A Letter to my Friends who Have "Quit" The Church ... Or Have Never Started it

I'm not so arrogant to think I know all the reasons that my friends don't go to church.  

People are nuanced. They don't fit in nice, little boxes.  However, if I were to grab coffee with my friends (I actually don't drink coffee) I think I have an idea of answers I would hear pretty consistently. I imagine I may hear the following: 

• Been There. Done That. Not doing it ever again. 
• Who needs faith when there is science? I'm more Bill Nye than Ken Ham. 
• I have a bunch of church scars. 
• "Jesus is the Only Way" sounds kinda rigid.
• I see more hate than love from the church.
• I tried going to church one time and they yelled at me for how I was dressed. 
• I watched Preachers of L.A., and that show just looks like a mess. 
• All of the church scandals have got me like, "Uhm, no thanks!" 
• The church is full of hypocrites. 
• I didn't grow up in church and going now would be awkward. 
• I can't live in that Christian Bubble (aka Saturday Night Live's Church Lady) 

Here's what I do know. As soon as I was old enough to leave the church, I basically did. During my college years, I rarely ever attended church. I really had no plans of going back. I didn't feel like I was missing a lot. And what I was missing, I was glad I was missing. 

Or so I thought. 

Then I became a Christian. I realized that I had judged the Bible by my church experience rather than my church experience by my Bible. Maybe that's your story, too. As I began to understand the Bible, it began to change my attitude toward the church for three reasons: 

• God's love for the church
• God's purpose for establishing the church
• God's mission for the church

I'm not naive. I realize the church is by no means perfect. As I grow in my understanding of what God wants the church to be, however, I can resonate with pastor Art Azurdia's quote: "Any problem I have with the church must be a lover's quarrel." 

That brings me to my offer-slash-challenge to you. For one week, come back to church with me. 

On Sept. 7, - that's this Sunday - my wife Emily and I are hoping to have some friends come with us to church. Lunch will be our treat afterward, because we are that passionate about reconnecting our friends to the church. 

I attend a church called Holy Cross, and you can visit the church's Web site here.  It's located right across the street from the Gypsy Hill Park football field and Tams Lake. Church will start at 11 and finish up around 12:30. We'll come up with a quick eating arrangement that will allow any who chose so to be home by kick-off. If you want to stay and talk afterward, we'll stay after lunch for as long as you have questions. 

I write these blogs at conversation-starters. I would love to hear your heartfelt, respectfully communicated views on the church. 

Chris Lassiter is a Christ-follower, a husband to Emily (read her blog here), a father to five kids and a freelance writer for Young Life Relationships, HipHopDX.com, JamTheHype.com and other publications. His first book, You're Grounded, was published by Moody Publications last year. You can order the book here.