Upon reading this title, one may think that I am about to launch into a tirade against the "Magic Bullet" kitchen utensil advertised on TV infomercials. No, actually I own one of those and use it daily. No problem with that magic bullet. The problem I want to address is the never ending attempt of church leaders to find a "magic bullet" by which they can grow their churches.
The Washington Post brings us
a story about the NFL's smackdown on church Super Bowl parties (HT: Tony Reinke). Jacqueline Salmon writes, "Last year, Vienna Presbyterian Church planned a party in its fellowship hall for its
middle school and high school students, airing the game on its 12-foot
video screen. Church leaders had hoped to use the game to draw in the
teenagers, often a tough crowd to get through church doors. 'We thought we had found our magic bullet,' said Barb Jones, the church's director of communication."
Let me be perfectly transparent here. You will not find a bigger sports fan than me. In fact, I often wrestle against letting my interests in sports become too much of a priority in my life. Last year, when my beloved Chicago Bears went to the Super Bowl, I greeted our congregation as they exited the sanctuary on Super Bowl Sunday morning wearing my Bears cap. But, two things I did not do. I did not cancel evening service so that people could stay home to watch the game, and I did not plan a church super bowl party. Rather, we gathered for worship and Bible study (and I stood at the podium wearing a Bears jersey). I won't be so pious to condemn those who offer Super Bowl parties as a means of Christian fellowship. It can be a wonderful opportunity. But, I will take issue with those who see the Super Bowl party or any other "trick" as its "magic bullet" for church growth.
While these churches may grow in attendance, that growth will not be gospel-driven or discipleship-centered. It has been well said by many: What you win them with, you win them to. Thus churches who rely on "magic bullets" are like drug addicts who find that they constantly need to up the dosage. If we show the game on a six foot screen this year, then we will have to outdo those who show it on an eight foot screen next year, because if someone puts on a better show than we do, we will lose all of our people to that church. And the consumers bounce from place to place looking for who is putting on the best show.
I will acknowledge the unlevel playing field that the NFL has adopted in allowing the big game to be shown in sports bars but not in church fellowship halls. I believe that this is driven by the mass quantities of money pumped into the NFL by its alcohol advertisers. But it would be more fair to ban the event from both, or allow it in both, rather than giving sports bars a singular special exception. That being said, church leaders need to watch the whole game, especially that little tag line that Joe Buck always says shortly after the winning coach is baptized in Gatorade. "This telecast is copyrighted by the NFL for the private use of our
audience. Any other use of this telecast or any pictures, descriptions,
or accounts of the game without the NFL's consent is prohibited." It is the same as the law pertaining to DVD usage. That WARNING screen that pops up before the movie starts says that you can only watch this DVD in the privacy of your home, and that it is not licensed for public viewing. Churches would do well to obey these laws, even if we don't agree with them. Renegades make for poor witnesses.
So, one may ask, "Do you have a magic bullet?" Surely no one charting the growth or lack thereof of any churches I have pastored would ask that question. I don't have a great track record of tremendous growth. And the only magic bullet I have is in my kitchen, used for making smoothies. Rather than magic bullets, I have put my confidence in a sword -- the Word of God. Either the Word will build the church, or else it won't be built. So it must be faithfully taught, preached, and shared in the marketplace by the pastor and every member to the ends of the earth until Jesus comes. This is the message and the method. And what we win them with we will win them to.
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