I hope this article finds you very uncomfortable in your search to find effective ways and means to assimilate people into the life and purpose of your fellowship. Too many leaders today in the church don’t wrestle with the right things and spend all their time wrestling with the wrong stuff. We should grapple with the process of assimilation because it is at the heart of who we are and the ministry we should be doing. You may be surprised to find that the Biblical process of assimilation is more “scientific” (as well as spiritual) than previously thought and practiced. Allow me to explain as we head into the laboratory for this one:
Even the social and chemical sciences recognize the existence of two different forms of assimilation: Cultural and biological. The online encyclopedia source, Wikipedia, defines “Cultural Assimilation” as “a minority group gradually adopting the customs and attitudes of the prevailing culture.” I don’t know about you, but the last thing I want a pre-Christian, or a new Christian learning is some of our customs and attitudes of the current church culture! Wikipedia goes on to define “Biological Assimilation” as, “the conversion of nutrient into the fluid or solid substance of the body, by the processes of digestion and absorption.” Which of these two sound more Christ-like? One requires people to “adopt” something; the other requires the church to “absorb” someone.
The challenge in our churches today is recognizing and renouncing all of our cultural assimilation tactics with people. We must stop presenting the DNA of the church as a “culture.” Jesus didn’t invite people to join a culture. He also didn’t ever invite them to join a church! He invited them to follow Him. He absorbed them into a relationship, not a vision statement. His group of “absorbed ones” was made up of those who were “convinced,” as well as the “not so convinced.” Our cultural assimilation systems in church today don’t leave room for both of these people groups. Leaders today need to acknowledge that we actually value the “convinced,” more than the “not so convinced.” We value people’s decision more than their journey. If we really valued their journey, we would make room in the assimilation (absorption) process for their journey. Many of the church leaders focusing on cultural assimilation crave for everyone to say the same thing, think the same way, respond in like manner to a sermon, rise early the same hour each morning for prayer and devotions, dress the same way for worship, be able to attend the same service on Sunday, etc. The Church of the past made a grave mistake defining “sameness” as “holiness.” Missionaries of old preached and gave their lives often for a gospel of cultural conversion. The more American or western we could culturally make the indigenous people groups of the world, the closer we felt we brought them to Christ likeness. We were wrong.
What does biological absorption look like in the Body of Christ? I confess I don’t know completely, but I’m learning. It involves so much of both natural and supernatural factors that it is hard to put your finger on one clear answer. No matter how hard you try, you can’t fit the process of biological assimilation into one program or curriculum within the life of the church. You can’t design and organize it into a single system that everyone can understand and follow (i.e. 101, 201, 301). It is complex and messy, yet it is beautiful and quite easy. And Jesus proved that it is doable, as long as the Church remains a living organism rather than a overly structured organization. But any of us who are genuinely trying to absorb people effectively into the life of the church will admit that it is a challenge.
We are currently having fun with this process at New Heights Church (and I highly recommend that sort of attitude towards assimilation). We found “absorption” to be such an important part of why we exist that the first full-time< |