Cookie Cutter Churches / Cookie Cutter Christians

Cookie cutter churches are good at creating cookie cutter Christians. Rejecting some, in order to win some. Those rejected are those who might not be good candidates to become cookie cutter Christians. They may be more independent in their thinking. They maybe more apt to accept the Bible for what it actually says, regardless of the doctrines of the cookie cutter church. Those not rejected, are those who will believe what there are told and fall in line.

How do the cookie cutter churches reject some? Here is just one example: They will reject having a ministry or outreach for Bikers. They will not be known as a Biker friendly church; after all you can’t have those kinds of people in the church. One Pastor actually told me that he did not want the church to be known as a Biker friendly church because that would be inviting in their life style.

A sinner is a sinner and the lost are lost, but there are bikers that are saved and love the Lord. Attention, I want you to hear this, God does save Bikers (just like He saves anyone else). Unfortunately, they are lumped in with all the TV and movie stereotypes of Bikers, by many churches. This rejection of even the saved Biker sends a message to all other Bikers. What they see is that the church is not practicing what they teach and is no more than a country club.

The problem is that the saved Biker has a hard time fitting into the church’s cookie cutter and will always be considered just a Biker. He may be allowed to attend, but he will never teach a Sunday school class. For this reason most Bikers feel rejected by most churches, and feel unwelcome. This does not just happen to Bikers, but it is good example.

What is wrong with today’s Christian Church? Many good, Bible believing churches want to win the lost to Christ, but only if they will fit into the church’s cookie cutter.

It reminds me of a song, by Steve Taylor. Some of the lyrics go like this:

I’d gone through so much other stuff,
That walking down the aisle was tough,
But now I know it’s not enough,
I want to be a clone.

I asked the Lord into my heart,
They said that was the way to start,
But now you’ve got to play the part.
I want to be a clone.

Be a clone and kiss conviction goodnight,
Cloneliness is next to Godliness, right?
I’m grateful that they show the way,
‘Cause I could never know the way,
To serve Him on my own,
I want to be a clone.

They told me that I’d fall away,
Unless I followed what they say,
Who needs the Bible anyway?
I want to be a clone.

And the song continues, but you understand. No matter if we call it cookie cutter or Cloneliness, everyone must fix in correctly and not rock the boat.

“For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lust shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.”
2 Timothy 4:3 & 4

Sound doctrine and truth would not exclude the Biker, or someone else, but would seek to share the good news of Gods love for them. If we do that, we might get out of our comfort zone. We might stop trying to contain God within the walls of a church building, while keeping some people out or feel less than welcome.

Someone reading this is thinking: “yea, that’s why I don’t go.” Well I understand that, but it’s just an excuse. You can’t control how other people act and how other act does not relieve you of your responsibility to do what’s right. The Bible tells us to not forsake the assembling of ourselves together (see Hebrews10:25).

I have found a few churches that welcome Bikers, ask other Bikers. And now in some cities, there are Biker Churches. In Springfield, Missouri there is the V-Twin Biker Church at 535 N, West Bypass (almost to Chestnut Exp). There are some in other cities; many are listed on the internet. In addition to Biker friendly churches and Biker Churches, there are also groups like BFC – Bikers For Christ who meet, ride and have good fellowship. So, not going anywhere is not a good excuse, other than an excuse for somewhere to ride.

While Churches need to stop playing church, Bikers and others need to stop using that as an excuse. May God help us all to do as He would have us to do.