Buzzwords come and go in every industry or line of business. The church world has not only embraced this philosophy, it has overdosed on it. A concept is thrown out there and it takes off like wild fire. People start claiming the new tag line and running with it. Churches will implement a statement without ever really understanding the principles behind it. The most effective thing you as a church leader can do is to burrow the principle and develop your own practices. Gain an understanding of the “why” and than develop your own “what”.
Let me give you an example. A big buzz word in the assimilation world is to “close the backdoor.” It’s a series of practices developed around the premise of how we can keep people. Retention is a great philosophy, but the way in which the “close the backdoor” philosophy is applied is anything but a great practice. In many ways it can actually be an extremely devastating practice in the church wreaking havoc on its culture. This theory states that you should have a big front door and a small back door in an attempt to keep everyone who shows up on Sunday mornings. At Elevation we don’t want all people who walk through our doors to join the team; we want the “right” people to join the team. When I say “right” people, I mean those that line up with our philosophy of ministry, those who believe that being a part of a church means rolling up your sleeves and engaging in the life of the church. The “right” people are those looking to put their faith into action and become part of a body of believers who labor to create an experience where those who are far can be filled with life in Christ.
Don’t get me wrong we have a huge, I mean gargantuan, front door for those who need to experience Christ. That’s the mission of Elevation!!! That’s why we’ve seen over 900 people give their lives to Christ during our recent series called "The Gospel". But when it comes to allowing people to become a part of the ministry through actively participating in the life of the church, we have a small door because it’s not for everyone. It’s for those who whole heatedly believe in the vision of Elevation and desire to be a part of something bigger than themselves. People who want to show up every week and take up a seat and “get fed” will fall by the wayside. Our philosophy is - the best way to close the back door is to keep some people from getting in the front door.
As you evaluate your own church and assimilation strategy ask yourself a few questions. What is the vision of your church? What do you want the culture of your church to look like? What does it mean to be a part of your church? Who does Sunday morning exist for, is it for the exhortation of the believer or is it for those who are far from God? Based upon how you answer the questions will tell you a lot about what your doors need to look like. Don’t just burrow a practice, understand the principles behind it and develop your own practices. So what ever you do with your doors be intentional, become what God has called your church to be.
Let me give you an example. A big buzz word in the assimilation world is to “close the backdoor.” It’s a series of practices developed around the premise of how we can keep people. Retention is a great philosophy, but the way in which the “close the backdoor” philosophy is applied is anything but a great practice. In many ways it can actually be an extremely devastating practice in the church wreaking havoc on its culture. This theory states that you should have a big front door and a small back door in an attempt to keep everyone who shows up on Sunday mornings. At Elevation we don’t want all people who walk through our doors to join the team; we want the “right” people to join the team. When I say “right” people, I mean those that line up with our philosophy of ministry, those who believe that being a part of a church means rolling up your sleeves and engaging in the life of the church. The “right” people are those looking to put their faith into action and become part of a body of believers who labor to create an experience where those who are far can be filled with life in Christ.
Don’t get me wrong we have a huge, I mean gargantuan, front door for those who need to experience Christ. That’s the mission of Elevation!!! That’s why we’ve seen over 900 people give their lives to Christ during our recent series called "The Gospel". But when it comes to allowing people to become a part of the ministry through actively participating in the life of the church, we have a small door because it’s not for everyone. It’s for those who whole heatedly believe in the vision of Elevation and desire to be a part of something bigger than themselves. People who want to show up every week and take up a seat and “get fed” will fall by the wayside. Our philosophy is - the best way to close the back door is to keep some people from getting in the front door.
As you evaluate your own church and assimilation strategy ask yourself a few questions. What is the vision of your church? What do you want the culture of your church to look like? What does it mean to be a part of your church? Who does Sunday morning exist for, is it for the exhortation of the believer or is it for those who are far from God? Based upon how you answer the questions will tell you a lot about what your doors need to look like. Don’t just burrow a practice, understand the principles behind it and develop your own practices. So what ever you do with your doors be intentional, become what God has called your church to be.
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