There is a cancer
that has been around the American church for decades that needs to be addressed
by pastors, ministry leaders, seminaries, denominations, and the person in the
pew. That cancer is what is known as Consumer Christianity. I will try to give a
simple definition explaining as best as I can. The word consumer is pretty self explanatory in that it is a verb that describes someone who consumes. Being a
consumer means that you take and take, and take and rarely ever give back. Take
for example the retail segment of our economy. That industry is a consumer
driven industry where the retailer has a product and the consumer buys it for
their consumption or use. There would be no product unless there were a
consumer and there would be nor consumer unless there were a product. A
two-edge sword, one creates the other.

In churches across
America today we have the same dilemma. A cause/creation factor of the consumer
wanting from the church and the church offering up a product that meets the
needs of it's consumers. We want to Live Our Best Life Now with Joel Osteen and
find out how to live a Purpose Driven Life with Rick Warren. Our children are
fed a diet of Veggie Tales, then when they're old enough they move onto
whatever the coolest current Contemporary Christian Music offering is. Our
church culture is filled with church shoppers looking for the best bargain, the
best services, the best programs to meet their needs. What in the name of
Napoleon Dynamite have we come to?

The problem for the
church in America is that it has acquiesced (for you guys in the south, that
means to comply/give in) to the
consumer and given it what it wants at the sake of the gospel. I know you may
be thinking you know where this going. I am going to slam guys like Rick
Warren, Bill Hybels, Ed Young, Andy Stanley etc… The answer is no. I am
friends with Rick Warren and a church I used to pastor was awarded the Church
Health Award from Saddleback/Purpose Driven. I pastor I church that God allowed
me to plant that is considered contemporary/edgy/different. Let me warn church
planters that you will face this more quickly than you imagine. There will be
those who come in with their ideas and agenda as to what your church should be
and look like.

What I am talking
about is not the church, but the people who are attending. They are shopping
for the best product to meet their need, bottom line. What is the problem with
that? The problem is that pastors, under pressure to be successful, keep
people, increase the finances are willing to acquiesce to keep people from
leaving. I am all about reaching people, ask anyone at Bridge Church and
they will tell you that I focus on reaching people more than I should. I am
also about making sure that people have opportunities to grow, serve, and make an
impact in their world. What I am not about, is stroking and petting those who
want to have their personal, individual needs met. If Bridge Church doesn't "meet their needs,”
then there is only one option. Don't be afraid to lose people. I never want to see
people go, but there are times when people need to leave and there are times
when I was too afraid to lose people that I kept around people that needed to
leave. 

The damage that is
being done here is not to pastors or churches, but to the gospel. Everyone,
pastors and congregants both need to realize and be taught that everything is
about Jesus. Churches do not exist for pastors or for people to come get their
needs met. The church exists for Jesus.  It is there to make him famous so
that he will be looked at as special, as holy, as the Lord of Lords and the
King of Kings. Christianity is not about the next greatest Christian novel or
the heart touching worship song. It is not about cool buildings, large budget,
or the unbelievable programs. Christianity is about Jesus. Church is
about Jesus. It is for him and by him!

 Warren Wiersbe
wrote: 

Suffice it to say now that a true disciple is not a reservoir but a
gushing fountain, an artesian well of spiritual blessing. He does not live to
get; he lives to give. What he receives from the Lord, he shares with others;
and in sharing, he receives even more. He is careful to guard the precious
spiritual investment God has put into his life, but he also invests that
treasure in the lives of others.

     Wiersbe, W. W. (1988). Prayer : Basic training. Wheaton, IL: Tyndale.

 This problem is
identified in scripture, “For am I now seeking the approval of man, or
of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please
man, I would not be a servant of Christ.” (Galatians 1:10 ESV)  Consumer Christianity is man, pleasing
man, not man pleasing God. When that happens the gospel of Jesus has no effect,
no power, and no energy. Christianity and church become a three-ring circus
where the ringmaster is trying to keep things going and pretty soon it will
collapse. 

You can have
exciting programs, great buildings, excellent music and speaking, but if that
church doesn't focus on Jesus it is a consumer driven church.  The
church/ministry that focuses on pleasing people and meeting peoples needs will
not be a servant of Christ. It may grow, but it will not be an Acts 1:8 church
(you might want to read that one).

As a side note, at
Bridge Church we are re-visioning how we believe that God wants to use us to
reach northeast Ohio. Our focus has been on children/students, Sunday gathering,
Acts of Kindness, and Small groups. 
These four areas will remain a priority, but we will add one more item
to our focus and that will be church planting.  The first four areas have been resourced very well the first
two years of existence of Bridge Church and now that we add church planting we
need to resource that as well. In doing so, some of our church think that we
will be neglecting our core mission of having Bridge Church in Perry. Contrary to
that belief we plan to continue resource BC@P, investing further in our four
core areas and looking for land or land/building to continue to reach
Perry/Madison area.