
5 hidden costs of digital convenience in the local church
When convenience becomes central, something subtle begins to shift in the culture of a church.

When convenience becomes central, something subtle begins to shift in the culture of a church.

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Ministry provides us with a front-row seat to the full range of human experience. One week, you are standing in a sanctuary decorated with flowers, watching a young couple promise forever.

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Over the years, I’ve studied churches that have done a good job not only of reaching people, but also of keeping them/assimilating them. Here are seven components of effective assimilation I’ve seen:

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An established church carries something precious: history. Over the years, people have prayed in those rooms, cried in those pews, laughed in those hallways, and learned to trust God through ordinary Sundays and unexpected storms. That kind of legacy is a gift.
The familiar car pulled into the church parking lot. As the driver stepped out, my stomach tightened and my heart raced. This churchgoer had a history of sharp words toward me, and I knew he had been involved in conflicts I’d mediated for others. My mind spiraled: “What is he going to say today? What problems will I have to fix afterward?”