IS YOUR CHURCH RELEVANT OR SAFE?
Church culture renegades have long challenged the idea of church relevance; as in, there is none. The line goes, "The church is disconnected from modern culture. The church is stuck in their seminarian halls of tradition, and the post-modern demographic is leaving in droves." The truth of these claims is under scrutiny from many quarters, but in a general sense I would agree.
“Jesus brought the disciples to the edge of their comfort and then gave them a push. I wonder if we as pastors do the same? Na, that’s too risky...”
Attempts at relevance, as it relates to the world we are called to save, can ruffle the feathers of comfortable Christianity -- people don't like to be ruffled, they like predicability. Ironically, as I read the story of Jesus and the early church, predictability is the last word I would use to define their methodology. Jesus brought the disciples to the edge of their comfort and then gave them a push. I wonder if we as pastors do the same? Na, that's too risky...
So, what is relevance, how was Jesus relevant, and how can the church be authentic and relevant at the same time? How can the church share the gospel in relevant ways, but ways that never compromises our core theology? I believe it can be done, and is being done. I believe authentic and relevant are co-conspirators in a tag-team radical message of grace, holiness, and redemption.
Relevance is defined as, “pertinent to the matter at hand.”
That dials us in pretty quickly to application. What is the matter at hand? The matter at hand is a confused and lost humanity, marriages falling apart and morality crumbling at every level of society. What is truly relevant is that which meets the needs of emptiness. When someone says the church is relevant to their marriage, it means the church adds meaning, hope, teaching, and direction to their marriage.
Relevance is being the church, not just going to church.
Relevance is living the Bible, not just knowing the Bible.
Relevance is being the gospel, not just knowing the gospel.
Relevance is living a life that gives unconditionally.
Relevance is removing religious falsity, and tradition for traditions sake, and kneeling with people at the foot of a blood-stained cross and worshipping.
If your church embraces the scandal of mercy and grace, the embrace of stripped down honesty, the rejection of rigid structures that only exist to prop up comfortable Christianity, recycled church hoppers, and church as a production... then you are on your way to being relevant.
If you give up ministry beyond your doors for the sake of protecting your church budget and sensitive tithers, then you will probably not be relevant. Those that need you don't care about how polished and fancy your church is, they care when you wrap your arms around their nakedness, shame, and desperation. They will believe you are relevant when you look beyond their exterior -- draped as rich or poor -- and reset their fractured life and mend their broken heart.
Relevant goes way beyond something that attempts to look like the world as a guise to woo the world, and becomes the hands and feet of Jesus that reach and walk into the places religious Pharisees are reluctant to go.
LEADERSHIP CHALLENGE: The next time you talk with your leaders about being a relevant church, present the challenge of how your budget is allocated, your time spent, and the percentage your efforts fall to the churched vs. the unchurched? Being hip and attractive is fine, but being Jesus is being relevant.
by Tim Johnson