The Country Club Church

My family is currently attending a rather large church in Twin Falls Idaho. Not long ago, the pastor mentioned that at times this congregation has been called a “Country Club Church”. I started thinking back. It occurred to me that every church I have ever been a part of has been called a Country Club Church. 

When I think of a Country Club, I think of a place that gives special benefits to its members, and is sometimes exclusionary towards non-members. It provides comforts and pleasures that the members pay a high price for. The clubhouse is usually stylish and plush. It is very exclusive.

For the record, when you’re referring to a church, this is not usually a compliment. 

But it begs the question: what exactly is a “Country Club Church”? Is that what we mean? Only the finest and best of everything? A club that looks out for its own members and sometimes seems exclusive? Places a high premium on membership? 

Compared to most of the world, every church in America is a Country Club Church. That’s not meant to be an indictment; it’s a statement of reality. And I confess, I’ve gotten kind of used to that myself. I like nice sound systems and comfortable seats and lots of room for meetings.

In a matter of months, we’re planning to move to a part of the world that most certainly won’t be accused of having country club churches. There’s not really all that many “broom closet” churches either. There’s not many churches period. Part of our work is going to be helping to plant some of these broom closet churches. Part of our work is to make them self-sustaining, and self-duplicating. No big budgets, just a more or less comfortable place to meet.

We’re hoping to partner with some folks in these country club churches to help support our efforts to do that. The goal is not to get them to the point of supporting a pastoral staff, much less paying us for coming over. That’s why we need you to partner with us. We need the country club churches to help us help plant the broom closet churches.

Maybe being seen as a “Country Club Church” can be a compliment after all. Maybe not only that, maybe it’s an honor and a privilege. Maybe it’s that whole “blessed to be a blessing” thing. “Freely, freely, you have received. Freely, freely give.” “When someone has been given much, much will be required in return; and when someone has been entrusted with much, even more will be required.” Luke 12:48 NLT.

May we all be that blessing!