Reasons why people are in the LSM churches

[micah6v8]

I am not sure if there is already a thread for this, but I wanted to discuss why (i) LSM churches draw people or (ii) why people born into LSM churches do not leave the LSM churches.

I offer some reasons below. Feel free to add more or disagree with my list.

1) Comfortable Beliefs

Teachings like “It is not a matter of being right or wrong, good or bad—it is a matter of life.” may appeal to some people as it gives them license not to do good.

Doing good or doing the right thing does not come naturally to some people. After all, doing good others will involve spending one’s money, time and energy without benefit to oneself. It is comforting to be told that one need not bother to do good; you only need to be “open to the Lord” and call on the Lord.

2) Psychological Needs are met

I understand that the “Optimal distinctiveness” theory explains that individuals like to belong to groups with particular properties. This fulfils the individual’s two competing needs: (i) the need to belong and (ii) the need to feel unique.

LSM promises that if you join them, you will be part of a unique group in the centre of God’s plan and not part of “dead Christianity”. The chance to be part of an elite group is alluring.

3) Food

I agree with Witness Lee that as Christians we should not resort to gimmicks just to draw non-believers. His example was that some people go to churches because of the rock music there rather than getting to know God.

One thing he missed out though (whether intentionally or not) was the draw of food in LSM churches. One example of shepherding they teach is to invite people to your home for a meal. I don’t disagree with such an approach but sometimes it does not work out well. At some places, a love feast is like a pot-luck party, some people do get drawn into the meetings because of the variety and quantity of food and the chance to socialise. (Particularly for meals served at Small Group Meetings for college students who have just moved into a foreign country and have little money: what’s not to like about getting free food and meeting new people?).

And if you meet your life-partner (belonging to the same local church) during your college days, both of you might marry and be more embedded in the LSM community.

Note: this varies:- some of the saints have wised up and now offer simpler fare in the love feasts to filter out the visitors who are only here for the food. Or the saints get weary of cooking that they just gravitate to simpler fare.

4) International Network of LSM churches.

If you were raised in a LSM church and were moving overseas for studies, it would not hurt to be put in touch with a local church in the foreign country. You get a network of people to turn to and also enjoy a taste of home to help with the homesickness (There is a sense of familiarity as the format of meetings in the foreign country is similar in your home country). At one point (not sure if it is still true), my locality’s College Students group consisted more foreign students (quite a number were LSM church- kids from other countries) than locals. I think the sense of community was the important factor; of course having access to food (as mentioned above) played a role too.

Even if you were not a student, having an international network would help you if you were travelling. I myself benefited from this:- I enjoyed some hospitality (lodging, food and being shown around) when I visited a foreign country. My mum had put me in touch with her friend’s friend who was in a Local Church in that country). Also, if you were part of a visiting saints group who went overseas for a blending trip, you would similarly receive hospitality too (food, lodging, being shown around) from the host local church.