Jesus never said anything about how many people you should cram into your church building. Jesus didn’t tell us to set attendance goals. Jesus didn’t tell us to pray that a church (small c) will grow so big that it runs out of folding chairs and has to build a separate campus. However many people come to your church, fill out their attendance cards, and/or come forward at the altar call is completely, completely irrelevant to actual change in their lives and whether or not they actually experienced the person of Christ.

Stuff Christian Culture Likes does it again!

I have little to add here; Stephanie said it better than I could ever hope to. All I have to say is that the small-c churches that shoot for big numbers have, in my experience, done as much harm as good to their congregations’ well-being. It’s unfortunate to see pastors with good intentions but that are slightly misguided in the search for tangible stats for something entirely intangible.

I would even say that, to some extent, I’ve been a victim — both directly and indirectly — of this goal.

Since it’s Friday and I’m lazy, here are some fun things for other members of the JCC. That’s the Jaded Christians Club, for the uninitiated.

Christian women’s enthusiasm for Beth Moore may be commensurate with the Catholics’ enthusiasm for the Virgin Mary.

Stuff Christian Culture Likes #68: Beth Moore

Because they struggle with being in the world but not of the world, Christian culture is perpetually about 2 to 5 years behind what mainstream culture thinks is cool. As a result, the pastor/creative director/worship leader looks like a fashion victim to everyone but the people inside his sphere of Christian culture.

Stuff Christian Culture Likes #67: Unwittingly Cheesy Hair