Vision: Lost and Found: The Story of a Church That Got Stuck But Didn’t Stay There by Tim Stevens describes the interesting direction which Granger Community Church has taken over the past few years. Granger has developed a reputation for finding innovative ways of attracting people to church, and as such it has become well known throughout the church world as an archetype of the “attractional” model of church. However, the church’s new direction is something different.
Over the past decade US culture has been changing in a less-church-friendly way. Many people say that it is harder to get friends to agree to come to church. One estimate is that only 40% of people are ever likely to accept an invitation to go to a church; the other 60% are therefore unlikely ever to be reached by existing types of churches. The only way to reach the other 60% is by going to where they are and finding ways of intersecting the gospel with their lives: this is the “missional” model of church.
Granger’s new vision is to become a church which is both attractional and missional. According to the vision statement, the number of people being the Church in their communities seven days a week will outnumber the number of casual Christians just going to church; the Granger campus and programs will be remodelled to help not just the congregation but also the greater community, with Jesus at the centre; and every follower of Jesus will be a reproducing follower of Jesus and every church will be a reproducing church.
In some ways Granger’s new vision is like a reality show. Right at the start of its attempts to redefine itself, the church has put its vision out for public scrutiny. Now we get to watch and see whether it works out as planned. Can people who have become pew-sitters be converted into local missionaries? Can ordinary Christians find effective ways of carrying the gospel to the 60% who are not interested in attending church? Are the targets which have been set achievable?
Something does need to change in the North American church, and plenty of church leaders are grateful to Granger for leading the way in discovering whether “attractional and missional” is a good model to follow.