Growing up in Noblesville, a small town in central Indiana, was kind of like growing up in Mayberry, a fictional town on the Andy Griffin show. (Side Note: If you are under 40 you probably need to GPT Andy Griffin). Back in the day in Noblesville jaywalking was the major crime, we went to the town square to watch people, knew to come home when we were hungry, and visits to the park pool were a part of summers tradition.
Somewhere along the line Noblesville grew up. The town square gained law offices but lost its local stores that gave it charm. Crime is still low. We don’t have time to watch people, but a good thing that happened is the park pool got a major update.
While I miss a lot of the things about the days gone by, the upgrade to the park pool is a good thing. Gone is the single pool with a deep diving well with three varying heights of spring boards. Now there are several pools and a diving well. There is a splash pool for beginners, young kids and people who might want to soak. 
A lap pool for those who want to do some laps or just long for some fun in deeper water. There are still spring boards, but added are three varying flatforms for the serious divers. Regardless of your ability to swim, there is a place for you.
Over the past three years I’ve been privileged to watch my grandson three days a week. Part of that meant I got to get him in water. Of course he had splashed in the bathtub, but there is something exhilarating about being in water outside.
His first pool came when he was a little over a year old. A 24” X 24” pool that was about a foot deep. He spent that entire summer absolutely enamored by being in the pool. By the time he was two he had graduated to something a little larger, still basically a splash pool, but once again he loved every day that he got to spend in the pool. By year three I had bought him a three-foot round pool with a sprinkle ring and could be filled to about three feet. I was ready for another glorious summer.
Something changed though. One day our daughter took him to my parents’ house, there he was introduced to their in-ground pool. At Nonna’s pool there was an area for wading that was about four foot deep, a swimming section and a diving well complete with a diving board. Initially he was intimidated, fearful but with some floaties and encouragement (candy, hot wheels, paw patrol toy) he braved the new experience and within a few weeks he was swimming all over the pool and jumping off the diving board.
Something else happened too. After a few visits to Nonna’s house and then coming back to Papa Jon’s, he was no longer interested in the three-foot pool with a sprinkler ring. As cool as I thought my pool was, he had experienced more and he had no interest in splashing. I had to own up to what I was offering, my splash pool was no longer relevant. A few weeks later I packed up my cool pool and sold it in a garage sale.
Over the past few years, since retiring from full-time pastoring, Mary and I visited a lot of churches. What we’ve found or sensed is a lot like what happened to my grandson. While people are initially excited about a splash pad experience at church, eventually they want to experience more. They want to learn how to swim, do laps and dive into deep waters spiritually.
Unfortunately, unlike the town of Noblesville, many churches don’t get it. At some point Noblesville Parks realized we aren’t offering what people wanted, so they made some difficult changes. It meant tearing down the old and created something that fit the model that was needed. In my opinion, which will help you get a tall Starbucks if you have $5, too many churches are wading pools, but little else. Week after week, come and splash with us!
At some point people get tired of splashing and ask, isn’t there more? Where is the lap pool, the diving board, I want to go deeper. Church culture tends to operates in “herd mentality,” whatever is the latest and greatest, lets duplicate, modify it a little, add some smoke and lights, and call it cool. Unfortunately, this repetitive culture wears thin and people grow weary and bored.
Find freedom, simply believe, serve, and find a life group. (Soak. Wash. Rense. Repeat.) If I’ve heard it once in the last four years, I’ve heard it a hundred times. Different logo , same hamburger. It’s not that I’m against splash pools in church, they are important, but there has to be more. Too many people are dying, not by drowning, but by boredom.
Ezekiel speaks in the 47th chapter of his book of being led by a man into water. Initially it was a trickle, a splash pad, but then it became ankle deep, knee deep, waist deep and eventually water that was over his head. He was exhilarated by the experience. Again, my opinion, and maybe another coffee at your own expense, but this is what I sense churches and pastors should be doing. Leading people into deep water, to overwhelming experiences. Take them into the deep waters of the Spirit, with wisdom and balance let the Spirit have liberty. Let them experience miracles. Let them be overwhelmed by God’s presence. Teach them to pray for the sick and see them recover. Take them into the Word and empower them to live boldly and powerfully.
Let people get out of the splash pad and swim laps and dive deep.