Why I don’t go to church

“I have heard that 90% of all the resources available for use by the church (note the singular noun) in the world today are used by less than 10% of the church (again note the singular.) Most parts of the church in the West (that we call โ€œchurchesโ€) spend as much money watering the grass at the building where that part of the church meets (that we erroneously call โ€œchurchesโ€) than the entire annual economic needs of other parts of the church in the poorer places on the planet.”

Bob, Why I Dont go to Church

Andrew

Andrew Jones launched his first internet space in 1997 and has been teaching on related issues for the past 20 years. He travels all the time but lives between Wellington, San Francisco and a hobbit home in Prague.

14 Comments

  • Jason Clark says:

    Of course whilst that is tragic, all the people who ‘don’t go to church’ automatically spend all their church resources on mission?

  • Kenny says:

    I agree that the church is the body of believers and not the building, but why can’t that body of believers own a building to meet in? And often times that building/property can be used to further God’s kingdom. So again, what’s wrong with that.
    And I’ll continue to call the buildings churches, because I’m not going to say ‘The building the church meets in’ or ‘The building the church owns’.

  • ally simpson says:

    lets not forget that sometimes Church just ………….yawn
    zzzzzz
    oh sorry i almost nodded off, that happens when i talk about Church these days!

  • R.C. Babione says:

    I can remember going through confirmation class and learning then (at least in principle) that the church was not the bricks and mortor but the people. Funny how we don’t always practice that (at least in the Western church). A time is coming when, I believe, we will be forced to meet in houses. When that happens, I believe the church will regain its “fire power” and spread wildly again. (My apologies to those who live the house church life and are spreading wildly around the world.)

  • I am hearing “we are the church” more and more often these days. Jesus said the Kingdom of God is at hand. We are not limited to simply waiting around for God’s eternal glory, for it is available for the asking right now, today. And we are His ambassadors, not only for a fire insurance policy, but to be the hands and feet and arms and legs and little toenails of the body of Christ on earth. I know that was a bit of “Christianese” there, but I think this discussion is happening mostly between followers of Christ who are looking to repent from the sins of Laodicea.

  • hey we had John and Caroline’s texas gathering here tonight… i’m about to shove off in slumber land… “uncle ned”……… but you were talked about in fond thought…………………….
    figured you might smile that you and and yours were brought to the table…… it was cool…………
    i’ll post a few pics when we sort them through.
    Love ya bro…. long journey and deeply heart felt.
    Higher, deeper, wider and broader we go….. eh?
    xo k8

  • Charlie Boyd says:

    Let’s face it folks
    Most financial giving to Western Churches is to keep the building in one piece and very trendy if possible,keep the ‘full time’ ministry team in jobs with the left overs being given to the poor or mission ( which may involve getting converts to give their money to build a ‘church’ and support someone to go ‘full time’)It kind of sounds like a pyramid scheme with it’s Headquarters in the Temple of Solomon.That’s one reason I don’t do the church thing.Ekklesia is another matter.
    Charlie Boyd

  • I am fairly new to this line of thought, even though God was clearly steering us toward this for the past few years before we knew it existed. What does this missional lifestyle look like in the practical sense? I mean, what do you do with your life? I am asking because we desire to be missional and are not sure how. Thanks.

  • andrew says:

    theresa – i have a stack of posts and book reviews on this just waiting to come out. maybe next week there should be something here.
    hang on . . . and watch this space . .

  • Okay, I suppose. I just added this page to my Home tabs. ๐Ÿ˜‰

  • Has it been a week yet? Oh, guess not. Just thought I’d be obnoxious and come around again. ๐Ÿ™‚

  • Jeremy says:

    ‘going to church’ is one of the most misleading phrases in common Christian usage. We all know that the church is the people, but our actions belie that on a daily basis. From sunday school onwards, the church is something to attend, rather than to be.
    Some groups do great things in their buildings, but we should build community centres or sports halls or some kind of building that offers a service to the people around us, rather than meeting our own needs first.
    I’m not totally against the idea, but personally, I’d rather the church didn’t have buildings at all. It would help us keep perspective. If you’re big enough to outgrow a living room, maybe its just time to divide and double your impact.

  • My husband noted to me this morning that it was in the traditional church that we grew and learned and developed our lives in Christ. I said that God will work with us where we are – he worked with Corrie Ten Boom in the concentration camp, but that doesn’t mean it is the ideal. ๐Ÿ™‚ All that to say, I find it increasingly important to not knock the institution to the point of hurting the people who run it, ie our pastors and other friends and family. Not that anyone here suggested such a thing. It is only a natural possible reaction to our waking up to the ills of the institution. If we are the church, then the people who thought they were doing the best thing in the institution are the church too, and there is now no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus. I am really talking to myself here this morning, as I ponder and realize, but wanted to share this with you all too. God bless you! ๐Ÿ˜‰

  • Still watching…. ๐Ÿ˜‰

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