Dad, Can we go to Church?

We did a follow-up on a family we visited and shared the gospel with a few weeks ago.  Immediately, the two children were excited to see us.  But the kicker was the youngest who asked the father "Dad, can we go to church?"  (repeatedly asked dad) As thoughtful and encouraging this question is, my question is "is that really the end result?"  Do we really want more people to go to church?

My Baptist instinct for years has been this mantra, "go to church."  And, obviously, get more into church.  But that has caused this HUGE spiritual problem in American Christianity.  We haven't truly seen spiritual growth, we have witnessed masses of people attending church.  We have forgotten that the gospel message leads people into a relationship with Jesus to change their lives.  Away from the selfish life of serving sin and turning to Jesus to follow him all the days of our lives, forgiven, redeemed and transformed.  

The pressure among most churches on it's staff would be to see numerical growth so that financial growth can happen, so that we can buy more stuff and hire more staff and put on more programs.  We have forgotten the "person".  The individual who needs Jesus.  The person that needs to be taught and needs to learn what a relationship with Christ is like.  Why have we left behind the person to feed the machine and to keep the machine running?  We are called to witness to people.  To share the gospel so that can know the Jesus we know.  To experience transformation like we have.  To worship a Risen Savior who is worthy of our worship.  

I pray that this Dad and kids would know Jesus.  That they would believe in Jesus and see their lives transformed because of their repentance and confession.  I pray that this Dad would not be introduced to the American Machine of Church, but know a loving fellowship of believers, a true Body of Christ, that are way more concerned with his spiritual growth and well being.  That he would know others that would walk through life with him, hold him up in prayer and help him in the good times and bad.  This is my prayer for this dad and for the church I serve.....that we don't forget about each person that God has placed in front of us.  God Bless, Brian