It’s always been difficult to get Australians to church. Back in the early colonial days, church attendance was so poor that the government occasionally made it compulsory. This had mixed results. Governor Hunter, an evangelical, issued just such a directive in 1798. The convicts responded by burning Sydney’s only church to the ground.

Lord Hobart, secretary for the colonies a few years later, never visited Australia, but he seems to have understood the Australian soul. He also insisted the convicts attend church, but added that all who behaved themselves during the week should be given “a pint of grog” upon showing up on Sunday.

Leaving aside the “free wine” strategy, how do we get people into church? It’s the perennial question. A few years ago, people started comparing the “attractional” and “missional” approaches to evangelism. The attractional approach tried to draw the world into the church, to hear the gospel from the pulpit. The newer, missional approach, wanted ordinary Christians to inject themselves more deliberately into the world, bringing church to the people, rather than the people to church.

We’ve had a while to try the new approach out, and match it up against the old. From my observations, the final result is a draw. The missional model has provided some excellent insights, and some people have been brought to Christ this way. But it has not been the silver bullet some of us were hoping for. On the other hand, the attractional model, despite well known limitations, continues to be effective and appropriate in some contexts.

The way forward will probably involve a mix of both. Thinking of my own church, I’m not sure how to categorise our next major outreach, which is an “Introducing God” course. It’ll be held on church grounds, sure, but it’s in our lower front room, a cafe style space with a deliberately non-church decor and atmosphere. There’ll be a sermon, but it will be followed by a round table discussion where people are encouraged to interact with, and even disagree with, what has just been said.

However you classify it, it should be a great time. Oh, and we’ll also be serving free wine…