The Church: Social Benefit or Missions Mandate

I read a well-intended article in the newspaper today (Cincy Enquirer: "Church gives kids secondary support. B8) that really started to make my mission-minded blood boil so to speak. The author began to explain the value of sending her children to church. I was interested in the article but became alarmed when I ran across the statement that said the author, as a parent, he/she "absolutely would not have stayed at a church where teenagers were pressured to believe, witness or preach." The author went on to state how he/she had benefited from the church and his/her children would as well because of the way the church had treated him/her when young and would do the same for his/her children. I'm not fully sure how the author defines "pressured to" but it almost sounded as if he/she would encourage her children to attend church for its social benefits only. There was no investigation into the reason(s) why these benefits existed in the first place, and no mention of a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.

It was at this point in the reading that I realized what was really happening here. This author seemed to be expressing a common trend amongst church-goers today. Too many individuals are attending church for what they can get for themselves. It is the same self-centeredness that lies dormant within many of our own hearts. Church becomes something done for selfish reasons.

This of course would not be a problem if it were not for the fact that the Church exists to promote the Good News of Jesus Christ. It exists (to borrow a phrase) for the benefit of its non-members. If a church does not proclaim the message that Jesus Christ, became man, dwelt with men, was crucified, buried, raised from the dead, and now sits at the right hand of God -- reigning over all as Lord so that we might received forgiveness of sin and the gift of eternal life -- then I would have to argue that it isn't the Church at all. Furthermore, I would also have to question why anyone could expect to be in the Church and not be asked to witness, after all isn't this what Jesus commanded his body, the Church, to do, fulfill HIS missions mandate? Recall the apostle Paul once wrote that he was "compelled" to share the gospel. It was an irresistible force he could not say no to. If an individual is not able to accept this then perhaps the Church is not the place they are looking for.

On a final note, it is possible that the author was simply stating that a person's expression of their faith should be genuinely their own not something forced upon them by persons in the church. If this is the case then I kindly ask the author's forgiveness in misreading the matter.

Keep the Faith
chris