There are all these wonderful people I know connected in a fringe way to faith or to the church community I have a hand in leading, and they make me think: Man! I really wish so-and-so would become a big part of this church... they would add so much awesome, and I think if they hung around more frequently, our approach to faith would really help them dive deep into something really special that right now they only scratch the surface of every now and then. There's one guy in particular I often think about. He's experienced God some through our church in the past, and every once in a while I'll see him at church and he's enthusiastic about 
the messages and engaged in community with all sorts of people I didn't even realize he's friends with. So why on earth, I keep asking myself, doesn't he commit some more to the church? Is he deceiving us with his enthusiasm and friendships? Every time that happens, for weeks I'm again thinking about how he would add so much to this community, and how he'd love it too! I mean, he's an incredible rock musician well connected in the Chicago indie bands scene, a down-to-earth school teacher, one of the friendliest and easy-to-talk-to guys I know.
And then it hits me: he's an incredible rock musician well connected in the Chicago indie bands scene, a down-to-earth school teacher, one of the friendliest and easy-to-talk-to guys I know... he doesn't have time for another thing in his life! And, when it comes down to it, that's kinda all my church has to offer him: another thing. It strikes me that that is a pretty bounded-set way to think about getting my friend connected with God and our community. And yet, it seems a default so ingrained in the way churches run, I'm struggling to come up with centered-set alternatives. How does a church get someone connected with God and its community? Obviously, you get them to come to Sunday services and small groups and give them opportunities to invest and build their ownership in the community. But, especially in the case of secular people like my friend who didn't grow up in the church or haven't been to church in a long time, what if they already have their hands in tons of things because they're terribly interesting or talented or curious people? Does connecting further with God just have to wait until their schedule opens up? Or is it their responsibility to get to a place where they prioritize faith over all their other interests of the world and until then they'll just have to settle with being somewhat connected with God. I guess the answers to those are maybe. Perhaps I'm forgetting that a big part of following Jesus is self-identifying as sick, and I'm just impatient that my busy secular friends haven't gotten there yet, even if they have experienced God a little bit.
That said, I'm not satisfied. I have absolutely no problem with pushing folks to go to Sunday services and small groups and invest in the community; I love that approach, and that's how I got involved in my church. It's great for people who are still searching for their niches. But, as I get older, more and more new friends I make have found niches that they like. Anyone have some fantastic, creative, centered-set approaches to engage such folks? I really like my friend and want him to experience God more!
