Let’s think for a few minutes about the church in here, only because this has been the model of the church that has prevailed for at least my lifetime, and I am finally willing to admit it might be wrong.
The church in here builds walls.
The church in here is primarily concerned with its own safety.
The church in here is more concerned with what goes on in here than with what is going on out there.
The church in here stresses what is different between us (in here) and them (out there) and takes pride in those differences.
The goal of the church in here is to get everyone out there, in here.
The more time we can get people to spend in here, the less trouble they will get into out there (or so we think).
The rules for the church in here only work in here; they don’t work out there.
The church in here pretty much tells you what to think about almost everything, so much so that you don’t have to do much or your own thinking. Indeed, your own thinking is considered a threat to the church in here.
The church in here is most often closed to everyone out there and open by appointment only.
Our understanding of the church works in here but not out there.
Here’s the problem, with the exception of those people employed to run the church in here, most people spend most of their time out there, creating a huge disconnect in people’s lives. So little of what is going on out there has anything to do with what is going on in here and vice versa. Most of the talking is in here; most of the living is out there.
Our goal for the future, of course, is to get the church out there, indeed, to be the church out there. To do this will take some new thinking, a new agenda, and a new way of going about being the church in the marketplace. This really isn’t as hard as it seems. It will ride on the lives of believers, it will rally around a gospel of welcome, and it will run on relationships. No walls necessary; no building required except for what’s already there.
I’m not suggesting we abandon all those four-walled churches. I am suggesting we let go of the idea that what goes on inside those walls constitutes all of church. It’s really only a very small part.
John Fischer The Catch 
John, as I was reading, I envisioned myself inside an empty warehouse with my voice echoing off the empty walls. It’s interesting that many churches begin in warehouses.
I think one reason we think in terms of “out there” and “in here” is because we don’t realize that, today, we are God’s Temple – not the church building – and that wherever we go, God is there. And I think the reason scripture says,”Where two or more of you are gathered, I am in the midst,” is because God doesn’t want our ministering to be about us as individuals. So Christ sent out His disciples in pairs. We need each other and, as you say, we need to be “out there,” and we need to realize that Christ is out there with us, doing exactly the same things He did when He walked the earth – only, now, He’s doing them through us.
I love “Living Waters” ministry because those guys really are carrying that out, and in one of the most difficult place on the planet – LA. God bless all those who have taken the Great Commission to heart and are walking boldly in Christ’s footsteps.
Thanks for your encouragement.
John, you might enjoy the “capital” campaign that’s now entering its fifth year at Hopewell UMC in southeastern PA. It’s called “Beyond the Walls” (http://www.hopewellumc.org/BeyondtheWalls) and it focuses on a reverse tithe giving approach. Our congregation is giving mission outreach funds, of which 10% will stay inside our walls and support growing Hopewell, but 90% goes out to local, national, and international ministry and missions–to serve in a model not unlike Jesus’ call to be His witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea, Sumeria, an to the ends of the earth. Our congregation has been more and more getting that the church is really a place to resoruce and equip, but the world is where we need to be focused. Beyond the Walls has been a great method of discipling our congregation and our leadership!
Excellent.
I think your mission is great and I’ve gotten a lot of spiritual boosts from your newsletter, but I’m tired of your attacks on churches with walls. My church, Lutheran Church of the Master, has walls, but certainly doesn’t build any kind of walls that would keep people out. All people are welcome. We do not stress the differences between the people who belong to the church (US) and others. We are encouraged go out and welcome and help everyone, not just US. My church ‘s mission is “living Christ’s message through worship, study, fellowship, and service”. Our vision is “Lutheran Church of the Master is a come-as-you-are family of faith where everyone is welcomed and Jesus Christ is Lord” . Those aren’t just words for us, we try to make them a way of life. If we don’t have our walls, we will still have our church and our way of life.
This is encouraging. Thanks. I speak in trends and generalities.
I have learned through my years of ministry and through working on some amazing projects in my life that when one says you have to “think outside the box” or “outside the walls”, they miss the real point.
I was making a presentation on a very “out there” project to graduate students and alumni or CMU on day in Pittsburgh. When question time came, one student commented that “wow, you really have to get out of the box to grasp this”, the Spirit instantly melded with my mind and the our reply was simply, “there is no box”.
You see, there are no boxes or walls, they exist only in our minds. When we state that we must get or think outside of such barriers, we limit ourselves and comprehension to the knowledge of those limits. They become our limitations whether inside or out.
God has placed no such limits or walls on or around his children, they are free to explore and wander His entire creation. “We limit not the truth of God to our poor reach of mind” says it best in a hymn of wisdom from the mid 1850’s.
Christ came and called us all to His Father’s mission. As His children, Christ’s mission is our mission anywhere and everywhere we find ourselves. We are without limit through the power of Christ, the Holy Spirit and Our Father.
Like this, a lot: “I am suggesting we let go of the idea that what goes on inside those walls constitutes all of church.” and add an Amen! 🙂
Wow! what a message! The wife and I were just discussing this very thing Sunday on the way home after church.
We left a church that always had ‘outreach’ programs, but people had to ‘come in’ to benefit. It was difficult for me to recognize what was being promoted to ‘go out’ into the community. And, of course, there is argument there because everyone has a different perspective.
When suggestions were made to go out… it seemed to be reviewed with the sense “Is it accessible for the entire church to attend and/or serve?” I say let us each minister to the small part for which we are convicted.
See – we ride motorcyles. And ‘we’ in the biker community (we are not a gang, nor 1%’ers – we just love to ride motorcycles) are not always well received, nor accepted. It is so easy to judge by appearance.
But, I have personally been SO surprised by the gracious hearts and compassion that many in this community have. Plus, when one of us has a need, many step up to take care of ‘their brother’. And I find out many of us are true brothers… brothers in Christ.
So, in this… many of us do have a ‘church with no walls’!
I have always felt the church is a group of Christians who come together to get charged up to take the gospel out into hte world. We come to learn, grow and become more like Christ and then go reach out to those around us. I think we need a place to focus on God and spiritual matters. We may call a building the church but it just temporarily holds us.