The attractional church model uses gimmicks to turn people’s heads, gimmicks that are short on truth and long on ear-tickling. Attractional discipleship is just about as far opposite as one can get.
When the church is intentionally grounded in Christ and drawn to him by the Spirit, she becomes a community marked by attractional discipleship that lives out a narrative portrayal of the hope of Christ’s finished work and trusts the Spirit to draw hearers to Christ and his Body.
Be grounded in Christ and drawn by the Spirit. Attractional discipleship goes beyond the surface, flowing from a soul sunk deep into God’s truth and having a firm grasp of biblical fundamentals and experiential knowledge gained by centering life on Christ. Developing a secure and stable grounding in Christ and his truth forms believers into living invitations to come and see the One who loves us and gave himself for us. Such grounding shapes disciples into those who reflect Jesus and show him to be the one who is worthy of our love and trust.
Live a narrative portrayal of Christ. Our reflection of Christ is a portrayal to the world of his story. It is a running commentary of life with the One who stands beside us in our joy and struggle, the One who lifted us from the miry clay of sin and brought us to glorious life in him. We tell the story of the One who paid our debt in full, finished his work, and sat on the throne in heaven. And in all this, we remember that the story we tell is not our own. The story belongs to Jesus, and we who narrate his story must remain faithful to the plot and theme he has determined.
Trust the Spirit to draw hearers to Christ and his Body. Christians have a responsibility to tell Jesus’ story, but we can do nothing to actually make converts. Only the Spirit does that. Our job is to tell the story of Jesus’ finished work. Our job is to be his image in the world, both as individuals and as a church. Our job is to reflect his grace and mercy so that when people see us, they see Jesus. The Holy Spirit uses our proclamation of Christ’s finished work to draw hearers into a relationship with Christ and his church.
So, practice attractional discipleship that tells the truth about Jesus, communicating grace and mercy without compromising justice. Attractional discipleship draws others to Jesus; it does not push him on others. Attractional discipleship begins as we set Christ apart as Lord in the core of our being and practice our hope in ways that catch the attention of others and stir up questions (1 Peter 3:15). We leave the drawing in up to the Spirit and remain ready to give a good word to all who ask.
Launch Pad: Have We Finally Hit Peak Attractional?
