some thought-provoking questions

Mark Beeson had these over on his blog, and I thought they were worth sharing with my part of the world:

Five Questions
(pivotally important for a congregation considering radical outreach)

1. Do we want to know them?
Most of our Christians do not fraternize with really unchurched people.

2. Are we willing to go where they are?
Most churches avoid their city’s gathering places, where people engage in conversation and look for Life, lest believers be offended, or even tempted.

3. Are we willing to spend time with them?
Outreach ministry involves scheduled time, and sweat equity.

4. Do we want secular and outside-the-establishment people in our churches?
At least 80% of our churches fail ever to reach out to two groups of people:
(1) people who are not “refined” enough to feel comfortable in church; people who have never acquired a “church etiquette” need not apply;
(2) people whose lifestyles are too different from ours, or whose lives are too “

5. Are we willing for our church to become their church too?
A missionary context requires, in at least some services and ministries, that we adapt to the style, the language, the aesthetics and (yes) the music of the people we are called to reach.