Don’t ask me how I found this, but I did – a Clown Service at this “church”. I don’t even know what to say about it. I’m speechless (just like they were). But if you want to know why the church is a laughing stock for all the wrong reasons, this is it.
A service without words? It’s a denial of the gospel.
Doggie's Breakfast 
Because every church service must include the gospel message?
What about bringing people into hearing the message of Yahweh a stage at a time? I don’t remember Jesus trying to shoehorn ‘the full gospel message’ into everything he said and did, which is what I’ve seen at most evangelical churches.
Don’t get me wrong, I think the evangelicals have it more right than anyone else – but there seems to be a fear of doing anything but sitting everyone down and giving them a careful bible exposition.
I doubt the ‘clown service’ is main thrust of the church’s attempt to reach non-Christians, but I’m sure it piqued the interest of many who would otherwise not be interested. I have little or no interest in Christianity for instance, but because of what they did (and of course you bringing my attention to it) I went on to read some of the articles and bible passages they have on their site – and if that church were in York I’d probably give them a visit and have a chat with some of the people there.
I wouldn’t say that the church was a ‘laughing stock’, at best its seen as something that’s good and nice for those who it /works/ for, and at worst something that is false and irrelevant to our lives.
As a former evangelical I agree that Christianity is either true for everyone or no one, but I don’t think thats the main problem the church faces. The main problem is that it fails to connect with society today (or at least the younger portion of it of which I am a member), by that I don’t mean that the church should change it’s fundamental message (i.e. the gospel) but rather that it needs to move with the times in terms of actually connecting with ‘the lost’. Whatever the flaws of DCC in Derby are for instance I think their young persons music thing they hold is an excellent idea as it gets people into the church and talking to people that they wouldn’t do otherwise.
I know numerous people (my age) who would happily talk rationally with a Christian about Christianity but most churches (e.g. Woodlands) just aren’t going to meet them as you don’t do anything that actually reaches out to them, meets them, connects with them, or interests them in your message.
The other side of the coin of course is that perhaps Christianity is generally in decline because of those who have heard the message they don’t believe that it’s true. I was a Christian for instance, and yet I see no reason to believe that any god exists, let alone Yahweh. I spent every night for about 6 months looking through the bible, praying, meeting with other Christians, discussing things, and so on – and came up empty. If after all that effort ultimately you end up with nothing then it makes me think that maybe peopel become Christians not because it is objectively true but rather because they have some kind of random religious experience that (in the context of church etc) maintains those feelings and so on (this would also explain why Muslims, Sikhs, and so on have similar experiences and are similarly certain that their faith is true).
Because every church service must include the gospel message?
You got it! Worship is about the gospel. The primary actor is God. He speaks to us by his word. To think of communication in the other direction is to misunderstand what is going on. The essential elements of the communication are the gospel promises, said week after week, service after service. God knows believers need to hear them again and again. Any response in song or service comes as a result of this primary Divine activity.
It can never be simply sitting everyone down and giving them a careful bible exposition. It is more than that, and it certainly is not less. If you assume that what they should be about is tayloring a service in order to ‘pique interest’ then this is just to miss the point. We are not setting some king of honey trap for unsuspecting unbelievers. You know – the honey of entertainment attracts them and then ‘hit’ them with the gospel when they least expect it. This is dishonest and to be abhorred.
Rob, if you were interested in a church because they put on a good show, then you are being tricked. Ultimately you will find that what they offer does not do the ultimate ‘biz’. (In fact, I can’t help noticing that though you extol the virtues of DCC you ain’t actually there any more – doesn’t seem to have satisfied you.)
Finally, the decline in church attendance is also correlated with loss of confidence in preaching. But whatever! At the end of the day, the church is told to preach the gospel faithfully and leave the results in the hands of God. We are not to be driven by what ‘works’ but by what is commanded. That’s the fundamental point at issue with this ‘Clown Service’.
*smacks hand to forehead in ongoing despair*
pencils
pencils,
Probably the most meaningful response…