I was thinking today that if some of the big names in children’s ministry stepped into our church for a weekend, they would probably find us alarmingly irrelevant. Not that we do not try to be relevant, but if they were to step in, they might see our efforts as failed. We have no coffee shop, no bookstore, no lounge. We don’t accept credit cards and we have no visitor table. Our pastors wear suits and ties and we still sing hymns out of a hymnal (we also sing newer songs with a worship band and computer slides, but during every service you will hear at least one hymn). Our church logo is a very simple piece of clip art and our website is hosted through a free service and built by an amateur using a template.
In fact, the more I thought about it, the more embarrassed I got. As a church, we have tried really hard to reach out to our community and to grow the kingdom. But we still have yet to be relevant.
But then, I realize, we are beautifully irrelevant. In fact, our very relevance to our community is that we are not trying to operate like North Point, Willow Creek, or even Cedar Valley Church in Warsaw. We are establishing our identity in a way that is unique only to us, in a community that is uniquely ours. Sure, we look at other churches strategies and evaluate whether or not those strategies would be effective and then brainstorm how to implement them into our church, but we never model our program after someone else’s. We model the program after what our people need and what we have been commissioned to do by the Gospel.
You see, our town is not relevant in the sense that relevance now pertains to doing the newest and most technologically advanced thing. Our buildings are old (“historic”) and our economy is struggling. This town is relevant in that it is our home, our school, our community. It is where our friends and family live.
I think in some cases, relevance has become associated with trends and fads, even in ministry, instead of with the nitty-gritty details about who people are and how to best minister to them. As a small church, we cannot chase after every new thing or every new ministry model, because we do not have the resources. We cannot build the fanciest facilities or the coolest hangouts or use the latest curriculums. In these ways, we are very irrelevant. What we can do is look at who we are trying to reach and look at what strategy we must implement to accomplish that. We must do these things with the excellence that is expected of the larger churches, but not the same way as the larger churches. In this way, I believe, our church has established its relevance in our members’ lives, and more so established the relevance of Christ to their life.
I would much rather our church be relevantly irrelevant than irrelevantly relevant. What are your thoughts on this?
*Image source: http://www.churchstagedesignideas.com/ribbon-dance/
WOW, that was beautiful to read! Sometimes it just isn’t about the latest trend, or the newest curriculum, or the latest song. God calls us to his purpose, and if you are accomplishing that, AWESOME! We say we are willing to try anything, so what if what you are doing isn’t failing at being relevant at all, maybe you are relevant to your culture, and your community with what you are already doing. But that you know and recognize that some newer tactics are effective I think speaks volumes about your approach. We must always stretch ourselves, and it’s terribly uncomfortable. ( gotta give props to my senior pastor, Dave, for doing this with us right now ) But sometimes I think we miss the forest for the trees because we are so concerned with moving forward we can get distracted. I just really appreciated your perspective on this! Don’t get discouraged, don’t lose your fire. God uses every circumstance to his glory, and I know it gets tough to always remember this as a Children’s Ministry leader. I always catch myself saying, if I only had this, or enough money to do that, but God uses me and the resources he has given me in an awesome way everytime. God never fails us, thanks again!
Great comment! Right now I have 3 friends in children’s ministry at 3 different stages of building. One just acquired the land, one is in the process of building, and one just finished a beautiful new facility. While I am excited for all of them, I have to be careful to focus on what God is doing here, in my town. When I look at the kids in my ministry, I realize we are building something even more valuable than a great facility, we are building a generation of kids who are passionate about God! That gets me really excited to keep doing it week to week.
Sorry – I posted previously with the wrong url! I am definitely a .org, not a .com!
Forgive me for correcting it. It isn’t self-promotion, I trust. It’s simply that, in the light of our discussion, readers may like to know that all the kidmin resources on my site are totally free to download. My colleague and I wanted to help in some small way to equip kids’ workers, whatever their budget.
Just took a glance at your site, but from what I can tell, it seems to have some good stuff. No worries about self-promotion, good resources should be promoted and we don’t know about them unless you tell us.
Thank you for the post. I am wondering. Is it fair to say, then, that your church is relevant to your local culture which you influence? Seems to me that is the true test of relevance.
Glen, exactly! It seems to me that the very word “relevant” is being incorrectly defined. I would agree that we are relevant to our local culture, but not necessarily relevant in the sense that the word is typically used around ministry circles.
Absolutely bang on! I agree completely with what you said.
“We must do these things with the excellence that is expected of the larger churches, but not the same way as the larger churches.”
We each serve a different community. Across the church of Jesus Christ there are many cultures and sub-cultures. We need to be effective in our communication to these cultures. As you say – be excellent in all things. That takes time, effort, prayer, creativity – and not always money, facilities of high-tech.
Children’s ministry proves the adage: “Necessity is the mother of invention”! Funds low? Then craft is accomplished with recycled cereal box card and toilet paper inside rolls.
No technology? Then paper and paints, scissors and glue are used for home-made teaching visuals. Flannelgraph takes the role that in other churches Video and PowerPoint take.
But whatever media we use, whatever our facilities or lack of them, we can all reach children for Christ – in church, in the back yard, in community halls.
Jamie Jo never said a truer word about us thinking: “if I only had this, or enough money to do that, but God uses me and the resources he has given me in an awesome way everytime. God never fails us”! Yes!!!
Good thoughts Jared. I’m one you’ll hear the “relevant” speech quite a bit, but what is relevant to the community here in Austin, TX may not be relevant to the community where you are at. Paul became all things to all people and the church should model that.
I guess you have to filter the through the noise. I’m going to speak from my perspective and to the community I’m trying to reach, which is the facebook wired, twitter happy post modern culture of Austin, TX. My push toward relevancy will always be in the context of the community I’m trying to reach. The first step every church needs to do is define their target. Who are they trying to reach? The second step is to always be true to your target. Last of all, throw all your resources and energy toward the people you’re trying to reach. That’s being relevant and true to your mission.
Kenny, yes! I’m afraid too many little churches think if they COPY what is relevant in the larger churches they will then copy that success, but I have learned that simply isn’t true. Sam Luce talks about the How vs the Why. Small churches are sometimes asking how, when we should be asking why.