I gotta tell ya: I'm really concerned for much of the new leadership from my generation that are starting churches. There seems to be many...most actually, of the new churches being started with the primary purpose being to "show the traditional church how it should be done". Don't get me wrong. I'm not saying that cultural relevance is wrong or that it automatically means you are selling out the Gospel. This is what it looks like to me:
Many of the previous generation's church leaders were successful in reaching people but very quickly seemed to decide that it was their methods that mattered even more than the message. So, they stopped changing and eventually stopped growing and reaching people. So, my generation comes along and many of the new leaders decide that they'll show the older generation how it should be done. So they start churches with new methods and are reaching people. But, almost immediately they become more concerned with their methods than the message.
This is what I'm seeing: A lot of churches are chasing down cultural relevance and how trendy they can be and focusing on how they can package things; and then sprinkling the Gospel on it like some sort of seasoning. Instead of focusing on the Gospel and communicating the heart of God and then sprinkling cultural trend and programming on that in order to be relevant to the current culture.
I believe wholeheartedly in striving to be culturally relevant. Jesus did it. But, He walked around with the Good News on his lips and flowing from His heart. He had God's word on the tip of his tongue. And when he encountered fishermen, He talked about fishing for men. When he encountered shepherds, He talked about lost sheep. With poor people, He spoke of lost coins. He added relevance to the Gospel. Not the other way around. He didn't walk around with a bunch of stories and then decide to sprinkle them with a little talk about the Father.
So what are we doing guys? I know there are some churches that have it right. But most of the ones I've been encountering lately are totally backwards with this. So I don't care how trendy you are. Without the Gospel...without Jesus...we're all a bunch of losers.
So, please quit trying to "OutCool" the previous generation and seemingly losing sight of having Christ at the CENTER of everything you do. He's shouldn't just be a topping on your Trendy Pie.
There's my 2 dollars.
Johnny
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Relevance
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2 comments:
Good blog and don't even get me started. We have seen that over and over as we "church search" and finally gave up. Sadly, it's not just the "new" leaders, it's also the "older" leaders. It's all about "life" lessons and "stuff" to attract the lost in and how big they can get, but leave the grounded teachings of Christ out of it and that is the measure of success as a "church". And aren't we suppose to be going out to show the world Christ??? The line between the Church and the world is becoming more and more vague. The church is looking more like the world in order to "attract" them and in the midst of that....we are just looking more like the world and staying very shallow in what is being spoken once you get there. Okay.....I got started....sorry, but very passionate about this subject. I see this may not be posted and that's fine, but just wanted to put in my $2 worth, too.
Great thoughts J1516. I do want to make sure that it's understood that I personally don't have a problem with expressing the Gospel in culturally relevant ways as Christ did. I'm just seeing way too many church leaders pursuing the relevance without even having a true passion or compassion for the lost and hurting.
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