Posted on December 3, 2008 by wwwestlake

I found my longevity in ministry, when I faced my consumerism, and its co-dependent-forming effect on churches, and shifted my orientation to contributing, to blessing & benefiting our neighbors and beyond.

It’s the air we breathe – Western cultures are now so consumeristic, that by default churchgoers approach church as consumers, and leaders produce church as goods and services. This sets up a toxic co-dependency, and needs to be addressed including reworking the mission statement so that it can’t possibly be reinterpreted as consuming, but is unmistakably about contributing.

Willow Creek’s Reveal Project is a good attempt to ask honest questions, like: Why do “mature” Christians become dissatisfied with church? Why don’t they feed themselves, and self-initiate?

I like that those questions are being asked, but if the basic consumer orientation of the organisation is not addressed at the level of their mission statement, the solutions suggested will be more consumer products – which will be self-defeating.

I found my longevity in ministry, when I faced my consumerism, and its co-dependent-forming effect on churches, and shifted my orientation to contributing to the blessing & benefit of our neighbors and beyond.

More…

http://wwwestlake.wordpress.com/2008/12/03/consumers-at-heart-from- consuming-to-contributing/