Hello Boys, I'm BAACCKKKK! (ID4)

It's been a while since I posted, and a bit has happened since then. Let's start off with the recent.

I was part of a team from The Rock Church who went to Fellowship Church in Grapevine, TX for FC's annual Creative Church Conference (C3). Led by Ed Young, it's a great event that opens up FC's doors to pastors and leaders from churches that want to spread the gospel in a relevant manner. If you are looking for inspiration and permission on what can be done within church confines, I suggest you take a look at going to C3.

Guest speakers at C3 vary year to year, but all are leaders of successful churches- Craig Groeschel, TD Jakes, Andy Stanley, Mark Driscoll and others have had the wonderful opportunity at speaking at C3. This year had Ed Young's father, Ed Young, speak. And what he said was vindication to me for something that has troubled churches like The Rock Church and similar churches that present the gospel outside traditional boundaries. It is something that can be a standard answer to many creative churches in the world.

Has your church been accused or recieved comments of the following nature:
- The music is too fast or modern
- It has fancy tvs/screens/projections/lights in a church
- Too many people dress up making me feel underdressed and uncomfortable
- There's too much technology within the church building- children's check-in, bathrooms, info booths
- What does a coffee stand have to do with God and Jesus Christ?

If you accept that the church is the bride of Christ, then I propose this answer:

If I am looking for a bride, I want a bride that is attractive to me, contains the qualities I desire, I can grow with, I have similar interests, get along with not only her friends, but also her family. Also, my bride must obviously want me for who I am, for who I am to be, and be my partner in life.

Back to the elder Ed Young. He said the church is the bride of Christ, and that the bride of Christ must be beautiful. And I'll take that statement a bit further and submit that beauty is not just a beautiful building and trappings, since life cannot be that shallow. Beauty comes from the inside, from actions, feelings, beliefs, morals, little things, and a sense of bondage to someone you care about.

To attract people to Christ, the bride of Christ must be attractive to those looking for a partner. Regardless of what you believe your church looks like, it has to be beautiful to those searching. And remember that it isn't YOUR church. It is God's church, and as a leader or member of the church, YOU represent the beauty of the church.