1. Because is sounds like fun! The gospel of grace is the happiest, most liberating, encouraging, healing, and energizing experience life in this world has to offer. Grace is the gift of God's unmerited favor, the ultimate statement of the deep love God has for each and every person, as well as the priceless value of every human soul. What's not to be happy about that?

2. Because it HURTS US PERSONALLY to see so many good people - wonderful, committed Christians - who have left the church and remain wounded, alienated, disenfranchised and disillusioned. Nobody it seems has sought them out to bring healing, to listen to them, validate them, and to love them with the love of Jesus Christ with no strings attached.

3. To clear up some misperceptions about Christians and church. We want people who may be far from God and living far from a godly life to be surprised by the extent of God's love for them and grace to them - not merely as preached but in their experience being around a happy, loving group of Sanctuary Christians.

4. To reach and connect with persons who are beyond the reach of existing churches. These people would not fit (or, in many cases, even be welcome) in most existing churches so they remain isolated.

5. Because we hear friends tell us they wish there was a church they could feel comfortable inviting their unchurched friends to. We feel the same way.

 

We think we've missed the boat on the priority of agape love above all else. According to Jesus, agape love is the defining practice of followers of Jesus! We have a feeling that if we Christians really honed our practical skills in AGAPE love and all of us ministered it effectively in all our relationships (marriage, family, friends, work, mission), people would flock to such a place! Basics.

As Christians in a secular, skeptical world, we would have a lot more credibility for evangelism and there would be a lot fewer conflicts and hurt feelings in churches. We would be a much more enticing and attractive place for visitors/seekers as well as for ourselves. Finally, we would be safer people for hurting and/or searching souls to come and experience God's love, grace, and renewal.

We believe it is going to take a new kind of church and a new kind of Christian to bridge the cultural gap and effectively translate the gospel to contemporary culture. The past four years our ministry has been primarily to unchurched and/or non-Christian people. We've learned they are remarkably open to Jesus Christ but they don't trust evangelical Christians and they have no use at all for the institutional church. They are receptive to the gospel message but not its traditional messengers.

Between church and secular culture, the gospel is getting lost in translation. However, Jeanette and I have had great success sharing Christ when we've entered their world with no greater agenda than love (back to basics) and presented Him in ways they can understand and connect with (I Cor. 9:20-22).

We have a feeling that Christian knowledge has overshadowed Christian performance. We wonder if we've perhaps put too high a premium on Bible study at the expense of developing Biblical skills. We wonder if we've fallen into the trap of equating Biblical knowledge with Christian maturity, with little regard for Christian performance in ministry.

The scribes and Pharisees were far more biblically literate than Jesus' disciples but not as fruitful. John wrote: "Whoever does not love does not know God, for God is love" (I Jn. 4:8). That's not so complex, really.

We wonder how much more fruitful we might be if we applied ourselves to mastering Christian relational skills as much as Biblical content. We would like to see Christians equate success more with on-the-field Christian performance in the world and less on knowing the playbook.

We wonder if it's time to rethink conversion and our motives. We wonder if we have perhaps put too high a premium on one-time conversion events (the apostle Paul) - decisions and baptisms - at the expense of gradual conversion processes (the Twelve).

We wonder if in our passion to see souls saved and lives transformed, we push people to quick decisions and sudden conversions more according to our timetables than God's. And, in so doing, we set converts up - and ourselves -- for disappointment when their spiritual harvest fails to measure up to expectations. In our culture we love instant, sensational results. We are typically not very patient people.

We wonder how much healthier it might be if we embraced one person's baby steps as readily and another's giant leap of faith, recognizing conversion is God's work and not ours. Let God do the converting.

Dr. Chuck Laird is Executive Director and Co-Founder (with Jeanette) of Sanctuary Christian Ministries, a California Christian non-profit organization. Its mission is "to pioneer new ways to do ministry to more effectively penetrate and permeate North America with the love of Jesus Christ."

Dr. Laird was ordained by the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) in 1989. He has spoken at national conferences, led church growth seminars, and has received numerous awards and recognition for his effective leadership in church renewal efforts.

He earned his Doctor of Ministry in Christian leadership from Fuller Theological Seminary in 2003.

This sound interesting.

Please contact me right away. I would definitely be interested in being a part of this.

I/We would be interested in doing something great for God like this.

currently unchurched

currently unhappily churched

I/We know others who could benefit from this ministry.

I/We know others who could get excited serving in a ministry like this.

I am happily churched but would love to financially support your mission!

Would be interested in bringing this kind of ministry to my church.

I/We need encouragement / healing / hope.

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