Andy Postell’s Blog

Here is a simple thought – Church should be fun! I had a discussion this morning with a gentleman that found out I was in the process of planting a new church here in Cartersville. He obviously had some pretty negative feelings about new churches and he surely didn’t mind vocalizing his dissatisfaction. His argument is one that I have heard before. Church should be reverent – church should be holy – church should be sanctified. When we bring in modern music, guitars, drums, flashing lights, according to this gentleman, we lessen the message of Jesus Christ.

I listened to his argument and I even understood where he was coming from but I simply could not disagree more. I think church IS Holy but not because of anything we do. Church is Holy because God is Holy. Why do guitars and a more modern approach to church have to be viewed as contrary to reverence, holiness, and sanctification. Jesus was committed to reaching lost people. Jesus would go anywhere and associate with anyone in order to reach people. He talked differently and he didn’t always follow the rules. When we allow any rule to become more important than reaching people with the gospel, I think we find ourselves in a very dangerous place. Don’t get me wrong – we have to keep the gospel message as core. We have to focus on Christ. We have to love God and our neighbor. If we do those things, regardless of our church model, people will come and grow in their relationship with God.

I contrast this man’s reaction and view of church with a elementary-aged young man that I was speaking to earlier in the week. He was excited that Church at The Well was having its monthly preview service this Sunday. As the pastor, this got me excited and I began to talk to him and find out what made it exciting for him. He said that ‘church was fun’. I was curious what that meant to a 10-year old boy. After some more questions, he told me that he had never gone to a church where he could have fun and learn about God at the same time. Even at a young age, he had this presupposition that learning about God and fun had to be mutually exclusive. Why? He went on to tell me that he was bringing a friend with him to church this Sunday because he wanted his friend to have fun. His friend, by the way, is from a family that does not attend church. Isn’t that cool? By allowing people (of all ages) to understand that church can be fun, people get excited and invite people to come with them. When these people come with them, I believe that the Spirit of God works in their hearts and that they experience the power of the gospel in their lives. Isn’t that what Jesus commanded us to do?

I would challenge you to ask yourself a question that I ask myself all the time – ‘is whatever I am holding on to worth it at the expense of not reaching someone for Jesus Christ?’