Recently a friend of mine was speaking with a small group of people; they were asking him questions about various things. One of them asked him what kind of programs and outreach activities he thought would best help a church to reach their community, and he told them that he doubted programs or activities would help them reach their community at all; they seemed surprised.

That was not the “right” answer.

Instead, he suggested they make an effort to disciple their congregation.

That wasn’t the “right” answer either.

They told him that their congregation wasn’t reaching the community because the pastor wasn’t very good at “evangelism”.

He suggested they make an effort to make disciples of their congregation: Wrong again! Nope, churches can only reach the community for Christ when the pastor is really dedicated to “personal evangelism” and gets out there and “brings the people in”.

My friend suggested that if their congregation grew into disciples, they would have a hundred people sharing their faith in deed and action as well as in word, but yes, you guessed it, that was the wrong idea.

His suggestion is too simple, too simplistic, too naïve; nobody will ever do that… Why, his suggestion as it turns out, is pretty much childish. This was a sophisticated bunch; my friend is not sophisticated, he is naïve and childish in his thought about their problem, for becoming a disciple who shows their faith by the way we live, who shares, loves and cares about other people is unrealistic in this modern age, and way too hard. Only a simplistic child would suggest that!

Maybe so…

And he said: “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.

Matthew 18:3

…or maybe we just prefer things to be way too complicated.