Church Growth 2.0
Church Growth is a movement within Evangelical Christianity which emphasizes missionary work combined with sociological awareness of the target population. The “seeker sensitive” label for this approach characterizes the would-be converts as “seekers”. (Wikipedia)
The 1980′s saw the explosion of the “church growth” movement, which was led by people like Elmer Towns and churches like Willow Creek and Saddleback Church. It has been criticized as being shallow theologically, program-driven, pragmatic, and demographically targeted. Churches identify who their target audience is, then seek to design a service and programs to reach that target. It has proven “successful”, if viewed through the lens of attendance. However, some “seeker” churches have recently made changes to their programs that will hopefully facilitate deeper discipleship.
I think that we are now seeing the next generation of Church Growth. CG2.0 still have the same characteristics of the first gen of Church Growth, but there seems to be an even greater focus on cultural contextualization, even to the point of crassness. Whether it’s Perry Noble publically using censored profanity to refer to “reformed guys” or Granger Community Church’s recent I’m Not Buying It series, these churches are pushing the envelope, and not in a good way. It sure doesn’t seem like it’s a new way of presenting the Gospel, but a way of “getting eyeballs”, of being noticed. Many of these “Shock Churches” are growing, but they seem to be clustered in the South and Midwest, locations that I would consider more churched than other parts of the country. Is the growth simply transfers from other churches? I have no clue. But I do have a hard time seeing churches like these reaching people in places that are less familiar with the Gospel, like NYC or Miami.
Will Church Growth 2.0 go the way of 1.0, eventually realizing that giving people what they want isn’t what God calls the church to do? That church will be messy because it is lived out in community with sinners like us? That we are called to be different, in but not of? I pray yes, and sooner rather than later.
