I remember reading in a church development book some time ago of the experiences of a church planter who spent a whole lot of his time in bars. Don't get me wrong. He didn't even drink! What this church planter decided right off the bat was that he would not seek out ready-made Christians (although they were welcome) but that he would go after the lost. He would go after the people that most churches avoided. This man, despite the grumbling of the Pharisees and scribes, welcomed sinners and ate with them.

As a result of spending time outside the church (in coffee shops, libraries, and malls, not just bars!) rather than inside the church, he grew the congregation very fast. A side benefit was that he found some great musicians in the house bands that were willing to play at church on Sund…