Most of the seats in front of me were empty. They said the room’s capacity is around 150. However, I guess around 50 chairs were set and less than 20 had people in them. Earlier there had been 7 or 8 children but they were now in the back room. What was left was approximately 20 very friendly, mostly older, incredibly faithful, shrinking congregation located in a town that is seeing incredible growth.

The songs we sang were all traditional. However, they did project the songs on the screen, there was no hymn book, and the instrumentation was from a recording. There was a special music number (enough said).

We visited the “hot” church in town the previous evening (Saturday). It looked like it was a former grocery store. They had multiple services on Saturday night and Sunday morning, the style was extremely contemporary (Rock), the message was hard-hitting, very practical and topical (about lust). I'm pretty sure the outline was "borrowed" from a church in Northern Indiana (at least the sermon series idea and graphic was).

The audience was young, very engaged, and I did see many grey-hairs sprinkled around the room. Someone told me that over 3000 people attended this church each weekend.

Other than the last few minutes when the pastor became very personal, the worship "program" in this “hot” church did not help me worship, but I can't speak for others in the room. This church was pretty much a copy of hundreds of churches that we all hear about (and sometimes criticize) all over the country. It felt pretty formulaic. I was accompanied to both of these worship experiences by a young pastor-to-be.

Today, he and I were team teaching about what the vision and passion of a church should be. I had the beginning and the end of the message. As we moved to the close, I prayed about what I should say. What should be my last words to this congregation? There were some in the room that though they should imitate this “hot” church... at least some of the features. Employ contemporary music. Put together an incredible children’s program. “Program it… and they will come!”

But as I stood in front of this small congregation I found myself yearning for something very different. What I saw on Saturday night was not church. It was a show, or a program, or a medium for a message (the message was good). I’m sure there is a church behind the event I attended but that event was not a church. What I saw gave me absolutely no insight into what that church was like. Is there vital relationships? Are people on mission? Is there a faith-journey engaged by a community of people (not just a few) resulting in expansion of the kingdom and deep worship of God? I don't have a clue.

I am not critical of the new "wave" of churches in our society.

Big is not good. Small is not pure.

I'd like to think that what I saw on Saturday evening has a story behind it of a group of people who committed themselves to one another. Who became passionate about reaching people for Jesus. Who decided to know and obey God’s word including the commandment to go and make disciples of Jesus Christ. Who fell to their knees praying for their friends and neighbors that do not know Jesus. Who rose to their feet in praise of God as they saw him do incredible things. Who then had to figure out what to do with all these people that God gave them and what I saw was a result.

I know a couple of churches that have seen great growth and they have these kinds of stories to tell. Stories of late night prayer meetings for the lost. Of an incredible corporate faith-adventure that left them speechless and full of song. Now they have many new believers, more people that they know what to do with and a tiger-by-the-tail.

The problem is when we see the result and believe that we can become like them by imitating their present form. This is what I call a formulaic solution. Perhaps we can build a big meeting by importing a great worship service or hiring in a children's program.

But that is not was I yearn for. As I stand in front of this small group, I am absolutely convinced that there are people in their town that only they can reach. I yearn for them to begin a faith-adventure together that will surprise everyone except God.

But do we train our young leaders how to have faith? How to pray? How to dream when everyone else doubts? Or do we train them to visit and analyze the results of another congregations faith-adventure and mimic the resultant formula.

¶ 5:34 AM