A friend of mine was trying to tell me the joyful challenges he faces each day as he ministers to the Hispanic community here in rural Kentucky. My friend, Darrick, speaks no Spanish, grew up with no appreciation for Mexican heritage, and yet he feels drawn to the Mexican community to share his faith with them.

The topic arose while we were discussing the idea of “faith as community.” It hadn’t been going well for the home Protestant team that had been occupying the area in local Baptist fellowships for over 150 years. Don’t get me wrong. I’m a card carrying Southern Baptist, but through many dangers, toils and snares, I’m beginning to understand the difference between what many churches are doing and true community.

Let me move back for a moment. I remember the heralded days of my youth in the Southern Baptist Church. Sunday school in the morning, worship after, Mom’s roast for lunch, a nice nap then off for discipleship at 5:00 and Sunday night service. Return on Wednesday for prayer meeting or youth activites and you’ll discover you’re a well rounded Southern Baptist. We called it “good Christian fellowship” and as time moved on and semantics changed, we called it “community.”

I learned very quickly when I became a pastor that programs, activities, and pew sitting do not transform a congregation into a true Christian community.

But please don’t judge. This can happen in any non-denominational or denominational structure. Anytime we place our hopes into a program to develop true spirituality or community, we’ve failed. That is not to say that a program cannot be used to encourage it, but if it used as a substitute for it, it ends up being a bland sacchariny failure.

The result is we are left with churches that are a perfect reflection of our culture. We have Wal-Mart for our one stop shopping needs, Old Navy for our discount clothing needs, Blockbuster for our movie rentals – and on Sunday we can stop in and consume God. When we’re done, we can leave him there until we need him again the following week.

We have become a society that consumes God. If we like a church that meets our needs, we stick around. If it fails us, we shop around. When we leave church and didn’t like it, we hear ourselves say, “I didn’t really get anything out of that today.”

We are slowly abandoning the community element and the lifeblood of the church – the body of Christ.

It’s easy to be an internet tough guy and point out a problem. What can be done about this program oriented culture where millions are entering church to be one-stop shoppers to take their required piece of God to survive?

Sadly, there are probably many who view church as just as important each week as their trip to Wal-Mart. Christ demands that we lay everything down in pursuit of Him. He calls for serious disciples with sold out hearts. In return, He gives us His life, His love, His heart.

My friend Darrick spoke of the way the Hispanic community is a true community. When they go to church on Sunday, it is simply an extension of the way they have been meeting with one another all week. Each family is concerned with each other all week, knows of personal needs, and always has time for one another. Going to church is not a day where everyone catches up with the events of the week. It is a day of worship and spiritual renewal for the community.

Hopefully we can change the view we have of our church attendance. Too often, we see ourselves going into the church on Sunday for a service. What if we were to view ourselves as a spiritual community leaving the church, being the church and remaining the church all week?