Seeker Sensitive Church

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Seeker Sensitive Church
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What Is It?

• Using the weekend services to reach the
  unchurched through high quality music, media, and
  sermons referencing popular culture and other
  familiar/cultural themes. Churches believe this
  approach will attract people searching for
  answers, bring them into a relationship with
  Christ, and then capitalize on their contagious
  fervor to evangelize others.

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Biblical Support

• The apostle Paul said, "Be wise in the way you
  act toward outsiders make the most of every
  opportunity" (Col 45). He also said, "I have
  become all things to all people . . . for the
  sake of the gospel" (1 Cor. 922-23). 

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Key Assumptions

• Non-Christians think traditional church is
  boring.
• Church has to speak the language of the culture
  in order for people to receive the Gospel.
• Non-Christians need to be evangelized in church.
• Unchurched people have dropped out of church or
  stayed away because of traditional liturgy and
  music.

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Nation-Wide Examples

• Willow Creek Community Church
• Saddleback Church
• LifeChurch.tv
• Newspring Church
• Granger Community Church
• Fellowship Church
• North Point Community Church

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Local Examples

• Rolling Hills Community Church
• Abundant Life Church
• Living Hope Church
• East Hill Church

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Video Examples of Seeker Sensitive Music/Worship

• http//www.vimeo.com/6432799

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Pros

• Presents a biblical message in relevant terms
  that people understand.
• Focus is on reaching people who are outside of
  the church instead of keeping those inside happy.
• Makes a church and a church service a mission.
• Takes away some stumbling blocks to religion.
• Allows church to be a place for those looking for
  God.

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Cons

• Seeker-sensitive churches may convert Gods
  message into a form more likely to impress but
  less likely to save the unbeliever.
• Promotes a culture of attenders being customers
  and in turn a consumeristic church.
• Focus is on the unbeliever instead of God.
• Method always has some effect on the message.
• The main assumptions could be wrong.

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Typical Church Service

• Opener/Prelude Contemporary (possibly secular)
  song focused on the days topic.
• 2/3 song worship set of familiar/contemporary
  songs
• Announcements (offering collected or no offering
  is taken, collected online/office)
• Video or Drama focused on the days topic.
• Sermon/Message. 20 to 30 minutes.
• End with a song and possibly an altar call.
• Short service, focused around the topic of the
  day.

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What Has Changed?

• Internet Campuses
• Worship Music Popularity
• Hybrid Churches that are evangelistic, but not
  necessarily seeker sensitive.
• The big name seeker sensitive churches have
  changed their Sunday service model and focus.

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Closing Thoughts

• Controversial but really shouldnt be.
• No one uses the phrase seeker sensitive
  anymore.
• In some ways every church is seeker sensitive,
  some churches just arent very sensitive to
  seekers.