Why does the church exist? Let’s talk and listen.

I think a lot about the church as a whole – how it functions and operates. How it is organized. How communicates its message. And how it comes up short in these areas and others.

Something that I think doesn’t get much attention right now, at least in mainline circles of the church is communication. Far too often we’re so busy being exact about deep theological issues, that we lose sight of where so many people are – not in those deep theological circles. They are living their lives, paying their bills, and struggling for meaning in life.

I think it’s safe to say that the more fundamentalist and evangelical strains of Christianity are way out in front on the communications end of things. Fundamentalists and evangelicals have invested a great deal of time, money, and energy into their communications with people. They have created whole networks, radio stations, entertainment organizations (that convey their message), social media presences, and more. Part of this comes from the core foundation of their beliefs – that they are called to go and save people. That’s a very outward and active outlook to Christianity.

The mainline churches have fallen way behind on communications. But it wasn’t always this way. Anyone remember Davey and Goliath? (Here’s the very first episode from way back when – you’re welcome). I think every Gen X kid probably saw some of these episodes. This show was like the theological version of “I’m just a bill.” (Here’s the link – again, you can thank me later.)

We’ve gotten too bogged down with infighting over a variety of things – I’m not going to list them here because doing so would just prove the point. That’s not to say that the things we are fighting over aren’t important. They are, but when we keep fighting we lose sight of why the church exists and the message we are called to proclaim.

About 10 years ago, I spent a year in Finland with my family. I was in seminary and I did an exchange year of studies at the University of Helsinki. In addition I did my own investigation about the Lutheran Church in Finland. That involved visiting a variety of churches, attending an array of worship services, and having conversations with anyone willing to talk about the church. (Here’s an article I wrote before I left – it appeared in a Lutheran Church publication in 2015.)

The conversations were wonderful. I was so grateful for people’s openness with their thoughts and feeling about the church. One of the most common questions I asked people was “Why does the church exist?” If I asked 100 people this question, I feel confident in saying that I received 100 different responses. This tells me there no one knows why the church exists there. That’s a problem. And it’s a symptom of why the church in Finland is in decline. There’s far too many messages being conveyed.

I would argue that we have the same problem here in the US. Why does the church exist? It’s a simple question. If you asked people in your congregation this question, what would the answers be? Would there be a unifying answer? Would it be clear? Would it be repeatable or a series of long sentences?

My friends, we need to work on our communications. We need to be clear on why the church exists. We need to communicate that both inside the church and outside. We are far behind in this department.

And we need to invest money in doing this well. I’m talking about real money invested in conveying the message of what the church is really about – the message we are called to share. Where would this money be invested? For starters, let’s hire young people to craft the message and proclaim it across platforms in ways that will connect with other young people. Let’s empower them to make decisions on how to do that and what it needs to sound like. I have heard lots of talk about people wanting young people in churches. Then start by making young people feel like that matter. The best way to do that is to empower young people in conveying the message.

Let’s invest in communications methods convey the message. We need a communications plan for internal communications – reteaching what it means to be a Christian. We need to reclaim Christianity from the folks who are tying it to other things besides Jesus and his message and his kingdom. We also need a communications plan with an external focus. And that external focus should be led by younger people who can reach younger generations. We need to hire digital natives who understand the platforms people use and how to navigate through them with ease.

We still have churches that are fighting over whether to have a Facebook presence. That debate is about 20 years too late.

Communications isn’t the end all, be all. It’s not a cure all either. It’s a tool. It’s a tool that can help the church be clear about why it exists and can help the church convey that message to our neighbors who are struggling to pay the bills, feeling alone, and searching for purpose and meaning. It’s a tool that can connect with people who are in search of community and healing. It’s a tool that can focus our congregations in their mission – rather than trying to appeal to everyone, who are you called to be in community with in your congregation. If everyone is your target, then no one is. The reality is each congregation should have a primary focus of mission and ministry. You can’t do it all, nor should you. You aren’t called to be everything to everybody. You are called to be you with the people around you.

The biggest challenge that mainline churches have is that they aren’t used to evangelizing – or to put it another way, communicating Christ’s message and hope. Lutherans in North America grew by immigration or births. That’s not working any more. So that means we need to start talking with people. And listening and hearing what it is they are seeking and how the church and what it has to offer matches up with that. That doesn’t come by trying to convince people to change their minds, or coerce them, or impose on them. Instead, part of our message is an invitation to be in relationship and community together.

We have an opportunity to invite people into a different way of living and being. We have an opportunity to invite people into community. We have an opportunity to invite people into spiritual healing and more.

And in so doing, the church will adapt and adjust. It will experience the transformation of Jesus within the faith community. And when that happens, evangelizing won’t feel forced. It will be more natural and won’t feel awkward.

We have an opportunity dear church. And we have a compelling message – if only we focus and say it together. We have an invitation – both for people in our communities and people within the congregations. It’s a rainy day. It’s been raining for some time. Now is the time to tap into the resources we have and use them for the mission.