PTM WEEKLY UPDATE -- MAY 26, 2009

Does PTM sponsor small groups?

Q. Do you offer an evangelistic training online program? I'm weary of people who only know how to invite people to their church. I want to lead people to Jesus, not a church. I don't have a church home right now. There is so much false teaching around that we often come away from church services discouraged, but I miss being with a group. Are there believers with whom we we can visit online? How could I find a group in my area who use your messages and have fellowship?

A. No, we don't offer training in what many define as "evangelism." We believe in talking to others about our faith in appropriate, non-invasive ways, but, like you, we are weary of those who use what is called confrontational evangelism and all of its fear-based manipulations to put more people in the seats at their particular church. We definitely do not believe that God will be unhappy if our efforts don't result in more people being "saved" from hell fire. We do not believe that God will ever tell us that it is our fault that someone will be tortured forever in hell fire (a manipulative teaching we don't accept in any case). That is sheer religion!

We absolutely agree -- may Jesus use us to bring people to himself rather than for us to insert ourselves into the process, using his name, to build bigger and bigger buildings which often become monuments to human efforts and even pride.

Many of the people PTM serves don't have a church home -- because, among other things, they recognize that we are not going to try to build a denomination. We are here, as you say, to preach Jesus. Faith alone, grace alone and Christ alone.

Our normal advice is for Christians to be Christians in their community, and as they feel inclined and able, to either start or join a small group, which is not formally aligned with a larger corporate entity. We do have small groups that meet together, as a home church -- or in addition to their home church -- who use CWR messages as a part of their regular gatherings. However, we don't attempt to organize those groups, nor do we provide a list of where those groups are.

It's somewhat like the old adage I heard years ago when our children were playing Little League baseball. I was having a discussion with another parent about how many of the parents were ruining their children's experience. We both observed that the boys and girls just wanted to show up, have fun, participate, and perhaps, as they got a little older, build their skills. But some parents just wouldn't "leave well enough alone." They had to keep records, especially if their child seems to be "better" than others. They had to argue with the umpires and create a big scene, destroying the fun and turning it all into a really serious, competitive atmosphere. The other parent and I agreed that Little League, and other such athletic leagues for elementary age children, would be a better place for the children if the parents showed up, prepared the field, made sure all the necessary equipment was available, and then, apart from an umpire, the parents all left -- and returned at the end of the game!

That may not be the best example, but I believe it has some relevance to the way that many people "do church" today. Church has become competitive, aggressive and too much of a serious business, with far too little emphasis on the sheer joy of living in Christ. Of course we all need to relate to other people, to share our life in Christ -- but I believe that is better done, in many if not most cases, outside of official, sanctioned, buildings that are dedicated to the religious business.

I don't think that PTM has all the answers -- and I certainly know that there are wonderful, Christ-centered, grace-based churches that regularly meet in a church building. But I have grave concerns about the business of religion and where it has taken and is taking many. We need more Jesus, less religion.

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