Motivation

Just been reading the blog of preacherman and one of the posts was about motivation. I have been wondering about this for a very long time in terms of active participation and congregations. Why do people come to church is one question, why do the keep coming is another, but what actually motivates them to become active participants instead of passive observers is a completely different question.

Chatting to a Church Army captain on the bus the other day he was saying a church he had come from used the S.H.A.P.E. book by Erik Rees, others have used other methods. I guess I am wondering about the movement from head to heart and if that comes naturally or do we need methods to empower people. What happens if it then disappears and why does it disappear - it because we become disillusioned, de-skilled, or de-motivated?

I think I am now motivated by the Love of God for me and others, what has stopped my motivation is the Love of God and the belief that 'Church' has to become a place of positivity instead of negativity. Christians have been long known for what they don't do, don't like, don't believe.... I think we should be known as people of Hope and what we do believe in.... A God who believes in us - as we are - ever changing to become people of hope and not despair, people of love and not hate, people who are on a journey and not who have arrived.

Whatever the reason for you, I am looking for answers as this is something I would like to study in further depth... if anyone wants to comment - please go right ahead!