Would the World Be Better if You Came to My Church?

A little while ago, I wrote 12 Reasons Not to Come to My Church, a slightly tongue-in-cheek piece on all the trendy writing out there on how to get folks into the pews for we churchie-leading types.

I then took a moment to think about the real question -- even framing it was tricky.  Here's the best I could come up with:  would the world be better if you came to my church? (as opposed to some other church or even no church at all, I suppose).

The best answer I came up with?  I don't know.  

Do I want you to come to my church for you or for me?  Truth be told, it’s both, and I’m thinking that’s okay.

I want you here for me because in order to be church, there needs to be people.  It’s really that simple.  When it comes to church, more isn’t always better, but some is always good.  And these days, we’re kind of short on some at my church, so we need you.

But our need of you doesn’t necessarily coincide with your need of us.

But sometimes it does.

I want you to come for me, but I also want you to come for you.

Why?

I suppose it’s another pretty simple reason: I love church and it’s been good to and for me and I want to share that with you.

It’s not magic and it sure ain’t Candyland.  But there’s enough good here to want to share.

I hope you’ll come, or at least come by.


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*I know I left out the God part, but really, can't we take God as a given, just this once?  It is church we're talking about, after all.