rlschultz has left a new comment on your post "Gurgel Channels Bivens":
"Become preoccupied with those you haven’t reached as opposed to those you keep."
This has happened at my former congregation.
"BUT, according to Ski's report on Stanley, he means for churches to become preoccupied with those we haven't reached at the expense of those we already have. Of course, he did not say "at the expense of" but that is the connotation. I think you would need to turn your brain off not to infer that from the statement."
When your goal is to get cheeks in the seats, why bother with the members who have been there for a long time? They are going to keep coming anyways. When you have follow the synod and not trust in the Efficacy of the Word, members do not stand much of a chance of having discernment, or the heart with ears. The assumption is that once ya got 'em, it should not be too hard to keep 'em.
Lesson from the mega-churches:
The average life expectancy of a spiritual gypsy in any non-denom church is about two and half years.
***
GJ - Every SP Gurgle editorial was the same - the members should get out and witness so WELS would grow in numbers. They even had some delusional numbers in their Vision or Mission Statement, or was it Mission Vision? Hundreds of new churches would be started. Hagedorn called the plan "fresh and exciting."
