Adam McLane

Is Jesus for those who aren’t ever coming to church?

“Who is Jesus for?”

This is what has been on my mind lately. A lot. It is a question that is haunting because of it’s implications. And the more I express it to my friends the more I realize that I’m not alone in this question.

And I’m finding it’s a dangerous question to ask.

So– today– I want to start at the beginning. I want to explore a question at the very foundation of what it means to be a Christian.

Is Jesus for those who aren’t ever coming to church?

As I talked about last week in my talk at The Summit, we have enough data to know that a relatively static percentage of the population will be a part of a local church. (Whether formally or informally)

In other words, there is a chunk of the population who will never come to church. It’s not that they haven’t heard of church. It’s not that they don’t know where to find one. It’s not that they haven’t been or anything else. It’s that they aren’t going to go to church.

I don’t mean to say that they won’t ever go to church. Like, forever and ever in their whole life. But what I am saying is that there are a whole lot more people who know all about church but simply chose to not go and have no intention of ever becoming part of a local church.

There are a myriad reasons for this and volumes of books and articles about who these people are and their reasons. That’s not the point of this question.

The question is… is Jesus for those people? 

Let’s say that 20% of the population of the United States is the maximum reach of all the churches in our country. Does that mean that the reach of the Gospel is limited to 20% of the population?

See, it’s an important question. I bet if I asked most of my friends in ministry to name a percentage of the population that they’d describe as a “theologically appropriate percentage of reach for the message of Jesus Christ” that it’d be a big number.

  • Some would say that Jesus is for everyone. (100%)
  • Some would say 100% should hear but that Jesus is for everyone who responds to the message of Jesus. (whoever%)
  • Some would say 90%.
  • Some would say 50%.

But few would say the low percentage that it actually is.

Does following Jesus mean you have to be part of a church? That’s somewhat theologically rhetorical, right? We would all agree that being a Christ follower does not require involvement in a local church. To believe that would mean you believed in faith in Jesus PLUS the works of church attendance.

But, if you talk to people who work in churches, is the answer any different? You bet it is. They’ll say things like “Well, we all need community.” or “Hebrews talks about not giving up meeting together.” or “If you want to mature in Christ you need to be part of a community of believers.”

That’s stuff that people who work at churches should say. And why do they say that? Well, church works for them and a whole pile of people in their lives, so it’s true for them even if it’s not true for others. (Heck, even if they don’t really believe it they feel like they have to say it because a church pays their bills.)

But, if you talk to people who used to work in churches, the answer is often very different. Kristen and I chose to be part of a church. In some [but not all] ways “it still works for us.” And more importantly, it works for our kids. But I know lots of people who used to work in churches who are, at best, loosely affiliated with a church. Are they still Christians? Absolutely. They just acknowledge what another silent group of Christians have known all along… church isn’t for everyone and I don’t need a church to do ministry or be ministered to any more than I need to go on vacation to experience rest.

See, the longer I’m outside of traditional church employment the more I see that there is a big chunk of the population that truly loves Jesus– or is interested in having a relationship with Jesus, what we would describe as someone seeking after Jesus– but has no interest whatsoever in being part of a church. Ever. 

That leads to two important questions, one we’ve already asked, and another one. 

  1. Is Jesus for people who won’t go to church?
  2. Who are we equipping to minister to this tribe of people?

I’m legitimately asking these questions. Please feel free to respond in the comments. 

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Adam McLane

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10 responses to “Is Jesus for those who aren’t ever coming to church?”

  1. Jay Phillippi Avatar
    Jay Phillippi

    Heard a story years ago and it occurs to me as I look at your question.
    On the day of the parting of the Red Sea, the Heavenly Host watched as the story played out on Earth. When the sea returned and the children of Israel escaped an angel turned to God and was surprised to see tears on the face of the Almighty. The angel asked “Why do you weep Lord? Your children have escaped Egypt!” And God replied “Were not the soldiers of Pharaoh also my children?”

    Who is Jesus for? He is for all of us. It is clear that he isn’t checking to see who is a follower before he ministers. Christ ministers to everyone, even the children of the centurion and the royal official.

    C.S. Lewis has an interesting thought at the end of “The Last Battle” in the Narnia series with the idea that a life of morality and justice is in fact a life in God, even if the person is unaware of the connection with the Divine.

    I shy away from anything that “limits” God in any way.

    Reply
  2. David Grant Avatar
    David Grant

    Hey Adam, I’m not sure it’s a great question. It sounds like you’re asking “should all Jesus followers be a part of a local church?” Unless of course you’ve already decided they shouldn’t.

    And, do your statistics of people who don’t go to church include Jesus followers and unbelievers? I’m trying to understand if your question is about evangelism or the value and priority of the local church for Jesus followers.

    Thanks for making me think!!

    Reply
  3. Adam McLane Avatar
    Adam McLane

    Hey David, yup… let me try to unpack it a bit.

    “It sounds like you’re asking “should all Jesus followers be a part of a local church?”” – I’m saying that whether or not we [people who are church-goers] agree with it, there is a large swath of people who are absolutely Jesus followers but aren’t attending, don’t want to, or simply aren’t going to be part of a local church.

    The question is about evangelism. Most evangelism, I find, isn’t so much about Jesus as it is trying to get people to come to church. I’ve had countless conversations with people who say they want to (or are) follow Jesus but the church doesn’t work for them. (I’m using “work for them” as an ambiguous phrase intentionally.) The question they ALWAYS parse out is… “are you asking me to follow Jesus or go to church? Because if I have to go to church to be a follower of Jesus, I’m out.”

    So, I’m saying… there absolutely IS a percentage of the population who are Christ followers but are not attached to a church nor desire to be so. In fact, I know TONS of people who feel like they are more effective followers of Jesus BECAUSE they aren’t attached to a church. (And their life is full of evidence that this is the case.)

    The question is also about discipleship. Most forms of discipleship I’m aware of presuppose that part of growing up in Jesus means getting connected at a church. Well, that’s great for the percentage of the population for whom church “works.” But for the rest? Well, their brothers and sisters see them as something else altogether. (Backsliders, unconnected, not-really-Christian, etc.)

    So, that’s back to the original question of the post: Is Jesus for people who won’t ever go to church?

    My bias is that I think we confuse “people who go to church” with “follower of Jesus” when, in fact, they aren’t synonyms at all.

    Make sense? I know it’s hard to see when you’re part of a church and if church is working for you. The assumption is, “hey, this is awesome. everyone should have this… they NEED it.” But on the other side, there’s this group of people who don’t need it, don’t want it, but still want Jesus.

    Clearer or muddier?

    Reply
    1. David Grant Avatar
      David Grant

      Clearer Adam, thanks…

      You bring up some huge issues.

      Other questions.

      Of course you don’t have to go to church to be a Christ follower. You don’t have to read the Bible or pray either but we would say those are essential in Christian growth. Would active involvement in community and Lord’s day worship be one of the essentials for growth?

      What can we do to more clearly reflect the beauty and mission of the blessed community, the church? How do we go out of the way to connect with those “who have not interest, ever”.

      If connection with the local church is an essential part of spiritual formation, how do we gently encourage Christ followers to give it another chance? We know the church messy, there are people there, but it belongs to Christ and I love it anyway.

      It’s kind of how he loves me personally I suppose.

      Reply
  4. Matt Cromwell Avatar
    Matt Cromwell

    I think this still needs a lot of unpacking. “Who is Jesus for?” is a biblical/theological question that I think the answer is fairly straight-forward (“everyone” is a pretty safe bet). “What do evangelicals do to get people in church in the name of Jesus?” is an entirely different question that is more in the realm of sociology of religion. Then, “Is the message that Christian Churches preach about Jesus relevant to everyone or targeted at a select few?” seems to encompass all biblical/theological/sociological spheres all together, perhaps even socio-economic at some level as well. I kinda like that last question a lot, but I’m not sure that’s where you are going.

    “Based on your reply to David above, I think you are trying to kneed out the implicit reality that “Church Goer ? Jesus Follower” and doesn’t have to. Id’ agree with that without doubt. So, if there’s enough consensus on that, then maybe we can talk about how Churches target their messages, which would be a really fun conversation.

    Reply
    1. Adam McLane Avatar
      Adam McLane

      @matt- yes, this is absolutely context for the larger question… if we believe Jesus is for ____% of people in our society but only ____% find a formal church a place to live that out… how does that impact our strategy and message for the balance ___%. (obviously, infinite subgroups)

      I think it’s the marriage of a lot of disciplines. But getting past this first question seems relevant and important because many, especially those with spiritual authority, have to be willing to go along for the ride and give up some of their [perceived] power in society.

      Reply
  5. David Grant Avatar
    David Grant

    Hey Adam, ran across this and though of you. Supports your point.

    http://www.patheos.com/blogs/cultivare/2014/11/young-evangelicals-and-the-nones-like-ships-passing/

    Reply
  6. kolby Avatar
    kolby

    Wow. Lots to think about.

    I think that church is essential for a christian to grow, and this isn’t just because I pastor a church. I often think if I wasn’t a pastor of a church, would I love the Church the same? I sure hope so. I worry that as leader in the church, my identity would be about leading instead of being involved in the church community.

    I do think that Jesus is for everyone. He isn’t just for the church goers. I am not sure this is a question of church attendance or of a church being on mission. I will always remember a conference I attend last year where Ed Stetzer was at, and he said his mission field was the 5 doors on the left and right of his house. Jesus is for everyone, but sadly we trade Jesus for a bunch of programs that keep church goers busy, and not on mission.

    Reply
  7. Cyndi Avatar
    Cyndi

    Thought-provoking for sure. From 2004 to 2010 or so, I was very active and social in my church, in church board, choir, committees, helping with dinners, etc. In 2011 I changed to 2nd shift hours (which I prefer) and acquired a family when my disabled cousin & her son moved in with me. Today, I donate through monthly auto-pay from my bank account and maintain their website for free… the only way I can donate my “time, talent & treasure.” – Unfortunately my sleep cycle doesn’t allow me to attend weekly services on Sunday mornings. I miss it very much, especially being part of the choir.

    Reply
  8. Tony Myles (@tonymyles) Avatar
    Tony Myles (@tonymyles)

    I’m just now seeing this, but if I can add a current story… I ran into a guy recently who off-and-on attends our church. We were at a pizza place at the same time, picking up lunch. While I talked to the cashier, the guy I knew put some money in a menu (to hide it) and said, “Here, can you put this in at the church? It’s called a ‘tithe’ – right?” I said, “Um, sure. Thank you.” He added, “You know what you need is a drive-thru church experience where we can pull in, get a blessing, pay a tithe and then head out to do other things.” I chuckled with him, for he did, too. Then I offered, “I hope church is more than that, though. There’s a real beautiful concept of community that we miss out on when we do faith on our own. I think we’re meant to be a Body, but it sure is hard to get all the parts together. Imagine if you woke up tomorrow and your feet and tongue were randomly missing.” He nodded, and I added, “I hope that sounds okay – I’m not trying to induce guilt, but cast a vision for you and your family.”

    I sense church isn’t about if it works for us but an opportunity for us to work for God together. When I assume I don’t need it, it’s like an optometrist who would do his own eye exam and prescribe his own eyeglasses, not realizing the blurriness he’s overlooking because he’s overconfident in his own perspective. So much sin in the Bible happened when people thought they were above joining into the community of God wholeheartedly. So much life happened when “they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.”

    Perhaps some representations of the church are worth leaving. Likewise, perhaps the dream Jesus gave His life for and believes in is still worth staying around for.

    Reply

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