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a new kind of question

I have done it and I have had it done to me (how’s that for passive voice? take THAT Mrs. Herder hehe) - the question “so how many people do you have?” or “how are you growing?” or any number of variations.

On my way to pick up my kindergarten kiddo from school (I have a mile walk), I was thinking about the questions that are better, more challenging and speak more to the mission of “the Church”.

One of those questions, a better and more “missional” question according to a new buddy of the SBC I heard recently, is “how many conversions do you have?”

But, that still misses it IMO.

So here’s what I would ask…

“how are you touching lives outside your faith community?”
“how are you doing as a community in showing people the tangible love of Jesus?”
“how often have you seen Jesus this week in the poor, marginalized, confused, hurting, sick, dying…?”
“is your community being hospitable, generous and kind to those in the community who do not attend your church?”
“how have you invested in your neighborhood recently?”

yeah, I like those much better.

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11 Comments

  1. Rick — September 26, 2007 #

    “How’s the crime rate in your community? Going down?”
    “How’s poverty? Fewer folks on subsidies?”

    Those might be too social/political for me, but I’d like to see what kinds of conversations get started. Things should be getting better for folks around our churches, but we don’t address that.

  2. Mak — September 26, 2007 #

    we don’t address that, and it’s to our detriment.

    I think the thing I really want people to think about is more along the lines of living on purpose and externally instead of feeling like they have to “build their church” by adding butts to the seats.

    ..I’d also like to remove a lot of the guilt and shame often associated with questions that involve numbers of baptisms or conversions.

  3. kathy — September 26, 2007 #

    love the questions. they are the ones i wish were more part of the “church” vernacular. i honestly hate that sometimes i feel like a loser that our “numbers” haven’t increased in the past year and a half. then i kick myself because i realize that when we chose to live out this kind of crazy community MOST OF THE OLD RULES have to go out the window. the old questions don’t work. the ones you are asking do. and i feel really good about the answers for the refuge at this stage in our life, but long to live each of those out in deeper and more meaningful ways in the months and years to come. to really live out the Kingdom is hard work. getting butts in seats isn’t all that difficult if you have certain elements mixed together just perfectly–inspiration sells. but real life, living in the trenches, losing our lives. well that isn’t all that attractive at the beginning but oh so compelling because it’s God’s spirit taking hold of us. then there’s no turning back. i’m done for. damn i miss my old paycheck, though. butts in seats does usually equal sometimes fairly cushy budgets for staff!

  4. Mak — September 26, 2007 #

    “to really live out the Kingdom is hard work. getting butts in seats isn’t all that difficult if you have certain elements mixed together just perfectly–inspiration sells. but real life, living in the trenches, losing our lives. well that isn’t all that attractive at the beginning but oh so compelling because it’s God’s spirit taking hold of us. then there’s no turning back. i’m done for.”

    Beautifully said Kathy. I so agree. And I also very much relate to the painful tension and the cushy budget (although, I never had one so that helps hehe). David doesn’t struggle as much as I do internally…more of a natural rebel than me I guess….I have internal dialog on a regular basis where I remind myself how I can’t go back even though it would be “easier”

  5. Dan — September 26, 2007 #

    When did our little friend who loves walking around military cemetaries ask how many conversions do i have under my belt? i haven’t heard about this. I would say 42 since that is the meaning of life. good thing that the holy spirit is slacking at his job and God (in triune) needs to rely on my apologetic gifts. Sometimes it is tough being such an apostolic covering when God isn’t pullling his own weight that he you know he promised and died for. (I hope the sarcasm is evident).

  6. Steve — September 27, 2007 #

    I like that so much if I were in your country I would buy you a latte! Actually I will be in your country for a week from tomorrow - Dallas, to visit a church planting friend of mine. Perhaps I should express mail you a latte from there

  7. Mak — September 27, 2007 #

    too bad Dallas is so far away :) thanks Steve.

  8. Mak — September 27, 2007 #

    Dan, in a recent address to the SBC he said something to the affect of how emerging churches aren’t growing in new converts suggesting that they’re not “successful”.

  9. Ryan — September 27, 2007 #

    Yes!

    That is marvelous. The only thing I would change would be to add a few internal questions.

    How are you treating those inside your faith community like family?

    How are you sacrificing your own interests to meet your brothers’ and sisters’ needs?

    What is everyone in your faith community doing to help each other mature spiritually?

  10. Mak — September 27, 2007 #

    good internal questions Ryan.

  11. Pingback - The Wrong Question? | the church geek — September 27, 2007 #

    [...] September 27, 2007 Tags:christianity, church, mission Today I post the Pastor’s Letter I wrote this morning that will go out in tomorrow’s church newsletter for Knox Presbyterian Church. HT to two different sources of inspiration for today’s post go to Makeesha for the brilliant list of questions and to Carol for her insightful post this morning. [...]

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