What’s A Good Church Subtitle?

I’ve noticed that some churches have subtitles now. Or at least that’s what I call them. One might refer to them as tag lines or mini vision statements. Regardless, here are some of the ones I have noticed:

-Celebrating the Gospel

-No perfect people allowed

-We preach the Bible

-Loving Jesus, Loving Others

-A Church for all people

I’ll have to confess that sometimes when I read such statements, I become a little frustrated. Maybe it’s because I lean towards cynicism. But when I read about a church who claims to “celebrate the Gospel,” are they implying that other churches don’t? Is there a bit of arrogance in such a proclamation as though they “do church” better than most? Again, most likely it’s me and my pride rearing its ugly head.

But as I’ve thought about churches identifying themselves with these small vision statements, I began to think about what if a church were a little more honest about who they were. What if they announced the following:

-Where people struggle to understand the Bible

-We don’t have all of life figured out yet

-Feel free to bring your questions

-A church where sometimes people cuss

-We are working hard to love all people

I guess what I’m trying to get at here is that we as the people of God need to be willing to be a little more vulnerable with the world around us. Perhaps that can be conveyed by what we put on our church sign or our logo, but most likely it will be known as we live lives of humility in front of others. One of the most powerful and most daring things we can do as a church is to openly share that sometimes, we are a complete mess.

I wonder if we try too hard sometimes in our worship gatherings to make sure that the greeters are remarkable, the music is flawless, and the preaching is infallible? Now don’t get me wrong, I think we need to develop a welcoming worship experience so we, along with first time attenders, can encounter God. But we can’t forget that it’s got to be more than a show. This means we have to provide more than just an “ideal” worship hour. Yes, we have to meet with God, but I feel we also have to encounter others who like us, struggle with the everyday realities of life.

When I read through Scripture, I continue to be amazed how open and honest it is about those we tend to call the “heroes” of the faith. David was mentioned to be a “man after God’s own heart.” How can that be? Have you read about his incident with Bathsheba? And of course there is Peter. He is called the “rock” and yet he denies Jesus. Later on, according to Paul in his letter to the Galatians, Peter wanted to make sure he didn’t lose face with some of the Jewish folks so he adjusted his social engagements with the Gentiles. Paul called Peter out concerning such behavior for Jesus had died for all people and Peter needed to convey that with his actions.

If the Bible doesn’t try to hide the struggles of its characters, then maybe neither should we. I can relate to these Bible personalities. And so can others! A book I read years ago by John Leonard entitled Get Real: Sharing Your Everyday Faith Every Day, mentions this very thing. Leonard writes that “we want people to see Jesus in us when it would be so much better if they instead saw someone in need of Jesus.” (Read more about Leonard’s book)

So perhaps what Leonard writes in his book is what needs to be the tag line of all tag lines for churches. “Welcome to our church! We are a place where everyone needs Jesus!” And maybe such a line will remind us just how much we as church folk need just as much grace and mercy as the world around us!