This Sunday marks the end of a long string of absences from church for my family. As I’ve mentioned several times previously, we’ve been debating where to attend, struggling to find a “good fit” for us. After all this time, we’re headed back to a congregation that I’ve felt God pulling me toward for months. Why didn’t I just listen already? Please don’t ask me questions you know I can’t answer!

Part of the challenge, at least for me, in this process is that so many churches now declare themselves “seeker friendly.” One article I found suggests more than 40,000 churches consider themselves built for seekers, those who are open to the idea of God but haven’t yet established a relationship with Him. I have a few basic problems with churches that overly gear themselves toward seekers. Please pause while I climb atop my soapbox.

First, they err on the side of entertainment instead of education. I love a good worship service as much as the next guy, and I want to be inspired and motivated and engaged while I’m at church, but I also want growth and authenticity. In my experience, it’s way too easy to throw that out the window in an attempt to make seekers feel more welcome.

Secondly, it feels like the best way to woo seekers into the Christian family would be to show them what it is genuinely all about. You don’t have to water it down or put on your performance face. Let them truly see God at work, and that will speak volumes. There is nothing more captivating than that. Show them that broken people are welcome. That they can be redeemed. That God can not only heal wounds but use them for His kingdom.

Finally, why aren’t more of us up in arms about the way seekers are being defined? Shouldn’t we all consider ourselves seekers? Aren’t we all seeking a deeper relationship with God, more truth, more communion, more understanding and intimacy. You don’t just “find God” and then stop seeking. You don’t get converted from a seeker to a believer and then rot in a pew. Pursuing God is a lifelong endeavor, so reserving the term seeker to label those who haven’t even fully taken up that pursuit seems unfortunate and shortsighted to me.

With all that said, I do understand the need for the church to be culturally relevant and appealing. I get that. I like that, to an extent. I am a consumer, just like everyone else. I’ve proven lately to be too much of a consumer, thus my aforementioned extended absence from church. I just get a little sideways when I see churches expend so much energy attracting new recruits, potentially at the expense of those who are already signed up for the program and in need of depth and growth. Who still have a lot of seeking of their own to do.

I hope this doesn’t cause you to question my desire to lead others to Christ. I do believe that is a priority for all of us individually, and for the church collectively. I also hope this doesn’t make you think I’m a throw back conservative who wants to do things such as restricting instruments to the standard issue organ and piano. Please no. Rock the stage! Drums. Bass. Horns. I want it all.

But do it all in authenticity. And do it with a balance of helping seekers of all stages and walks. And do it in a way that builds a community where Christ followers can support one another in daily growth, not just a cool hang where the music is fresh and the speaker is snappy and the faces are pretty and smiling.