fellowship, community, spiritual growth, and personal connections.

 

I am grateful to Rev. Byron Leasure, former Interim Senior Minister, First Presbyterian Church, 356 Summit Road, Springfield, PA for giving me the basis and inspiration to express my vision more effectively than I had previously. His original text follows:

Evangelism: Roman or Celtic?

Posted with permission: Written by Rev. Byron Leasure, Interim Senior Minister, First Presbyterian Church, 356 Summit Road, Springfield, PA 19064-1499 and published in the May 2007 edition of "Under The Steeple", the monthly newsletter.

The latest issue of the Interim Ministry Network has an article about two different models of ministry, or more specifically evangelism/church growth.

The first is the Roman model with which we are all comfortable. It is based upon the patterns Western churches have used for centuries. It assumes the people we are trying to reach think somewhat the same way we do. It follows the following three steps. ‘(1) You present the Christian message to them; (2) You invite them to decide; (3) You welcome those who decide positively.’

The Celtic model is based upon the work of Saint Patrick in Ireland and assumes the people we are trying to reach do not think like we do. It follows these three steps. ‘(1) You first establish hospitality by bring people into your community; (2) Within your fellowship you engage in conversation, ministry, prayer, and worship; (3) In due time, as they discover that they believe, you invite them to commit.’

The Roman model is concerned with making sure people know the ‘right’ answers to certain questions. It is concerned with membership. It is concerned with structure. It might be symbolized by ‘membership classes.’ It has little room for the spirit to work. It assumes that people come to the church with some basic understanding of the Bible, God, Jesus, Lord’s Prayer, etc.

The Celtic model is concerned with people, fellowship, community, spirit, personal connections. It might he symbolized by ‘coffee and doughnuts’ or ‘small group fellowship’. It assumes that people come to the church with no knowledge of what the church is about. It also assumes lots of space for the spirit to work.

I am suggesting that the Celtic model is much more appropriate for our world than the old Roman model. Most of the people around us don’t know the Lord’s Prayer, don’t own a Bible, haven’t been to church or Sunday School. And hospitality is so much more Biblical than classes.