Transcript Seeker Sensitive Church

Seeker Sensitive Church
What Is It?
• Using the weekend services to reach the unchurched
through high quality music, media, and sermons
referencing popular culture and other familiar/cultural
themes. Churches believe this approach will attract
people searching for answers, bring them into a
relationship with Christ, and then capitalize on their
contagious fervor to evangelize others.
Biblical Support
• The apostle Paul said, "Be wise in the way
you act toward outsiders; make the most
of every opportunity" (Col 4:5). He also
said, "I have become all things to all
people . . . for the sake of the gospel" (1
Cor. 9:22-23).
Key Assumptions
• Non-Christians think traditional church is
boring.
• Church has to speak the language of the culture
in order for people to receive the Gospel.
• Non-Christians need to be evangelized in
church.
• “Unchurched people have dropped out of
church or stayed away because of traditional
liturgy and music.”
Nation-Wide Examples
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Willow Creek Community Church
Saddleback Church
LifeChurch.tv
Newspring Church
Granger Community Church
Fellowship Church
North Point Community Church
Local Examples
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Rolling Hills Community Church
Abundant Life Church
Living Hope Church
East Hill Church
Video: Examples of Seeker
Sensitive Music/Worship
• http://www.vimeo.com/6432799
Pros
• Presents a biblical message in relevant terms
that people understand.
• Focus is on reaching people who are outside of
the church instead of keeping those inside
happy.
• Makes a church and a church service a mission.
• Takes away some stumbling blocks to religion.
• Allows church to be a place for those looking
for God.
Cons
• “Seeker-sensitive churches may convert God’s
message into a form more likely to impress but
less likely to save the unbeliever.”
• Promotes a culture of attenders being
customers and in turn a consumeristic church.
• Focus is on the unbeliever instead of God.
• Method always has some effect on the message.
• The main assumptions could be wrong.
Typical Church Service
• Opener/Prelude: Contemporary (possibly
secular) song focused on the day’s topic.
• 2/3 song worship set of familiar/contemporary
songs
• Announcements (offering collected or no
offering is taken, collected online/office)
• Video or Drama focused on the day’s topic.
• Sermon/Message. 20 to 30 minutes.
• End with a song and possibly an altar call.
– Short service, focused around the topic of the day.
What Has Changed?
• Internet Campuses
• Worship Music Popularity
• “Hybrid Churches” that are evangelistic,
but not necessarily seeker sensitive.
• The big name “seeker sensitive” churches
have changed their Sunday service model
and focus.
Closing Thoughts
• Controversial but really shouldn’t be.
• No one uses the phrase “seeker sensitive”
anymore.
• In some ways every church is seeker
sensitive, some churches just aren’t very
sensitive to seekers.