“God did not give us local churches to become country clubs where membership means we have privileges and perks. He places us in churches to serve, to care for others, to pray for leaders, to learn, to teach, to give, and in some cases, to die for the sake of the gospel.” -Thom Rainer, I Am a Church Member, p. 6.
Is Your Church a Country Club?
This summer I am teaching a class at our church about become an outwardly focused Christian. The class is based largely on several books by Thom Rainer, including I Am a Church Member, I Will, Autopsy of a Deceased Church and Anatomy of a Revived Church.
One of the things I appreciate about Thom Rainer is that he’s worked with a lot of different kinds of churches all across the country and has a really good sense of what’s going well and what needs to be addressed in our congregations. He knows (like we all do) that the church is facing some significant challenges, both from the outside as well as within.
Thom Rainer wants to make sure that we as church members are owning up to our part of the problem, rather than blaming everyone around us for what’s going wrong in the church.
Here’s what I mean. One of the biggest things he talks about as a challenge facing the church is our collective attitude about the church. Specifically, some Christians have adopted a “Country Club” mentality about their churches that is really hurting us.
In a country club, a person pays their membership dues and then they are entitled to benefits and services. You don’t go to a country club to serve others—you go to be served. When we apply that kind of attitude to the churches we’re a part of, church becomes the place to get your needs met.
Here’s what he says about this phenomenon in his book about being the right kind of church member:
“I am suggesting that congregations across America are weak because many of us church members have lost the biblical understanding of what it means to be a part of the body of Christ. We join our churches expecting others to serve us, to feed us, and to care for us.” -Thom Rainer, I Am a Church Member, p. 5
The Problem with Country Club Christianity
In country club Christianity, the key phrase is “I want.” It’s all about your preferences, your comfort, your needs. The idea of going there to serve others barely reaches your consciousness.
When “I Want” becomes the default attitude of the church, those members focus on receiving instead of giving, being served instead of serving, rights instead of responsibilities, and entitlements instead of sacrifices.
Church becomes a product, we become consumers, and our commitment to our churches becomes conditional on how well the church continues to do what we want it to do in a way that we’re comfortable with.
Does that sound like the kind of church we read about in the Bible? Does it sound like the kind of church that is likely to reach out into the community and lead people to Christ? If you ask me, the answer is no.
What the Bible Teaches us about the Church
There’s obviously all kinds of problems with Country Club Christianity. Most importantly, it’s completely at odds with the way the Bible talks about church membership.
Here’s a quick sampling of some key passages about the church in the Bible:
Acts 2:42-47. The church is devoted to meeting together for prayer and Bible study. Christians gave sacrificially when others were in need.
1 Corinthians 12:12-31. The church is like a body. Jesus is the head, directing the body, and all of the members are the individual parts. Everyone has a function. Everyone is called to work together.
Philippians 2:1-11. The church is called to imitate the attitude of Jesus by choosing to put other people above themselves. They are to reject selfishness and instead prioritize meeting the needs of others.
1 Peter 4:7-11. Everyone has received a gift from God, and everyone is expected to share their gifts with others. We are all called to serve others faithfully.
If we took passages like these seriously, we would completely reject the idea of Country Club Christianity. Instead of saying “I want,” we’d learn to say “I will.” I will serve, I will pray, I will give sacrificially, and I will value others above myself.
What is the Church Supposed to be Like?
If we know the church isn’t supposed to be a country club, what would be a healthier way of thinking about it? Here’s three possibilities:
1. A Hospital for the Hurting
A place where tired, wounded, weary people can come find hope and healing through a relationship with Jesus. In a hospital, the goal is to heal the hurting and then release those healthy patients back into the world. It’s a huge waste of time and resources to keep healthy patients in the hospital. If those healthy patients get accustomed to having other people stopping by all day every day to meet their needs, and then they start demanding constant attention from the medical staff even though they’re no longer sick, there wouldn't be anyone left to treat the people who are actually hurting.
Now apply that principle to the church.
Churches have a special responsibility to care for the hurting and wounded people that come to them. It would be heartless and cruel for them to turn a blind eye to the hurting because they’re so focused on meeting the needs of their healthy members.
2. A Bootcamp for Believers
A place where healthy Christians are trained for the mission. Special care should be given to make sure that newer Christians are given time to mature and people who have experienced trauma have found healing before encouraging them to go out and serve, but the idea is that you come to church to find healing, and once you’re healthy enough to serve, the church is going to equip you to go out and make a difference in God’s Kingdom.
Churches should be very intentional about training people to go out and serve. And then they need to follow through with action. It doesn’t make sense to have highly trained soldiers that are locked up in the barracks when they’re needing on the battlefield!
3. A Body Joined Together by Christ
This is the metaphor Paul uses to describe the church. Everyone is part of the same body, and when the church is functioning well, Jesus is directing the body and all of its individual parts are working in harmony with one another to accomplish Jesus’ mission for the church.
Application
“Life’s most persistent and urgent question is: What are you doing for others?” -Martin Luther King Jr.
It’s time to move from “I want” to “I will.” Church is not a country club. It’s a hospital for the hurting, a bootcamp for believers, and a body where every members is expected to pull their weight. Are you ready to become that kind of church member?
What is one action item or application point you’ll take with you today?
Watch the Class
Here’s the video of my first class on this topic.
I’ve enjoyed adding your words to my spiritual journey
Spot on! Necessary words done poignantly yet lovingly. Nicely done!