In the post-Christian world, engagement fuels attendance. Attendance no longer fuels engagement.
4. Your Tidy Categories Are Falling Apart
As you engage more and more unchurched people, you’ll realize that your neat and tidy theological and sociological categories for people will erode and collapse and you realize we’re just actually all people in need of a Savior.
As people with different socio-economic backgrounds, ethnic backgrounds, educational backgrounds, sexual ethics and moral standards arrive at your church, it will push a lot of your people (who pretty much all look and act the same way) out of their comfort zones. That’s a great thing.
That doesn’t mean your theology changes, but it probably means your compassion should.
And it likely means that your easy answers instead become involved conversations.
If you can’t get used to diversity on earth, you’re going to hate heaven.
5. You’re Getting Surprisingly Candid Questions
As you surround yourself with unchurched people, you will see more of the pain and messiness of life.
Long time church people often experience the same pain and life issues; it’s just unchurched people feel freer to talk about them.
So get ready. Have a list of counselors nearby.
And get ready to engage more real life issues from the platform.
When you speak into real life, people listen.
6. Everyone’s Tolerance for Hypocrisy Is Plummeting
People with little to no church background hate hypocrisy. And they will call it out.
