However, if we are reaching people as we should be, what we must be careful to do is to assimilate people, not just accommodate them. B. Assimilation versus Accommodation One of our Reformed Presbyterian pastors, Barry York, wrote about this in an article in the Covenanter Witness a few years ago. He observed that many churches are trying so hard to reach the non Christian that they almost become a non Christian church. They throw out so much of their worship and message and practice for fear of being different, or offending, or turning off the world, that they end up being just like the world. Barry drew the important distinction between assimilation and accommodation.
Assimilation is defined as to taking up, making part of and making like oneself.
Accommodation is defined as adjusting to, adapting to, and reconciling with differences. The Church should be about assimilation, bringing people to be like God calls them to be. It should not be about accommodating, letting people remain as they are without Christ. This does not mean that we should try to make everybody alike or attempt to squeeze everyone into the same mold. God has created rich diversity in the way he has made us.