With the emergence of the "missional church" today, there seems to be a lively discussion pitting the "attractional" model of church against the "incarnational" model. Perhaps you have entered the debate.
Can you take both approaches? Can a church be both attractional and incarnational?
Interesting question. It certainly stimulated a great conversation recently with a couple of friends. Here's what emerged in our discussion.
Jesus was attractional & attractive. It is impossible for people not to be drawn to Him. The problem with much of the church today is that we have organized our leadership and churches around attraction at the expense of incarnation. We have attempted to attract without incarnation. We have put all of our eggs in the attractional basket and severely neglected the call to serve/ love and live in the world.
It is the incarnational lifestyle that makes us attractive.
We have built our ministries on attraction without incarnational living. This has led to many people in our churches believing that it is the staff's/ pastor's job to provide programs at the church that will yield the fruit of people reached, which has, in turn, led to people believing that it's not their job to go!
We don't have to pit attractional against incarnational. One will lead to the other. If we really want to draw people to Jesus, we are compelled to go. "No servant is greater than His master. As you have seen me wash your feet, and serve you, you will be blessed as you go and do the same." or "I have given you an example to follow. Do as I have done to you." John 13 Jesus speaks those words to every Jesus-follower today. Incarnational living is attractive!
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