When we focus mostly on an 'attractional model' in the shaping, programming and investments related to the ministries of local church (ie. mostly 'come to our building and participate in our programs, on our turf), then we de facto, too often, end up by really facilitating an 'extractional model.'
We take people from their families, their cultures and sub-cultures - vaccuum them out of their own neighbourhoods, cultures, families and sub-cultures (encouraging them to drive - sometimes many miles - to our excellent structures and programs and dispensation-posts of religious goods and services). We extract them from where they normally live and work and breathe, thinking that we must get them into our space so they can be counted (yea us), cared for and perhaps only then re-directed back to the people and contexts from whence they came.
Sadly, they don't 'go back' . . . we really don't expect them to, in tems of their living missionally, incarnationally in those prior contexts. We don't train them for mission there; we only help them invite others to make the trek with them to the church's services. We want them to bring others to us and we wreck their ability to be at home and office, to be incarnationally involved there, with the people in the context(s) where they themselves were first reached.
