Seekers

About a decade (or more) ago, there came this movement in the church to become more seeker-friendly. We can't reach people if we never see them. So let's make ourselves super appealing with awesome worship bands and cool lighting, and messages that don't get into the Bible in a way that will be too much for a first-timer. Some churches took this philosophy more seriously than others. And I think most churches had the intention of then discipling those who came. The problem is, the focus was on attracting seekers. And seekers soon became more important than depth and discipling.

I've heard more and more rumblings from people lately (echoing my own thoughts) about wanting more from the church. The problem with being seeker-friendly (at least the way we've done it) is that it's so shallow. And shallow doesn't hold people's attention for long. There's this longing in all of us to be a part of something meaningful, and a fog machine just won't fill that longing.

I remember in college feeling this way, too. In a town with a Christian college, all of the churches were competing to have the most appeal to the Wheaton student audience. And at the beginning of each year, there was a church fair day where churches could set up tables along the quad to inform students about their church.

It felt like a circus to me. There were free CDs. And donuts. And candy. And t-shirts. And I'm not saying I turned down the donuts and candy (I'm only human), but all those giveaways pretty much deterred me from wanting to go to that church. Because if you have to bribe me with donuts to come to your church, my gut tells me that's the most filled I'll ever get there.

Then I saw the table for the church I ended up going to. No big fancy displays. No giveaways. Not even a basket of starlight mints. Just a sign, and I can't remember exactly what it said but something simple about how they teach God's word and help people grow closer to him. Yes, I thought. That's what I want so much more than donuts. I want to know God's word and grow closer to him.

Granted, I'm a been-churched-my-whole-life kind of person. I'm not the sought out seeker. But I don't think shallow hooks anyone for long. And even if it does, has it really transformed them, or just gotten them to block out an hour on Sunday mornings?