Attractional Church Planting

Recently I have been thinking a lot about the future of church planting in a post attractional age of church life.

First let me explain Attractional Church Planting. Allan Hirsch is credited with coining the word “attractional” to describe the way evangelical cutting edge church has been done from the 1980’s until now. A new (or old but transitioning) church seeks through its presence, programming and marketing–everything from four-color brochures to word-of-mouth, to attract people to its services. The pure attractional model seeks to draw people into the church building so that they will have a specialized need met, and in the process of having a need met enter into meaningful human relationships, and then hopefully they will be pointed to Christ, enter into a saving relationship with him, and finally be integrated into the life of the congregation. The basis of this model came out of capitalizing on what in business is called good-will: a good reputation in the community as a place of peace and help. The kingdom has greatly expanded because of this approach. The church has refocused itself outwardly. The effects and benefits have been well documented.

But we are now 30 years into this approach and I still meet church planters that gravitate to this approach, instead of asking what’s next?

Playfully Lazy…

Last week I was living the life of a bachelor while my girls enjoyed the beach. By the end of the week I realized something that must change for future bachelor experiences. Week to week I try hard to balance and prioritize work and family. I try to debunk the myth that Pastors are slothful and just play each week by approaching my time with tactical fervor. I always fill up each day and often am late because of overdoing/underestimating my time constraints. Most of the time I overdo a day…but I love it!

This past week, when my family wasn’t in the picture my entire routine was messed up creating open spaces for playful laziness. By the end of the week, the few hours each day created a lathargic individual. I didn’t waste time, I just didn’t invest my time in things that matter.

So for the next bachelor experience I will be embarking on some radical journeys, pushing the limits of my studying, developing, and writing; as well as, inviting others to hold me accountable–that was the missing element.