Dilemma: How to Make the Church Less Offensive to the World Without Losing Its Identity

Being a Cool and Hip Church is Not as Easy as it Sounds

Pastor Bob is a theologically liberal pastor of a Reformed church in Detroit, Michigan. He has a vision to make his church more seeker-friendly and relevant to the culture. He believes that the church should not be too dogmatic or judgmental, but rather focus on being welcoming and loving to everyone. He says that his motto is "being welcoming over being right."

However, Pastor Bob has recently noticed some troubling signs in his church. He observes that the members of his church are becoming more and more like the world, and less and less like Christ. He sees that they are adopting the values, attitudes, and behaviors of the secular society, such as materialism, consumerism, individualism, relativism, and hedonism. He also notices that the church is losing its distinctiveness and influence in the community. He wonders why his church is more resembling a social club than a spiritual family.

Pastor Bob is confused and frustrated. He can't understand why compromising theology to make his church more seeker-friendly has resulted in these negative consequences. He wonders if he has done something wrong, or if he has misunderstood the gospel. He asks himself: "How can I make my church more like the world without losing its identity?"

Pastor Bob decides to seek advice from some of his fellow pastors. He calls up Pastor Jim, a conservative pastor of a traditional church in the same city. Pastor Jim tells him that he is not surprised by what is happening in his church. He says that Pastor Bob has compromised the truth of God's word for the sake of popularity and relevance. He says that Pastor Bob has watered down the gospel and neglected the doctrines of sin, repentance, grace, and holiness. He says that Pastor Bob has failed to preach the whole counsel of God and to equip his flock for discipleship and mission. He says that Pastor Bob has traded the power of God for the wisdom of men.

Pastor Jim advises Pastor Bob to repent of his errors and to return to the biblical model of ministry. He tells him to preach the gospel faithfully and boldly, to teach sound doctrine and biblical ethics, to practice church discipline and accountability, to cultivate a culture of prayer and worship, and to engage in evangelism and social action. He tells him that only then will his church be transformed by the power of God and become a light in the darkness.

Pastor Bob thanks Pastor Jim for his input, but he is not convinced by his arguments. He thinks that Pastor Jim is being a gatekeeper of tradition, his too rigid and narrow-minded, and that his approach is outdated and irrelevant. He thinks that Pastor Jim is missing the point of what it means to be a Christian in the 21st century. He thinks that Pastor Jim is more concerned about being right than being welcoming.

Pastor Bob decides to call another pastor, Pastor Joe, a progressive pastor of an emergent church in Austin, Texas. Pastor Joe tells him that he is impressed by what he is doing in his church. He says that Pastor Bob is on the right track of making his church more seeker-friendly and culturally relevant. He says that Pastor Bob has understood the gospel as a message of love, acceptance, and inclusion. He says that Pastor Bob has embraced the diversity and pluralism of the postmodern society.

Pastor Joe advises Pastor Bob to continue on his path of theological liberalism and cultural adaptation. He tells him to ignore the critics and naysayers who are stuck in their old-fashioned ways of thinking and doing church. He tells him to celebrate the changes that are happening in his church as signs of growth and maturity. He tells him that his church is becoming more like Jesus, who was a friend of sinners and outcasts.

Pastor Bob thanks Pastor Joe for his encouragement, but he is not satisfied by his answers. He thinks that Pastor Joe is too loose and vague, and that his approach is shallow and superficial. He thinks that Pastor Joe has distorted the gospel and neglected the demands of discipleship. He thinks that Pastor Joe is more concerned about being welcoming than being right.

Pastor Bob hangs up the phone and sighs. He feels torn between two extremes: being too conservative or being too progressive; being too right or being too welcoming; being too worldly or being too holy. He wonders if there is a middle way, a balance, a compromise.

Pastor Bob decides that the death and resurrection of Christ is too controversial and offensive to non-believers, so he decides to leave it out of his preaching order to better build relationships with people outside the church. They don’t believe it, anyway. Pastor Bob just wants to make them feel safe and welcome so he can educate and disciple them later on. But after a while, he doesn’t believe it, either.