Pastor Matt Beemer – Manchester, England
I believe that many of the churches like mine, known by many as a Word of Faith church, have become stuck in the 90's - the time when the Word churches were growing the fastest.  Though the Word is still just as powerful as ever, they are turning off this new generation before they get a chance to even hear them.  The content is great, the wrapping needs to change.
 
At the same time, I've seen others who do not have strong content, or the power to truly help people, but they do know how to connect with this generation.  These churches are many times reaching thousands people while the ‘Word’ church down the street has a couple hundred or less!
 
We do not have to choose one, or the other. There are churches that are doing a good job of doing both.  We do our best to unashamedly emphasize the Word and allow for the move of the Holy Spirit in our church, but our wrapping is much easier for this new generation to receive from.
 
Jesus radically ministered in Power, and in the Word, but He was also very good at connecting with people - all different kinds of people.
 
If you are not connecting with people, then you must change ‘HOW’ you are doing it (the wrapping).  If you are connecting with people, but have nothing to give them, you are no help either.  So let's learn to connect with everyone we can, AND be radically sold out for Word confirmed by the Power of the Spirit!
 
In the end, connecting with people is not as much what kind of clothes you wear, music you play, or lighting you have, as it is loving them.  I’ve seen old ‘fuddy-duddy’ granddad like ministers hold the attention of a group of teenagers.  How? Because they connected with them.  The teenagers could see their passion and most importantly, their love.
 
 
Pastor John Brady – McAllen,TX
I believe you can incorporate “seeker sensitive” aspects into your service without compromising your core values.  Brother Hagin always taught us to have a purpose for each service.  I realize Sunday Morning I am going to have more unsaved people than any other service.  In our area many Catholics are stepping out and trying non denominational churches.  We put together a service with that in mind.  It is culturally relevant and energetic.  We use lights, video & props.  Our subject matter is very relevant to their everyday lives.  Yet, we teach the word, worship God with fervor, and have altar calls.  We are seeing many of the people receive Christ every Sunday.  The word will reach the unsaved and yet teach the believer. When believers see the new births, it breeds excitement & a wonderful opportunity for ministry.

Wednesday night is our discipleship night.  We will also have seasons of just worship and allowing people to practice flowing in the gifts.  Bottom line for us, is God has directed us to have a strong purpose for each of our services.  It is helping us grow in every area.


Pastor Judi Tillett – Waynesville, MO
So many methods and so little time! My belief is that methods are the pathway of the message. If it works, do it… but if the meat of the message is ‘melted’ to liquid because the method is mightier than the plan of the Spirit, refocus. I do structure our Sunday morning service with the lost in mind as well as the spiritually uninitiated, and am still seeking the perfect balance. And that is our goal … to achieve Bible balance… to not compromise … to introduce people to the Anointing… and yet, avoid “in your face, Pentecostalism.”
 
A pastor who seems to have mastered the art of balance and spiritual involvement is Jack Hayford. I would encourage a ‘view’ of the Church on the Way method and make any adjustments that also fit the personality of your own church. Four basic balance reminders to keep me in the WORD are:
 
Word is anointed … the method is beneficial
Only announce, adjust, alter or change for a season … “interesting season” is healthier for a congregation than “We really missed/messed it”…
Remember to adjust the method to the present size of your congregation, not where you desire to be… (i.e. don’t draw water for an elephant to wash a puppy)
Do listen to the senior members of the congregation so they do not get downsized in the desire to produce ‘babies’  
 
 
Pastor Eddie Trayers – Springfield, VA
Is it possible to integrate certain principles from other churches without compromising our core values?  We all can use many of the attributes that have kept other denominations alive for decades; there are also what seem to be new principles, that are simply in my view new phenomenons of our culture changing, we need to have the freedom to embrace all that is changing in music style while keeping the original older songs in our services, technology including sound elements, lighting enhancements, computer projections, media DVD backgrounds TV production, architecture, stage components, message themed props and backdrops, and sensitivity to the changing demographics of our communities but our core message can not be influenced by any of these factors nor can our foundation be uprooted and changed our past is what got us here.  Growth is not the end-all of the ministry, solid steady, growth with fruit that remains it is a by product of being an influence, not being influenced by the new phenomenons of our culture changing.

Are there pros and cons in this area?  Absolutely, the pros are you don’t need to be stale to be holy and full of the word and the spirit this would also include reaching the next generation having young people in your ministry breathes life into your church and keeps you young in your thinking as we age we must be challenged to grow with the times.  The Con’s are the trap of I have to do what others are doing to attract a crowd while selling out your ministry to the next fad, keeping it real is very important this simply means staying where God has you and not leaving the place of the anointing for a quick sell out to growth.


Pastor Rich Huston – Arvada, CO
We have never seen times where “church” is done so many different ways and pastors can get easily confused in the middle of it all. Core issues should never be compromised but every pastor and church is different and distinct as are the communities they are called to. We can all learn from what other churches are doing but when we try to copy it is where we make a mistake. Pastors err in trying to follow what is working for other churches rather than becoming crystal clear on what God has called their church to be.  Style changes are one thing but watering things down are another, each pastor had better be clear on the course they need to take and get busy with what makes their church unique.
 
 
Pastor Rick Sharkey – Spokane, WA
In our city there are a few seeker sensitive churches. They have growth and visibility. In my pursuit of success and pleasing the Lord I've come up with my direction. For me to obey God, I must build a church family that grows people, not crowds. I honestly gave effort to attracting a large group of people and giving them what they wanted to have. But the expense was I was dishonest to my God-assignment and people didn't seem to be challenged. They remained the same, entry level Christians - ill-equipped and tossed to and fro. I, as well felt I was disingenuous with myself and lost self respect. I need to be confident with God and with myself.
 
 
Pastor Mike Kalstrup – Oakland, IA
Perhaps one of the mistakes ‘Word of Faith’ churches make in this area is they forget what Brother Hagin told us repeatedly about having different types of services.  I think ministers have to ask the question regarding each service they’re having, “What is the purpose of this service?” and then see to it that its ‘driven’ in that direction.  Having said that, you also have to ask yourself the question: “Who are we as a church or ministry?”  In other words, what defines you; why does your church exist?  If you’re from a Word of Faith, Charismatic heritage, then trying to be something else is going to be less than fulfilling.


Pastor Bob Yandian – Tulsa, OK
Seeker sensitive churches have recently changed their perception by calling themselves "growth churches".  They are desiring to be the largest churches in the area so they will be ignored and overlooked no more.  There are things they are doing to attract young people that I believe could be integrated into our present churches. To put it into perspective, some things change and some things do not change. The wisdom comes in knowing which is which.  Methods can and should change through the years.  Technology can be used in the church as can new styles of music.  Updating the looks of the church auditorium is a must. Many churches still look like they did when they were built in the 1970's, 80's and 90's.  A consultant would be good to pull in on these items. Since the days when Jesus walked the earth, the local church has undergone changes in music, musical instruments, amplification, chairs, overhead projectors and modern day screens and computers.  The list could go on.  Every time there is a change, there is an outcry from the older members resistant to change. But this kind of change is necessary for growth and appeal to a new generation.   

Yet, there are things which should never change.  The teaching of the word of God should be the most important priority in each service. Our foundational doctrines should never change.  People's needs never change.  No matter who comes or goes, we must remain strong to teach "all the counsel of God" and remember "all scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable...that the man of God might be mature". Growth and maturity are both missing in many of the growth churches.  It is the missing part of the great commission.  We are not just to get people saved, but make disciples out of all nations.  This means we must keep rightly dividing God's word to His people.
 
 
Pastor Jim Herring – Ft. Worth, TX
Our goal is to reach people with the gospel of Jesus Christ.  In my opinion, it is not only possible, but also wise, to incorporate the positive elements of the seeker sensitive movement in order to reach more people with the uncompromised Word of God.  As long as you maintain your core values, then innovative methods will only enlarge our sphere influence.  Jesus is a great example.  He utilized conventional and unconventional methods of reaching the masses and teaching His disciples. You could find Him ministering in the synagogue, on the mountain top, by the sea, and in a boat.  I am sure there were religious leaders that didn’t approve of His methods of ministry.  They probably thought He was too radical, too innovative, too unconventional…yet he proved to be effective.


Pastor Dennis Cummins, Puyallup, WA
This question seems to be describing the journey our church has been going through over the last three years.  I believe that this question is a great one and will continue to be debated for years to come, but I can share my personal experience with you.  We are a church that also has strong values regarding the word and the Holy Spirit and had a hunger to reach out to more who don’t know Jesus.  I personally believe in being seeker friendly but not seeker sensitive.  This may be semantics to some, but we realize that there is a difference.  This is how we view the difference:

A “Seeker Friendly” church has thought about their processes from an outside to inside prospective with fresh eyes.  Some churches only view their church through eyes that already know everyone and know the layout of the church.  Our top three are Children’s, Greeters, and communication.

1.  Children:  Do the parents know where to take their child?  Is there a professional but warm and friendly feel, or is it folksy and hodgepodge?  What questions are going through the minds of a young couple that is considering leaving their child with strangers and in a strange place?  Is this a safe place?  What if my child needs me? How will they contact me?  Will someone come and get me in the service, and then I will feel singled out and embarrassed?  Is it clean and sanitary?  Are the workers trained?  Do they change diapers?  Will there always be two people with my child?  Is there a screening process for all the workers caring for my child?  I believe that a lot of the Seeker Sensitive churches have done a great job in setting new standards in these areas.  I believe that our children’s ministries should have equal standards to that of Disney concerning the forethought and level of professionalism and presentation.  So I would tour and go through some of these churches that have check in systems and other processes that seem to draw the masses, because these processes work.  We found if we can do it right for their children then mom and dad can put up with a church that has aspects that they really don’t care for like styles of preaching and worship.  We made this a priority in our church 4 years ago and it paid off.
 
2. Greeters: How do we greet people?  Let’s face it: our greeters are our first impression.  At our church we used to greet those who walk through our door (even strangers) as though they are Christians, with hugs and a lot of “church slang”.  After realizing how this really turned seekers off, we make a few changes.  First, it meant for us that we had to get different greeters.  This was a big step, but the ones we had would adapt.  After finding different greeters we decided to be friendly and kind to those who walk through our doors.  We found that a seeker is a bit timid and reserved, they do need direction on what to do if they had kids, but they can easily feel smothered by greeters or ushers, and this could make the church seem needy.  They typically need their space, yet not too much.  It is a delicate balance.
 
3.  Communication: How did we communicate with people?  Not very well.  We had no signage to help new people find where they were, where the bathrooms are, how to find the classrooms for their children and what we said from the platform.  Subconsciously, we were really telling new people that they were outsiders and they didn’t belong here.  So we changed how we communicated.  We made sure everything was clearly marked with professional looking signage (no handwritten signs).  We also changed the way we communicated from the pulpit.  Before when new people would come to our church, I would have different staff members participate in the service, but if you were a new person, you would have no idea who they were, so then they immediately lacked credibility.  Now when a staff member comes up, we put up a title slate to let new people know who they are and what their title is.  Now a new person isn’t left in the dark wondering who this stranger with the microphone is.  I also changed the way I preach.  I don’t refrain from using theological terms, but if I do, I always clarify what they mean.  I don’t name drop from the bible anymore either.  I used to refer to Gideon or David and relate it to a point—meanwhile the new person doesn’t know if I am talking about a person in the church or a relative of mine, and once again they are left in the dark, feeling like an outsider.  Now if I mention people from the Bible, I am sure to give context of who they were and whether they were in the Old Testament or New Testament.  A person may think these changes are ridiculous for our regular attendees, but they will understand if they have a heart for new people.
 
A “Seeker Sensitive” church looks at not only their processes but their doctrine as well.  They make changes to their doctrine or the pastor simply omits the teaching of certain fundamental doctrines to make their message more palatable for sinners who are seeking.  This type of church looks only to teach on rational experiences in the Bible, time management, and family relationships, and they refrain from preaching about the Holy Spirit, tongues, signs and wonders, and against sin, about hell, and the second coming.  In an article that I recently read, a pastor from a large seeker-sensitive church said that yes, they were high on reaching people but were lacking in the discipleship aspect.  I can’t forget that the word of God offends the flesh and is not popular in this day and age.  As it says in 2 Timothy 4:3, “For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears.” I believe we are living in this scripture today, so I have determined to preach the whole council of God, regardless of its lack of popularity or its counter-culture views.  My father-in-law has been a pastor for over 50 years, and he shared with me that “what I bring them in on is what I have to keep them on.”

Site by www.innovatedmedia.com