sticky church

I am reading a book entitled, "Sticky Church" by Larry Osborne.

Interesting stuff.

His thesis is that we give a lot of energy to seeking out ways of bringing people into the church. But how much time to we give to keeping them there?

He writes, "many of our churches seem more like Teflon than Velcro."

Are we a sticky church?

I agree with him that if the back door of our church is left wide open, it doesn't matter how many people are coaxed into coming in the front door - or the side door for that matter.

I also agree that we at Stone Church need to be "stickier."

Every church does.

Stickier churches are healthier churches. Why? Because they not only draw people to Christ - they lead them to maturity.

Isn't that what Jesus called us to do?

In Matthew 28, Jesus didn't say go into all the world and draw big crowds and see how many people we can sign up. He told us to make disciples.

That takes time. A lot of energy.

I can't tell you how many people I have met over the past almost two years at Stone Church (hard to believe) who have mentioned to either Debbie or I, "We used to go to Stone Church."

I was on the table, about ready to get my colonoscopy, when the nurse said to me, "you're the pastor at Stone church? I used to go there."

(I can hear you now, you're saying, that's "too much information).

What is the one way that we can get people to stick?

Here is comes. You have been hearing a lot about it recently. It's part of our three fold challenge to our congregation.

Small groups. Life groups.

We slam the back door shut by integrating people into our life groups.

Here's what I am finding out - WHATEVER WE DO TO REACH PEOPLE WE HAVE TO CONTINUE TO DO TO KEEP THEM.

If someone comes because of some big "blow out" at the church - than in all probability those same kind of "blow outs" are what will be needed to keep them coming.

But if someone comes and experiences a life group, and sees real people, there is no "bait and switch" approach (howbeit with pure intentions) where they come and experience something at the church and the next week are disappointed by something different.

I guess what I am saying is that I am learning that connecting people to Christ must be natural and birth in the context of our every day lives, and in every day places.

The follow-up must be natural as well, inviting someone to a home for a time of food and fellowship.

And...finally, the assimilation will be, here's our word of the day, natural as well, since friendships will be established and connections will be made with real people in real settings outside the natural (couldn't help but use the word again) confines of our friendly building itself.

More to come next week.....