Your Church Should Not Be Seeker Sensitive

The seeker-sensitive movement has had a tremendous impact on American Christian churches. We have seeker sensitivity to thank (or not) for the rise of megachurches and many wildly popular celebrity pastors. These seeker sensitive churches are looking for big crowds and even bigger services. In reality, they look more like big audiences with even bigger shows. No matter how “successful” a church seems on paper using this approach, it cannot avoid one glaring issue. Church is not for seekers.

What Is A Seeker-Sensitive Church?

Churches following the seeker-sensitive or seeker-friendly model is not a new phenomenon. In fact, some churches are distancing themselves from those terms because they come with baggage. However, even without the terminology, plenty of churches utilize the seeker-sensitive methodology.

Generally speaking, seeker-sensitive churches are designed with unbelievers’ worship in mind. A great deal of care and concern goes into thinking about how an unchurched, unbelieving visitor might receive the church experience.

Accommodations for the unbelieving attendee may include inoffensive language, focus on self-improvement (think pep talks and self-help rhetoric), short sermons, professional quality production, and a feel-good, welcoming environment. Is that all bad? No. Some of that sounds like solid advice. On the other hand, some of that sounds like pandering.

Signs You Are In A Seeker-Sensitive Church

Keep reading to find out how to identify a seeker-sensitive church. I’ll describe things in general terms because no two churches are exactly alike.

1. Music

Let’s just get this one out of the way. Music is a contentious issue between believers. Some people only listen to the old traditional hymns, some only listen to Contemporary Christian Music (CCM), and plenty of people land somewhere in the middle ground. I’m not here to say which style of music is best, though, I certainly have an opinion. Today, I’m more interested in how the music is handled at a seeker-sensitive church.

The Style

First, the music will be entertaining. There’s nothing wrong with that, but in this case, I’m referring to entertainment value at all costs. Lights? Fog? Hired musicians? Sure! Why not?

Second, it’ll be loud. I know, now I’m the old lady who wants the kids to turn that racket down.

Actually, I don’t mind loud music, and I enjoy going to concerts. At church services, however, I do prefer to be able to enjoy a congregational experience. Many of these seeker-sensitive churches turn the music portion into a concert experience. This means that congregants have been demoted to passive audience members rather than believers participating in a musical act of worship together.

Third, the music is often geared toward youth. So, don’t be surprised to see a congregation missing a couple of older generations because the music is so foreign to them, loud, or lyrically weak.

The Songs

Fourth, the lyrics are sometimes ridiculously weak. The doctrine can be so dumbed down that it sounds like a third grader wrote it, or maybe it was written by someone who only Googled Jesus loves us for his knowledge of the Lord.

Take the song “Reckless Love” as an example. It’s super catchy, well-loved, sung in churches all over the world, and it’s doctrinally ignorant right there in the title! The word reckless is defined as “without thinking or caring about the consequences of an action.” God’s love can be defined as many things, but reckless is definitively not one of them. See what Mike Winger said on the subject. As always, he’s fair, kind, and unapologetically biblical.

Finally, the music in a seeker-sensitive church sounds worldly. The only thing distinguishing it from a top 20 pop charts hit is the occasional use of the words Lord, Jesus, or God. Even that distinction is not a guarantee because some songs just rely on the unchurched-friendly vague word, You, as the referential term for our Lord.

Lauren Daigle’s recent single “Look Up Child” never mentions God by name. Her huge crossover hit, “You Say” says God once toward the end. It’s easy to miss, and it is also easy for an unbeliever to think she’s using His name in vain rather than calling out to Him.

2. “Diet” Sermons

Seeker-sensitive churches tend to be a light version of Truth. The congregation will get plenty of good news while skimming right past the bad news. These churches are more like social clubs than a place of worship.

Sermons often avoid teachings on sin, Hell, and God’s wrath. The messages are man-centered, not God-centered. God’s Word offends unbelievers, and the message of the cross is “foolishness” (1 Corinthians 1:18) to them. So, why would a pastor striving to be seeker sensitive teach things that make people leave and never come back? He wouldn’t, of course!

What do congregants in such a church get instead of solid, challenging teaching? Milk. The milk of the Word is meant for new believers, but they must move on to meat in order to mature (Hebrews 5:13-14). All that means is that as Christians grow in Christ, they need deeper study in God’s Word.

The Consequences

How many Christians, who have been saved for decades, still struggle with basic Christianity 101 stuff? How many older women are not mentoring the younger women because they honestly have not matured in their walk with the Lord enough to do so?

These women need to take responsibility for their own spiritual growth, but shame on the pastors who cater to visitors and neglect the appropriate feeding of the flock.

“Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all long suffering and doctrine. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.”

2 Timothy 4:2-4

Pastors from seeker-sensitive churches turn their backs on the instructions they have been given in how to care for the sheep. Instead, they are changing their approach to attract those who do “not endure sound doctrine.” Consequently, no one, the believers or the unbelievers, receives sound biblical teaching.

3. Emphasis On Small Groups

As you have seen, the main service is designed for people who are unchurched. Pastors use this fact to excuse themselves from giving hard sermons or challenging their congregation. Where should Christians get their “meat” then? Small groups.

A small group is a small group… It usually consists of people from a similar demographic and region. Practically speaking, that looks like groups of singles, young parents, senior saints, empty nesters, etc. meeting together on a weekly or biweekly basis. These groups usually work through a popular Christian book or book of the Bible.

Pros

Members get to know each other and feel connected through the study. In a larger church it is easy to be looked over, but small groups let people feel seen.

Cons

Small groups are a poor substitute for church. The leaders are often unqualified and not able to accurately teach Scripture. Small groups also tend to have someone who takes over the group and uses it as an outlet for his or her pet issues or false doctrine. Leaders are not usually equipped to shut that down or correct incorrect interpretations of the Bible lovingly. So, they let the talkers take over and bad theology reign.

Small groups easily devolve into a social gathering with a very short time spent in the Word. I’m all about social time, but it can’t replace the time we are meant to get that deep study done.

The groups can be much too homogeneous. The best groups and churches have representation from multiple generations and life experiences. Young and old, parents and childless, homemakers and career women… We all have something to learn from one another. We create a bit of an echo chamber and stunted growth when we make our groups too specific demographically.

4. Business Or Church?

The goal of a seeker-sensitive church is to increase visitors and retain them as members. This kind of church does not rely on the gospel to achieve this goal. Instead, they use some smart marketing and business tactics.

What do you think of when you think of entering a church? Friendly people, an auditorium, instruments, and a nursery come to my mind. But that’s not good enough for your modern-day unchurched person. In order to draw people in, seeker-sensitive churches have fully functioning coffee bars, bookstores, gift shops, and even sports teams! That’s quite a list of amenities. It makes me wonder, though, if I am describing a church or an upscale hotel.

Combine the music I discussed earlier with this shopping mall experience, and visitors are comfortable, fed, pleased with new souvenirs, and ready for the message.

Like any good business, the seeker-sensitive church has thought through who it is trying to please for return business. Therefore, the pastor will often be charismatic with funny stories and a message that more resembles one of those cringey MLM conference pep talks than the Word of God. His or her (God forbid!) message will be aimed at the most advantageous age groups. That is to say, the church is hoping to draw kids, teens, and young families. Why? Kids, teens, and young families attract more visitors from the community.

Specific Problems With A Business Approach

1. When church is designed to entertain and draw unchurched people in every week, then each week must be bigger and better than the last. Good luck with that.

2. New members, often with a sketchy testimony of salvation, are plugged into roles too quickly. It’s a great way to keep new members coming to church, but the ministries they work in suffer.

Someone I knew in Illinois told me about her church doing just this. Her testimony was that she goes to church now. That’s it. And she was, within a month of membership, teaching a Sunday School class for little kids.

No, thanks. I’d rather not have some random person with little to no biblical knowledge teaching my kids. Call me old-fashioned.

3. Budgets. Let’s not forget those. Some of these churches are quite large. We’re talking about millions and millions of dollars. Each dollar we have belongs to God, but He has allowed us to be stewards of that money. Churches, like individuals, must be good stewards of the finances they are given. So, what are seeker-sensitive churches doing with their money? It allows for big salaries to flashy pastors, funds bloated programming that is sometimes more about fun than the gospel, helps large events come together (such as carnivals, vacation Bible school, concerts, etc.), and pays for those musicians and the stage show they deliver every Sunday.

Is this how we ought to use money in our churches? There’s no black and white answer, but I expect many seeker-sensitive churches are not as thoughtful and God-honoring with their money as they intended in the beginning. I think this is because running a business is a lot different than running a church. Plainly put, you cannot faithfully serve the Lord and use a business model to run the church.

Is The Seeker-Sensitive Church Model Working?

Some churches claim millions of people have come to know the Lord through their ministries. They would also point to the many people sitting in their seats every Sunday (or streaming online).

If it’s working, though, where are all the faithful Christians? I’m not seeing them in politics, media, schools, or the community. I just see a depraved world sinking deeper into its own sin. These seeker-sensitive church members are looking for entertainment, not Jesus.

The State Of Christianity Today

I recently read God Has a Wonderful Plan for Your Life: The Myth of the Modern Message by Ray Comfort. (I highly recommend this book!) Comfort shares some statistics in his opening chapter from data collected by the Barna Group. Admittedly, the information is a little old, but the numbers have most assuredly not improved over time.

Here are two statistics concerning self-described born-again believers from 2003.

49% – Believe living with someone before marriage is morally acceptable

33% – Support abortion

The following are statistics are from the Barna Group in 2009 collected about professing Christians.

Almost 50% – Believe Satan is not real

1/3 – Believe Jesus sinned on earth

1/4 – Believe the Bible is not completely accurate

41% – Believe the Bible, the Koran, and the Book of Mormon teach the same spiritual truths (see my post on Mormonism HERE).

Does this sound like seeker sensitivity is successful? If all we are shooting for is butts in the seats, then I guess we’re doing all right. On the other hand, if we want to see people born again and following Christ, then I submit to you that the seeker-sensitive church movement was an embarrassing, dumpster fire of a failure. With what we know now, I’d say pursuing that method is willful sin.

There is another reason to not be a seeker-sensitive church, though. There is no such thing as an unsaved person seeking God.

The Bible Says There Are No Seekers

Seeker-sensitive churches have taken their eyes off Jesus at some point, but it’s not too late to turn around. First, though, we need to trust Him to lead our church.

“Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.”

Proverbs 3:5-6

The Bible says no one seeks after the Lord.

“There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God.”

Romans 3:11

We recognize that God exists, even by only the world around us. What do we do? We reject the true God and create our own gods.

“For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse: Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things.”

Romans 1:20-23

The unregenerate, that is unbelievers, do not receive the things of God. Without the Holy Spirit guiding us, we have no discernment.

“But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.”

1 Corinthians 2:14

God chooses us. In fact, He called us before the creation of the world.

“Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began,”

2 Timothy 1:9

People seek fulfillment. They seek a higher power. But the Scriptures are clear that people aren’t clamoring in the parking lots of churches waiting to get in and find Jesus Christ. We look in all the wrong places, and we reject His Truth.

What Is The Church For?

The church is for believers, and it is a way we obey God’s command to not forsake assembling together (Hebrews 10:25). We meet together to be equipped (Ephesians 4:11-12), to instruct one another (Romans 15:14), to love one another (1 John 4:12), to fellowship (1 John 1:7), to mentor and be mentored (Titus 2:1-8), and to spiritually grow (1 Peter 2:2; Ephesians 4:14).

We are meant to hold each other accountable and to edify one another in our walk with Jesus. We receive spiritual gifts to serve and minister to one another (Romans 12:6-8; 1 Corinthians 12:4-11; 1 Corinthians 12:28).

Of course, not to be forgotten, we assemble at church as believers to worship God. We pray to Him. As Christians we sing songs of praise for Him. We study His Word, and encourage one another to grow in Christlikeness.

As believers, we should take what we have learned and go out into the community to share Christ with others. That is the primary way Christians should reach the unsaved. Our places of worship and fellowship are not supposed to be made into social centers for the unchurched.

No Unbelievers Allowed?

It probably sounds like we shouldn’t let people who are not Christians into the church. That’s not at all what I am saying. Unbelievers, the unchurched, “seekers”, or whatever else we call them do not need us to cater a worship service around their preferences and sensibilities. At the same time, we should welcome them lovingly and gladly in our churches. They need the gospel. Full stop.

“So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.”

Romans 10:17

If we know that no one can enter Heaven or the presence of God without being born again (John 3:3), then why are churches going out of their way to hide the fact that we are all sinners in need of a Savior? It’s fear, and we’re hoping to keep them in our churches as if that is enough. Well, those people are just as condemned as they were before volunteering at VBS and attending your small group. We do them no favors and show them no love when we hide behind these seeker-sensitive tactics.

The Truth may offend or hurt people, but trust God with it. We can share hard things lovingly, and we should risk offending someone for their eternal salvation. Besides, someone walking into a church ought to expect it will be like…a church.

Final Thought

Before I leave you with some words from John MacArthur, (link to entire post HERE.) let me encourage you to not be ashamed of the gospel. It doesn’t need to be dressed up or made palpable to everyone. They need only hear it. God saves, not us. Be less sensitive to the seeker and more sensitive to the Holy Spirit.

“Subtly the overriding goal is church attendance and worldly acceptability rather than a transformed life. Preaching the Word and boldly confronting sin are seen as archaic, ineffectual means of winning the world … That kind of thinking badly skews the mission of the church. The Great Commission is not a marketing manifesto. Evangelism does not require salesmen, but prophets. It is the Word of God, not any earthly enticement, that plants the seed for the new birth (1 Peter 1:23). We gain nothing but God’s displeasure if we seek to remove the offense of the cross.” 

John MacArthur (an excerpt)

Do you agree? Or do you think seeker-sensitive churches are doing a good job?

Image courtesy of Tom Ramalho via Unsplash.