Consumerism in church

We are all consumers.
We buy products to live, we buy products to entertain us, we buy, buy, buy.
And we have become disloyal. Remember the good ole' days when you were either a Ford, GM, or Chrysler man? No so anymore.
Now we want whatever gives us the bigger bang for the buck. My desires and wants have become paramount. It's all about me.
I suppose that's fine when shopping for material thing as long as it's within your financial grasp.
But how about looking for a church?
You see I'm afraid the church as bought into this. We want to make ourselves attractive, not so much for the lost I fear, but for the Christian family looking for a new home since the last church they were in didn't meet there "needs".
It's not new, I'm sure some of the people that followed Jesus and the apostles were just wanting to be entertained, you know, see the "show". Was that shallow? Be careful how you answer that. You might find that you are leaving or looking for a church based on that same shallowness.
Churches are trying to deliver more product, a bigger bang for the buck, to the church consumer. We all claim that were not trying to steal people from other churches, but were certainly happy when the do show up. Here's someone all cleaned up and ready to be put to work. We don't have to worry about how they look or act, there just like us! Hooray!!
I'm not saying the church shouldn't change what it's doing, I think we should from time to time look at our ministries and evaluate there effectiveness. But who are we trying to reach?
Our church has lost and gained people. I have heard the excuses. Church "A" has more stuff for my kids, church "B" just lost there pastor and since I don't like the new guy I'm going to try your church. I like church "C" because of there music leader. It sounds an awful lot like there saying church is all about me.
In the good ole' days of horse and buggy, several people came together and built a little church in the area. Over a large area alot of these little churches sprang up. People just didn't want to travel in a wagon very far. Not so today.
We will travel long distances to get what we want. And by george were going to get it.
Maybe the question we need to ask in our board (that's board not bored, it's an easy mistake to make) meetings is how do we make the church attractive to the people that we are supposed to reach out to, you remember, the lost.
I'm not telling the church to neglect the saints, but I think we can do both. Just imagine if we showed genuine concern and love for the lost that they wanted to be a part of the body, and I'm going out on a limb here, but I'll bet that their looking for that instead of who has the better power point presentation.
But it will require the saints to do something that for some reason we have a hard time doing. Accepting people just the way they are, you know, like Christ does. We get the cart before the horse. We want them holy, BEFORE we let them into our club. I'm glad Jesus doesn't work that way or we would all be in trouble.
I had a older fellow tell me that he really missed the old days when people would come to the alter and give their life to Christ. I think down deep all the saints miss that. So as far as I'm concerned it's a win-win.
Before that can happen however church has to become less of a product and more of a lighthouse.