--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The significant mistake of the…" description: "\"The significant mistake of the traditionalists is they require the people to start where the church is instead of the church starting where the people ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/00f/leith-anderson-87120_asking_the-significant-mistake-of-the-tradition_868460.jpg" --- # The significant mistake of the traditionalists is they… ![“The significant mistake of the traditionalists is they require the people to start where the church is instead of the church starting where the people are. Innovators begin by asking, 'What do we need to do to reach the people where they are?'” quote by Leith Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/00f/leith-anderson-87120_asking_the-significant-mistake-of-the-tradition_868460.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/00f/leith-anderson-87120_asking_the-significant-mistake-of-the-tradition_868460.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/00f/leith-anderson-87120_asking_the-significant-mistake-of-the-tradition_868460.jpg) > “The significant mistake of the traditionalists is they require the people to start where the church is instead of the church starting where the people are. Innovators begin by asking, 'What do we need to do to reach the people where they are?'” Leith Anderson ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Criticizes churches that start with themselves instead of meeting people where they are, urging innovative outreach. **In simple terms:** Church should start with people, not the other way. Key Takeaway Adapt outreach to meet people’s needs. Themes innovation community mission Mood thoughtful encouraging Type religious strategic When to use this quote - church planting - community outreach - digital ministry Key Concepts missional strategy cultural relevance engagement Questions to Reflect On - How can churches better meet people where they are? - What innovative methods can bridge gaps? A Different Perspective Changing traditions can meet resistance. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Church](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/church/) [Failure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/failure/) [Innovators](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/innovators/) [Mistake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mistake/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Religion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religion/) ## Related quotes > [“God doesn't act like the Church. No, instead, the Church must act like God.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-clement/god-doesn-t-act-like-the-church-no-instead-the-church-must-act-like/) [Kim Clement](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-clement/) > [...the great movement of apostasy being organized in every country for the establishment of a One-World Church which shall have neither dogmas, nor hierarchy,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-pius-x/the-great-movement-of-apostasy-being-organized-in-every-country-for/) [Pope Pius X](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-pius-x/) > [The true friends of the people are neither revolutionaries, nor innovators, but traditionalists.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-pius-x/the-true-friends-of-the-people-are-neither-revolutionaries-nor/) [Pope Pius X](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-pius-x/) > [If you want to get healthy, you just might not want to go to a doctor. You might instead, go to church.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-you-want-to-get-healthy-you-just-might-not-want-to-go-to-a-doctor/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I believe that a great number of people are going to die and go to hell because they’re counting on their religiosity in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adrian-rogers/i-believe-that-a-great-number-of-people-are-going-to-die-and-go-to/) [Adrian Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adrian-rogers/) > [“As a traumatised black nation, we never go to therapists and shrinks, but we got to church instead.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mthokozisi-radebe/as-a-traumatised-black-nation-we-never-go-to-therapists-and-shrinks/) Mthokozisi Radebe > [“My point is that when we ask people what they want in church instead of giving them what they were created to long for,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-macdonald/my-point-is-that-when-we-ask-people-what-they-want-in-church-instead/) [James MacDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-macdonald/) > [“When we ask people what they want in church instead of giving them what they were created to long for, we play in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-macdonald/when-we-ask-people-what-they-want-in-church-instead-of-giving-them/) [James MacDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-macdonald/) > [“But, writing in the late 1940s, he found himself commending the ‘traditionalism’ of the revolutionary Emiliano Zapata. It was Zapata, he wrote, who had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pankaj-mishra/but-writing-in-the-late-1940s-he-found-himself-commending-the/) [Pankaj Mishra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pankaj-mishra/) > [Traditionalists often study what is taught, not what there is to create.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ed-parker/traditionalists-often-study-what-is-taught-not-what-there-is-to-create/) [Ed Parker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ed-parker/) > [Traditionalists will have to master techniques of sustained activism formerly monopolized by the left.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-lasch/traditionalists-will-have-to-master-techniques-of-sustained-activism/) [Christopher Lasch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-lasch/) > [Some conservatives are traditionalists, and the idea of breaking things up and changing things is concerning to them at times.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-schlapp/some-conservatives-are-traditionalists-and-the-idea-of-breaking/) [Matt Schlapp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-schlapp/) > [The general public will almost always stand behind the traditionalists. In the public eye, architecture is about comfort, about shelter, about bricks and mortar.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernard-tschumi/the-general-public-will-almost-always-stand-behind-the/) [Bernard Tschumi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernard-tschumi/) > [Traditionalists are pessimists about the future and optimists about the past.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lewis-mumford/traditionalists-are-pessimists-about-the-future-and-optimists-about/) [Lewis Mumford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lewis-mumford/) > [“Most teachers at the National Academy of Design discouraged students from visiting "291", lest they be influenced by radical American painters such as John…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lindsay-pollock/most-teachers-at-the-national-academy-of-design-discouraged-students/) Lindsay Pollock ## More by Leith Anderson > [The simple definition of evangelism: Those who know, telling those who don't.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leith-anderson/the-simple-definition-of-evangelism-those-who-know-telling-those-who/) Leith Anderson > [It could be said that just about anyone we encounter is our neighbor, but it especially applies to those we would be least likely…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leith-anderson/it-could-be-said-that-just-about-anyone-we-encounter-is-our-neighbor/) Leith Anderson Explore all 3 Leith Anderson quotes ## More Asking quotes > [Why did Erich von Stronheim leave Germany? Why did Hitchcock leave England? If you were a director you'd like to work in Hollywood too.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roman-polanski/why-did-erich-von-stronheim-leave-germany-why-did-hitchcock-leave/) [Roman Polanski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roman-polanski/) > [And in your new lives you'll have to live entirely for that one sensation-that of imminent truth. And you're going to have to holler…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-coupland/and-in-your-new-lives-you-ll-have-to-live-entirely-for-that-one/) [Douglas Coupland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-coupland/) > [“Stop asking yourself how or why and tell yourself you can." - Charmainism”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charmaine-smith-ladd/stop-asking-yourself-how-or-why-and-tell-yourself-you-can-charmainism/) [Charmaine Smith Ladd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charmaine-smith-ladd/) > [Closing his eyes, he sent up a prayer to anyone who was listening, asking please, for God's sake, stop sending him signals that they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-r-ward/closing-his-eyes-he-sent-up-a-prayer-to-anyone-who-was-listening/) [J.R. Ward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-r-ward/) > [People will identify with a persecuted minority without asking themselves what they are identifying with.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hilary-mantel/people-will-identify-with-a-persecuted-minority-without-asking/) [Hilary Mantel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hilary-mantel/) > [If you're having a bad day already and everybody is just asking you petty questions, it drives people to the edge, or something really…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jess-weixler/if-you-re-having-a-bad-day-already-and-everybody-is-just-asking-you/) [Jess Weixler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jess-weixler/) > [You never give away your heart; you lend it from time to time. If it were not so, how could we take it back…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeanette-winterson/you-never-give-away-your-heart-you-lend-it-from-time-to-time-if-it/) [Jeanette Winterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeanette-winterson/) > [I'm not asking people to feel sorry for me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-abramoff/i-m-not-asking-people-to-feel-sorry-for-me/) [Jack Abramoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-abramoff/) > [The boldness of asking deep questions may require unforeseen flexibility if we are to accept the answers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-greene/the-boldness-of-asking-deep-questions-may-require-unforeseen/) [Brian Greene](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-greene/) > [Use Google Before Asking A Stupid Question.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muskaan/use-google-before-asking-a-stupid-question/) [Muskaan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muskaan/) > [There were people asking 'Can women be funny?' People still ask that. It's like asking: 'Can women breathe in and out?'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-walters/there-were-people-asking-can-women-be-funny-people-still-ask-that-it/) [Julie Walters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-walters/) > [Whether that's speaking up in your job or asking for a promotion or saying, 'I think I can do that.' Using your voice in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-shriver/whether-that-s-speaking-up-in-your-job-or-asking-for-a-promotion-or/) [Maria Shriver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-shriver/) > [Love cannot be had for the asking; it comes only as a gift from the heart of another](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paramahansa-yogananda/love-cannot-be-had-for-the-asking-it-comes-only-as-a-gift-from-the/) [Paramahansa Yogananda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paramahansa-yogananda/) > [The Baseball Hall of Fame is something every player dreams about, but being a member of God's Hall of Fame is the greatest achievement…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-carter/the-baseball-hall-of-fame-is-something-every-player-dreams-about-but/) [Gary Carter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-carter/) > [“In such a regime, I say you died a good death if your life had inspired someone to come forward and shoot your murdered…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chinua-achebe/in-such-a-regime-i-say-you-died-a-good-death-if-your-life-had/) [Chinua Achebe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chinua-achebe/) Browse all 3,313 Asking quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The significant mistake of the traditionalists is they require the people to start where the church is instead of the church starting where the people are. 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