I was privileged to have a lunchtime conversation with Alan Hirsch, an Australian missiologist and author of the recent book The Forgotten Ways, during the Exponential Conference in Orlando, Florida yesterday.

Our church has been engaged in a missional outreach to a low-income apartment complex for the past three years. The poverty is overwhelming — 85% of the families have less than $10,000 per year in income, and the family structure is overwhelmingly single-parent households led by women (just 12 married couples in 200+ apartments).

We had a family move into the complex three years ago and engage in the simple ministry of loving their neighbors. Their incarnational presence has been amazing, and they’ve done a tremendous job of connecting with teen-agers and elementary-aged children. Along with others in our church we’ve engaged the community in several outreach and service events, all of which have been well-attended by community residents.

Our biggest challenge has been connecting with adults. We’ve tried an Alpha group, other forms of small groups, and the simple act of inviting neighbors over for dinner, but have not yet seen community develop. In my conversation with Alan Hirsch, I asked him for advice and counsel for our situation.

In his wisdom, Alan didn’t provide us with any answers. Instead, he provided us with something better — a set of penetrating missionary questions that would help us exegete the culture. He encouraged us to look at the complex with missionary eyes, observe carefully, and ask three critical questions. Here they are:

What gatherings exist in that culture?

The first thing he encouraged us to observe was the gathering pattern of people, specifically, where, when, and how often people gather. In his Australian context people gather around sports, and he pointed out that although Australia is a small country, they routinely place fourth overall in the summer Olympics. People regular gather to watch sports, cheer on their team, and so forth.

What are people searching for in those gatherings?

Another participant in the discussion calls this “the need behind the deed.” What existential issues are people trying to meet through these gatherings? Alan shared the example of people who gather for gambling, many of whom are women. Rather than focusing primarily on the sin issue (whether the activity is right or wrong), we need to look behind it to see what need people are seeking to meet through this activity. In the gambling example people are often lonely (in need of companionship) and also financially-strapped and without resources (in need of hope).

What could the church do to redeem that?

This third question helps us understand how Jesus is good news to this culture. Alan quoted C.S. Lewis who said, “All our vices are virtues gone wrong.” (Which reminded me of another writer who describes the seven deadly sins as “disordered loves”). He also quoted another person (whose name I missed) who says that idolatry is better than atheism because people are still worshipping something.

What would community look like among that community?

To me this was the hardest question to get my head around. It’s the second part of Alan’s two step processing of seeding (being missional) and embedding (incarnating the church in that culture). The idea is that church might look very different than we expect — taking a form that fits the gathering model of the local culture, but still being a covenant community centered on Jesus Christ and practicing communion with Christ, growing as disciples, and engaging in mission together. 

More on the topic of Attractional and Incarnational Church Planting track at the Exponential Conference in Orlando, Florida.

The Question:

At the same time that church attendance is increasing overall, the number of megachurches is growing and the size of those churches is growing. What does that mean?

The Answers:

Neil Cole: "Walmart has come to town and the mom-and-pop businesses are closing down because they can’t compete."

Greg Hawkins: "Our research revealed that…the number one thing people said is that they wanted to be challenged to grow spiritually and take my next step, to know the Bible in greater depth, and to have a deep personal relationship with Jesus Christ…not dumbing it down….People are hungry for a relationship with God, and some churches are getting it right."

Alan Hirsch: "We cannot miss the issue of consumerism and the church…You can’t consume your way to discipleship."

The Discussion:

Whether your church is attractional or incarnational, are you seeing this deeper hunger for God and a relationship with Jesus in your context?

Defining Attractional

Alan Hirsch: “It’s not that you shouldn’t be attractive — all Christianity ought to be attractive. Instead it’s about a missionary stance towards culture.”

Neil Cole: “We live in a capitalistic culture with a consumeristic church… the idea is that the church and the people of God are sent into the world to bring the message of God.” Attractional is “trying to draw people to the church ministry by trying to impress people that Christians are strong.”

Sally Morgenthaler: “Is it image-based?”

Neil Cole: “The approach is symptomatic. We’re driven and led more by our definition of church — a event which takes place on Sunday morning…the whole premise [of attractional approach] is built on a faulty understanding of church.”

Darrin Patrick: “You see things as buildings and technology as things in culture which can be used, and that people like to come and corporately worship, both Christian and non-Christians…and that those who have gifts of teaching, that God can use those in large groups. You see that in church history….[What is incarnational?] Christians live out the gospel in their context. Just as Jesus tabernacled among us.”

Greg Hawkins: “If you’re just trying to attract to get big, that’s nasty — that’s weird to me.”

I’ll be blogging this week from the Exponential Conference in Orlando, Florida — the largest gathering of church planters in North America.

Today and tomorrow I’m attending a panel discussion on Attractional and Incarnational Church Planting with Sally Morgenthaler, Alan Hirsch, Greg Hawkins, and Neil Cole.