Beware of the Seeker Sensitive Church Model
By: Derrick P. Rodgers
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The term Seeker Sensitive can be defined as Evangelical Christians and others conducting evangelism by emphasizing social awareness among a targeted population. The would be converts is classified as the “Seekers” which must be engaged in a highly sensitive and calculated manner in order to get them into the church building.

The seeker sensitive model relies upon quantitative research, which means the “quantitative researcher” interviews the targeted community, primarily the demographic from 18 to 29 years of age and asks specific questions and collects numerical data from the participants. The researchers analyze the data with the help of statistics. The researcher is hoping the numbers will yield an unbiased result that can be generalized to some larger population.

This activity requires church groups to take to the streets and inquire of non-believers as to what they believe “church” should consist of and what will it take to get them, personally to attend church. Well, asking these types of questions to non-believers produces all types of bizarre and self centered responses from “I don’t want to be preached to” to “allow me to continue to be myself”…

This concept of evangelism has stemmed from highly ambitious “Church Growth Strategies,” which is responsible for many of our mega churches in the US and around the world. While some churches may slightly differ in their applications, they often embrace one or more aspects of the model.

The significance of this type of evangelism is designed to grow churches numerically. This is done by deliberately avoiding sound biblical theology and embracing popular sociological streams of relevant thought. Nonetheless, if this uncanny concept of Christian evangelism is executed successfully, one can expect to experience “mystical rapid growth.”

Many of todays “Modern Day False Prophets” are cloaked with the Seeker Sensitive Movement and regrettably there are some sincere leaders trending towards this model of ministry to become relevant or to compete with the fast growing church up the road.

The Seeker Sensitive model not only evangelize with an emphasis on social awareness but the model is also designed to “rebrand Christianity” to fit the mold of a generation that is increasingly becoming proud inclusionarians. This attempt to rebrand Christianity highly promotes the ideology that the church need to “revisit” certain theological doctrinal beliefs such as marriage, the existence of hell and the means of how salvation is obtained. It has and does continue to promote secular pop culture throughout the so called Christian experience to appease the would be converts. This includes several items such as following:

THE CREATION OF AN ATTRACTIVE, SENSATIONAL IRRESISTIBLE EXPERIENCE THROUGHOUT THE SERVICES: This approach is configured around extensive hype and promotion that bleeds over into “consumerism marketing strategies” that appeal to the emotions and satisfaction of mans desires. Instead of building people on the solid principles of the word of God; swag, lights, and charismatic trendy leaders that dress in tight spandex shirts and skinny leg pants advertises such demonstrations to appear relevant among the converts. The problem with this model is ‘the way you bring them is the same way you have to keep them.” Leaders that participate in this model often find themselves going farther and doing more than they ever imagine, in order to continually meet the demands of an insatiable appetite of an unregenerated heart.

THE INTEGRATION OF PERVERTED WORLDLY MUSIC WITH A RELIGIOUS CONNOTATION: This consist of merging the sound of Baal with the sound of Righteousness. This activity creates a gateway for “secular iniquity practicing” musical artists and musicians to segue into the church, enabling the new seeker sensitive converts to remain in the throes of the world, while stroking their emotions and appeasing their conscious as they continue in their redundant lifestyles. From the elaborate concert/nightclub environment and broadway theatrics, many converts are captivated and lulled by the excitement of the music and the visual sight of the high tech lighting and jumbotrons. However, they never seem to be compelled to transition into a new creation in Christ Jesus. (2 Corinthians 5:17)

THE PROMOTION OF ELABORATE PROGRAMS AND HOLLYWOOD PRODUCTIONS: This is meant to maintain and meet the constant demand to be entertained and to quench what the seeker sensitive converts deem as boredom. (Ezekiel 33:32) The glitz, glamor, and performing arts is one of the most important functions to maintain a seeker sensitive model. From musical competitions, to fashion shows, sanctuary basketball courts, flat screen tv’s and cash giveaways, these elaborate and Hollywood productions keep the new converts feeling at home and accepted.

The flesh is never satisfied, in fact the flesh will only demand more. This may explain why many of the leaders that has embraced this model have found themselves on a constant slippery slope. This is due to the converts not only desiring to be entertained, but many of them are exercising what I call “People Theology” (by the people and for the people) with the intent to force churches to rethink their positions on moral and social issues such as same-sex marriage and questioning if marriage is even necessary. Be not deceived, the demand of the converts will not stop there. There will be and has been a call to accept all religions as worshipping the same God, and the list goes on. This activity is known by some as the “gospel of inclusion.”

THE PROPAGATION OF WHAT IS DESCRIBED AS NONJUDGMENTAL THEOLOGY: This is where the doctrine of the church is exclusively centered on personal blessings, breakthrough, empowerment, and prosperity that is conspicuously absent of any correction and adjustment. There is to be no mention of repentance of sin, or the regeneration of the heart which leads to separation from the world. If you want to examine what a seeker sensitive church sounds like just listen to what they are NOT SAYING, there are some key biblical words that they recoil from speaking at all cost. They are such words or terms as the following: Sin, sinner, be ye holy, hell, hell fire, narrow is the way that leads to life, broad is the way that leads to destruction, repentance, lust of the flesh, fornication, adultery, homosexuality, new creation, Jesus is the only way, and false prophet, just to name a few. These words or terms have been deemed as non-relevant and now considered judgmental.

If you examine the model of the Seeker Sensitive Church you will discover how it has completely watered down and removed Biblical transactions such as

The need to Repent and forsake sin. (Matthew 3:2)
The need to forsake and deny oneself (Luke 14:33)
The need to crucify the flesh (Galatians 5:24)
The need to flee fornication (1 Corinthians 6:18)
The need to walk in righteousness (Proverbs 21:3)
The need to pursue Holiness (1 Peter 1:16)
The need to recognize Jesus as the ONLY true way to God (John 14:6)
The need to become a new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17)
The need to fully obey Gods commandments (1 John 2:3)
The need to deny self promotion and Babylonian Ambitions (James 3:16)
The need to come out from among the world and be separated (2 Corinthians 6:17)
The need to experience conviction (John 16:8)

The bottom line is this; we the church, are faced with decisions to make. Will we serve God and follow His written word or will we choose to be relevant, and find ourselves on the so called “right side of history” undoubtedly being controlled by a young and uninformed generation which makes demands of church leaders to fulfill their carnal desires?

We must fight strong deception with strong truth, generations are at stake.
(John 8:32)