Defining Assimilation in the Local Church: From the Outside to “All-In”
Bottom line?
Fully assimilated guests become “all-in” members.
There’s no easy way to say it: you won’t find a verse that says “thou shalt assimilate” anywhere in the Bible. You also won’t find a genuine disciple who hasn’t been fully assimilated into God’s kingdom.
Without a clear definition, you will only ever be accidentally successful* in church assimilation. In this article, I’ll attempt to define “assimilation” in the local church context. In future posts, we’ll look at strategy, tools, and outcomes.
Understanding Assimilation
As a personal conviction, I’m typically against referring to the dictionary when I’m writing. That said, there are those rare occasions when the exception proves the rule. This is one of them.
Webster is a helpful starting place:
“To be taken in or absorbed”
“To absorb into the cultural tradition of a population or group”
Sociologists point to “symbols, language, beliefs, values, and artifacts” as the five elements of any culture. In cultural assimilation, people embrace and adopt the elements of a new society. In church assimilation, sinners come to faith in the gospel and are absorbed into the kingdom of God.
Embracing the Kingdom
In the context of the local church, believers begin to embrace a spiritual society. Like any other, this one comes with its own set of symbols, language, beliefs, values, and artifacts. We look to God’s word, our infallible artifact, as the foundation of our beliefs. We hold fast to a gospel that shapes the way we value God’s purposes for his people and his church. We remember what’s most important to us as we look to symbols like the waters of baptism and the Lord’s Supper. Our language becomes salty, seasoned with grace, and saturated with hope as we carry the good news of God’s mercy on our lips.
We are new people with a shared spiritual history: every citizen transferred from death to life, born again by the Spirit, forgiven by the Savior, and sent to the lost for the glory of God. You, me, and the people in our churches were all disciples of the world; now, we are disciples of Jesus Christ (Eph. 2:2-6.) We used to be old, tattered, and stained by sin; now, we are a “new creation” (2 Cor. 5:17.) We were spiritual orphans, who now, have been adopted into the family of God (Gal. 4:4-7; Rom. 8:15.)
When unbelievers turn to Christ, they turn away from the world and embrace lifelong citizenship in a heavenly kingdom.
Church assimilation takes place when new citizens adopt the way of the kingdom as their own. As they do, they move from the outside to “all-in.”
Bottom line? Fully assimilated guests become “all-in” members.
What New Citizens Need
Assimilation helps guests move from the outside to “all in”
Great assimilation processes answer guests questions before they ask. When guests arrive, we should assume that they have no context or clarity on what to do next. How do they live out their commitment to God and connect to his church? Should they join a volunteer team or a group first? What instruction do they need in your specific ministry context? Work to create an assimilation strategy that is intuitive and natural for your ministry context.
New Citizens Need a Map
If you haven’t already, define your intended assimilation outcomes. Have you clearly communicated how guests can get connected to the life and ministry of your church? Do they understand what the Bible teaches about things like worship gatherings, baptism, community, serving, and membership? If not, start by searching the scriptures to identify and define the desired assimilation outcomes in your church.
New Citizens Need a Guide
Who in your church is responsible for pursuing and caring for guests? Whether it’s the Lead Pastor, a staff member, or a volunteer, someone in your church should be in charge of managing the assimilation process. Have you created clear, actionable pathways for guests who want to take steps of obedience? Do your physical and digital gathering spaces foster opportunities for connection and action?
New Citizens Need a Win
Here are three things you can do to bring clarity to your assimilation strategy today:
1. Define the win. What are the key attributes of a believer who is “all-in?”
2. Communicate the win. From the stage, in the sermon, in the bulletin, on the web, on socials, and in person.
3. Help them win. Taking steps of obedience is a spiritual battle for people, so make everything easy that can be.
That’s it. That’s the goal: help your guests move from the outside to “all-in”. If you don’t do anything else, spend ten minutes today helping one of your guests take a step toward “all-in.”
*I’m borrowing the phrase from Jon Acuff, who recently described himself as “accidentally successful.” As he tells it, a consultant who reviewed his business strategy and practices in the early years of his business informed him that his success appeared to be largely accidental; a comment that he clarifies, “was not a compliment.” You can hear the story in its entirety in his interview with Donald Miller.
Here’s the win: personal connection, not task completion.