Over the years I have had many discussions with both pastors and lay people who have grown discontented with their current church context. Most of them don’t think that their is necessarily anything wrong with their ministry environment; they just feel like God is calling them to something different. And according to the Gospel of Arby’s: “different is good.”
These conversations have made me wonder if it might be helpful to think of churches as being different ”genres.” Whether you are reading a book or enjoying an art gallery; listening to music or watching a movie; it is important to recognize the art’s particular genre. Doing so will not only enhance your personal experience, but also help you understand what the artist is trying to communicate and to who. Like all art forms, churches, too, belong to different genres.
I remember one particular conversation with a pastor who was leaving an established church where he had served for some years as an associate to plant a new church across town. He understood that his church had done many good things and that lots of people were getting something out of it, but it just wasn’t the same things that he wanted from his church experience. He wanted something different, but he realized that not everyone else wants what he wants. What he was seeking was church of a different genre.
Some churches simplify to hit the lowest common denominator and maximize mass-market appeal, and others intensify to attract only the most sincere fans. Because one sells more tickets doesn’t mean it’s better just as being more simple doesn’t make it dumb… just different. And because one doesn’t pack the house doesn’t mean it’s worse just as being more complex doesn’t make it smarter… just different. Different genres create different experiences, attract different people, and therefore, have different outcomes.
When thinking about church planting (or really any church), I think there are two imporant things to consider: 1) one genre does not fit all and 2) maybe the existing genres are not the only possibilities. A lot of Christians flocked to see The Passion of the Christ which enjoyed box office success, but personally I liked the French art film Jesus of Montreal better. One movie received all the media attention and hype while the other was relegated to relative obscurity, but both were good movies with different audiences in mind, and therefore, different outcomes. When developing a vision for ministry it might be good to ask the question: “Do I want a church that is more like The Passion of the Christ or Jesus of Montreal?” Or maybe there is a genre that doesn’t even exist yet – one that juxtaposes romance, suspense, comedy, and action into a complete experience that we haven’t yet explored, but that may be a more holistic church genre?
The reality of this is that just as different art genres have different appeals and therefore different outcomes, different church genres produce different “brands” of Christianity. One would be wise not to just consider what genre appeals to you and your friends, but to think in terms of what the outcome (brand) of such a genre might be and whether it’s a movie Jesus would pay money to see.
