Newcomer Sheep

I've been having lots of conversations lately about healthy churches. People talk about church growth and try to analyze it. Religious leaders (pastors) want to see the attendance growing. They want to see newcomers stay and become members. It seems like a reasonable expectation to have in a church.

Unfortunately, many churches today, especially in metropolitan areas, suffer from a dilemma. They aren't "sticky." They watch newcomers come and go, so there is a constant churning of the church body, but little or no net growth in the number of people attending the church.

In one church I've been able to make some casual observations about the dilemma of the newcomers not staying and becoming members. One of those observations regarded how the rest of the people in the church respond to newcomers. Basically they are indifferent.

The church says they love newcomers. On the stage they extend a hearty welcome and express a sincere, "We're glad you're here!" But in one-on-one interactions, the people are indifferent. They're more focused on getting their kids to the right classroom, getting their coffee, signing up for the latest event, or just meeting their friends.

The worst people in the church (when it comes to responding to newcomers) are the ones who don't show up early enough to do anything before the service starts. They usually also exit the church during the closing song so they can get to the game, luncheon or whatever else is taking priority in their day. These people never even see the newcomers or know that they're there!

So I think the problem is that the sheep in these churches are acting like sheep. Let me explain. When I was in high school (in Ohio) I worked on a neighboring sheep farm. The farmer had more than 500 head of sheep. When he would go to the auction and buy more sheep, he would bring them into the pasture --- with the other 500 sheep. The other sheep would look nonchalantly and walk away, indifferent to the newcomer. It would be up to the newcomer to "break into the club," so to speak.

I think that is the problem with churches. New sheep (newcomers) walk in, and the sheep that are already there act rather indifferent about the whole thing. It's not that they're rude or anything. They just don't focus on the newcomer. If introduced, they may engage for a minute or two, but then will excuse themselves and move on. Like sheep. So you see, the problem is that people in our churches act like sheep. The challenge is to get them to act like Jesus instead!

I'm convinced that our churches will continue to struggle to be "sticky" to newcomers unless we find tangible ways to teach our people how to care. Maybe the people want to care about the newcomers, but they don't know how. It could feel awkward and they don't know what to say. Or maybe the people don't want to be inconvenienced by attending to the newcomers. Possibly the people just don't know how to engage the newcomers. More than likely, they think "someone else is doing that."

Have you ever looked into the face of sheep? That's exactly the look on the faces of people at church when newcomers show up! It's kind of a "whatever" look. If you or I were newcomers and were met with a sea of faces like that, do you think we'd be back?

You know, I don't think the people in our churches intend to act indifferently toward newcomers. In fact, if they were aware of it, I imagine they'd be pretty sorry. But the reality is that until the sheep learn to stop acting like sheep, newcomer sheep will not want to join them!

So for review, here's the deal. The sheep are so busy acting like sheep that they don't act like Jesus. Therefore, they aren't attractive to the other sheep (who are seeking Jesus). Any questions?

Sheep vs. Shepherd

It was an ironic encounter. I was sitting there in my swim trunks at the health club, watching the children come down the water slide. He had been standing in front of me for a while. Then he turned around and we realized we knew each other. We greeted each other, exchanged the usual pleasantries, and drifted to something we both had in common.

We used to attend the same church, for quite a number of years actually. He and his wife and left that church though. He asked me if his wife had ever told me why they left that church. She hadn't, so he proceeded to explain. It seems the youth pastor had been let go, and a meeting with the senior pastor was held for the parents (of the youth). During that meeting, apparently the senior pastor explained that "he was not there for you."

My acquaintance explained that he and his wife both felt the pastor's remark was inappropriate. They probed it with the pastor, and were assured that the pastor of the church was not there for their purpose. My friend said, "This was a surprise, because we'd always figured he was the shepherd and we were his sheep!" When they determined that the pastor was indeed not their shepherd, they decided it was time to go. They wanted to find a church where a shepherd was in charge.

So it was an example of the sheep leaving one church ... in search of a shepherd. I began to wonder how many pastors know this about their flock. I've written before about the importance of the sheep knowing that the shepherd cares for them. It seems an even more basic truth is being revealed to me here. It is that the sheep actually want a shepherd. In fact, they'll go in search of a shepherd if they don't have one.

It's made me think back to dozens of conversations that I've had with people over the years about why they've left a church. A common theme has always been that they "aren't getting fed." At least that's how they explain it. Whenever I've tried to probe that and discern what it means, I find them talking about how they can't connect, don't feel like they belong, etc. They may say that the "message doesn't resonate" with them. Adding it all up, I wonder if what they meant to say was that they needed a shepherd.

Another, apparently related phenomenon I've observed concerns how far people will travel to church. I've been amazed to find at different churches people who are routinely driving long distances to attend that church and its programs. I've met people, for example, who will drive more than 30 or 45 minutes to church ... passing several other suitable churches along the way. At the time, this was confusing to me. I couldn't imagine why someone would do that!

But now I wonder if perhaps the truth might be that sheep are willing to wander far and wide in search of a shepherd. Could it be that sheep will even make sacrifices to get themselves a shepherd? (I suspect so!)

How many pastors in ministry today see themselves a shepherds? How many need to see themselves that way --- but don't? And finally, how many sheep are there wandering around in search of a shepherd?

Sermon Effectiveness

I heard a good sermon today at church. No really, it was a good sermon. "What," you may be asking, "is the definition of a good sermon?"

It might seem that what makes a sermon good could be found in the eyes of the beholder. In other words, the defining points could be subjective and vary from person to person.

But I don't really think it's that vague or ambiguous. It's much simpler than that. There are some basic tenets to a good sermon that should always be there. For starters, it should be truth that is being preached. We are to test everything against Scripture and verify that it is truthful. If it is, we are to hold on to it. (1 Thessalonians 5:19-22)

Of course from a practical perspective, a good sermon is delivered well. A monotone preacher who talks on and on or doesn't know how to make a point isn't going to get credit for a good sermon no matter what he has to say. So it's no surprise that people like preachers with charisma and charm. Perhaps a sense of humor and a quick wit are handy tools as well.

After hearing today's sermon, someone near me was talking about how much they enjoyed it and how good they thought it was. Out of curiosity, I asked what they thought made it a good sermon. They rattled off the expected responses. But then this individual said, "And when he speaks, I feel like I matter to him. It's like he cares about me, even though he doesn't know me and I'm one of hundreds in the audience." Wow. Was that a new factor in what makes sermons good?

I've blogged before about the travesty of sermons downloaded off the Internet. But there's a more important twist here that is being revealed. It's actually two simple truths that are really criteria for what makes a good sermon.

The first truth being revealed is that the sheep want to feel loved. It's been said that people don't care how much you know until they know how much you care (about them). My own experiences in both business and ministry have affirmed this reality for me. The Bible tells us about being shepherds when we are preachers or ministry leaders. And truly the sheep want to know that they matter to the shepherd. It helps make whatever the shepherd is telling them sound somehow better.

Jesus said that if we love Him we are to feed His sheep. (John 21:15-17). Perhaps what He meant to say was that if we love Him we are to love His sheep (which would include feeding them).

The second truth being revealed is something that I've not yet heard anyone comment on. But I've noticed it in Scripture. And as I've listened to sermons, I also notice that it seems to be a common characteristic of sermons that I myself label as "good." Ezekiel 3:10-11 tells us that we must take God's words to heart before we can preach those words to others.

It seems that God's message(s) must sink deep into your own heart ... and show in your own life (actions) before you can effectively help others understand and apply the gospel in their lives. So it would seem that good preachers are not just conduits for information. Rather they are vessels that must digest and own the message before they can preach it in a good sermon.

So what's the conclusion here? It would seem that a good sermon has many characteristics. But once we get past the first criteria of truth, maybe the most relevant criteria for a good sermon are that the sheep matter to the shepherd and that the shepherd owns ... and lives the message.

Do you suppose they teach those two things at seminary or Bible colleges?

Do you suppose that people in today's churches listen well enough to discern those two things?

If they did, perhaps all sermons would be as good as the one I heard this morning.