09/04/2023
Can we normalize serving our neighbors with no expectations in return?
We've worked with many churches over the years, and one thing is true at least 75% of the time...
Local service is almost always connected to a desire for Sunday attendance.
That seems normal, right?
Our churches want to grow, and often, Sunday attendance is the main measuring stick for growth and impact.
Here's the thing...
People can smell our bait-and-switch.
When we go out into communities and pretend like we're serving our neighbors to make their lives better, then turn around and immediately nudge them to attend church...our service becomes visibly selfish.
Your neighbors aren't interested in your church...yet.
They are interested in their own ability to survive and thrive.
They're interested in our churches only insofar as we help them survive and thrive...at least initially.
We position our churches as self-centered and desperate when we serve and push for attendance.
When we serve with no desire for anything in return, we position ourselves and our churches as much-needed helpers.
People don't trust pastors, Christians, or churches right now. That mistrust is affirmed when we serve as a way to gain attendance.
Serve for the simple joy of making someone else's life better, and the attendance will take care of itself down the line.
Agree or disagree?
