Have you ever heard it said that the three most important things in real estate are Location, Location, Location? Over the years, I have heard the same thing said about our church’s location. Our campus has prime road frontage along Huguenot Road. We have excellent visibility. Our steeple is a landmark. Passersby see the beautiful courtyard, prominent brick buildings and well-appointed landscaping. We have a large sign near the road and another large sign for our Child Development Center (CDC). And, according to the Virginia Office of Data Governance and Analytics, 36,000 vehicles pass by our campus per day (2023 AADT_020_Chesterfield_2023 was the most recent data available). The data reports that 99% of the average daily traffic is two-and-four-tire vehicles, so it’s mostly passenger vehicles and motorcycles. If this many vehicles pass our church every day, then why don’t the people just stop and come to church?  

Perhaps the answer to this question resides in our mindset: Do we have an attractional or missional mindset? Attractional says, “Build it and they will come.” (An adaptation of the original quote from Field of Dreams starring Kevin Costner — “If you build it, he will come.”) If our main focus is on attracting people, then we are making the assumption that people will show up to church simply because we have a nice, convenient campus. While it is true that convenience is a factor in the selection of a church, there is much more:  

According to Thom Rainer, there are seven key reasons why people choose a church . . . 

1. Quality of sermons. 

2. Feeling welcomed by leaders. 

3. Style of services.  

4. Location.  

5. Education for kids. 

6. Having friends/family in the congregation. 

7. Availability of volunteering opportunities. 

Back in the 50s on up through the 90s and early 2000s, the attractional model worked for a lot of churches. But not so much now. We must think “missional.” This is getting back to both the Great Commission and the Great Commandment . . . Jesus calls us to go where the people are . . . 

“Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,  and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” (Matthew 28:19-20) 

But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” (Acts 1:8) 

Missiologist Alan Hirsch states, “It is we who are the “sent” people of God, and whatever that means to our identity as God’s people, it must also sometimes mean we must go to where the people are.” Some years ago, I heard Alan speak at a BGAV meeting. He said, “Within three to five years of a person becoming a Christian, he or she will have no meaningful relationships with anyone outside the church.” This means that the longer Christians are in the “church bubble” the fewer points of connection we have with unchurched people. This leads us to more of an “attractional” mindset where we expect people to come to us.  

Let’s reclaim the Great Commission and the Great Commandment and go to where the people are. May we be the presence of Jesus to them. And when opportunities arise, may we be willing to share the reason for the hope we have and do so with gentleness and respect (see 1 Peter 3:15). All the while, let us continue to ensure that we have a beautiful campus that stands above the others in our area. This means that our love for Jesus is manifest even in the way we steward the capital resources God has given us. I must continue to work on my craft as preacher. And we all are part of the ministry of hospitality to ensure people feel welcomed.  

At the end of the day, we want to be missional and attractional . . . that our missional presence will be like a magnet which draws people to the Lord to worship, learn, grow and serve together in the name of Jesus. 

In Christ’s love,