Reaching Post Moderns

One of the many reasons that modern people tend to really dislike church is because it is boring. One of the reasons church is boring is because it encourages a passive role for 90 percent of those gathered. 

• We talk. You listen. (You daydream… you doze off). 

• We control the agenda. You are held hostage, without even being able to ask a question or push back in the gentlest of ways. 

• We sing (which is fine), but then we make you stand and sing – which is fine if you are into that – but most Americans don’t sing even when they are standing for the National Anthem at the nearby ballpark. Group singing is more common at a karaoke bar after a lot of beer. But otherwise, it’s a little off-putting, especially for men and for people uninitiated into the church-world. 

• We tell you when to stand, sit, bow your head, raise your hand, scratch your nose. We even tell you how to think. What is this: kindergarten? No, it’s church, the way many Americans perceive church. And by the millions, they are walking away. 

So, what if church was like a good party.  What if people sat at tables and enjoyed a meal together, along with lightly guided conversation focused on a life issue of obvious relevance? 

What if the sermon were not a long monologue but instead a 8-10 minute story and invitation to conversation around a vital topic, followed by intermittent conversation, Q/A, consideration of Scriptural (and other) passages relevant to the conversation, etc.  

Reaching this audience is the objective behind the Dinner Church movement. 

See Dinner Church Collective website https://dinnerchurch.com/ for information, blogs, etc.