Quiet the Critics

I was recently reading a great article on hologram churches, such as Northpoint in Georgia.  It’s such a creative way of growing a church without having the stadium feeling!  Check out the article for yourself… (http://www.slate.com/id/2197166)  Basically a hologram church is a video venue service at a different location than the senior pastor is actually preaching at.  It’s a cool and trendy idea of how to use technology to reach people.

After I read the article, I ran across several blogs that were commenting on their opinion of what Andy and many others are now doing.  And I am amazed to say that there were many critics of this style of church.  Here’s my problem.  Andy is reaching over 20,000 people with the love of Christ.  Why do we feel the need to rip him apart for it?  I would give my left arm to be able to reach that many people!   

My mother-in-law was also telling me a while back about a show on TBN that was negatively criticizing young pastors preaching in flip flops for not being reverent enough…Jeff, you are in trouble!  Have they read the New Testament?  Do they understand Jesus?  He threw outward reverance aside in order to reach whomever, however, wherever He could with the love of God. 

How silly will we look standing before God someday to argue our point of whether or not Andy Stanley should have had a hologram church?  Are we serious?  If he is blessed enough and smart enough to figure out how not to stop reaching people, go Andy!    

I want to live in the refreshing reality that the church next door can be extremely successful doing it their way AND we can be extremely successful doing it our way.  There really are enough people in the world that need Jesus for every Christian church out there to do well.

So, grab your coffee and wear your flip flops!  We’re gonna have church!  And if that takes a holographic Pastor Mark and sixteen venues, so be it.