I was having a conversation with my younger brother the other day. He is an avid reader, a real thinker and has a desire to plant a church some day. He is almost finished with his undergraduate degree in Seminary and he told me about a remarkable statement he heard. It went something like this, “This next generation is leaving our churches because they are enamored with technology.”
That statement both amused me and worried me at the same time. First it is amusing because I know I am going a different direction than others because of things much deeper than technology. It worries me because it shows a certain lack of insight into the workings of this generation’s spiritual journey and hang ups.
My heart in publishing this post is to encourage those in my generation to really take time to know Jesus and what the Bible actually says on ministry. Be careful not to just follow one church as a model but be a compilation of many different men from all across the board with different styles of ministry. The only model you should follow wholeheartedly is the ministry of Jesus that is found in Scripture.
I also wish to provide some information to those who have a heart to reach this generation. I know many my age are still on a journey or are disillusioned with the current state of affairs in Christendom. Please do not give up on us but understand our ministry context and personal style may be much different than yours.
With those thoughts in mind I offer a few statements and hope you will join the discussion in the comments below.
1. Technology is not a big deal. Really!
With my generation and the next, technology is not a big deal to us because it is an assumed and organic part of our lives. I usually never go anywhere without my iPhone and most times my Mac is very close to me. Technology greets us everywhere we go and goes with us... we function in a context of being always connected. We do not look at it as technology and life - simply put technology is an assumed part of life. So frankly we do not feel the need to change churches or denominations to obtain or use technology. Frankly it is not that big of a motivation because it is assumed it will always be there.
2. Value authenticity & community over technology.
Frankly one of the big reasons I love the ministry I am involved in is the authenticity, community and common sense that is part of it’s core DNA. We practice the idea of Sola Scriptura - the belief that what the Bible says we do. More than anything my generation craves authenticity, reality and common sense. We value gospel community over mere programs and appreciate strong, relevant preaching and vibrant worship. This is evidenced by a shift by many in my generation from technologically savvy mega churches to many house churches, 3rd place churches and diverse unstructured Christian communities being established. We really aren’t as worried about a screen, a light show or a fancy HD video production as much as we want an authentic place to worship God and gather in community with other believers.
3. Technology does not make us relevant.
Too many folks are snared into thinking that if I add a big screen to my worship center or have a glossy post card it automatically makes me relevant. It doesn’t. The thing that starts us on the road to relevance is a concept called contextualization-which basically is the principle of knowing the people you minister to in your church and your community and learning how to live among them. Missionaries do it across the world all the time... but many times we can’t seem to pull it off here in North America. I am all for having great sound, a nice video display and a clean web presence but that is not the golden ticket to relevant ministry and it is not the reason that 70% of my generation wants a change.
In Willy Wonka’s, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory the way to get a guided tour of the factory was to find a golden ticket. Without it you were stuck outside, face pressed against the bars of the gate wishing you were one of the lucky ones. What the tour turned out to be was something entirely different than the unwitting children expected.
Technology is not the golden ticket to ministry relevance. If you just add technology and never take time to understand your community you will only be a guy with a big screen and you will not end up where you expected to be. Make the center of your ministry the gospel of Jesus Christ and endeavor to make authenticity, contextualization, community and common sense the core DNA of your ministry.
4. Change by any other name...
Don’t change for the sake of technology, or because you saw a guy on the internet that preached in jeans. The issue is not do you preach in jeans or a suit, how you set up your platform or whether you dim the lights or not. The issue is are you contextualized for your community? Some places require different style than others.
Some people today say that “everything must change” and others say “any change is compromise”. I would encourage you not to listen to one extreme or the other. Instead study your Bible, learn from a wide diversity of leaders all across the spectrum even if their context is different than yours and keep the gospel of Jesus Christ as your only cause.
5. Voices we hear.
In Proverbs it talks about there being security and victory in an abundance of advisors. That applies to ministry as well. When you are told “this is a model to follow” be careful! First of all God wants you to be you and what works for another church may not work for yours. Secondly don’t listen to only one group or circle on what is the most effective method. God has provided a lot of wisdom through the broad spectrum of resources available to us today. Resources like books, podcasts, magazines and blogs help us gather the multitude of advisors we need. Lastly this thought “If I only read and listen to what agrees with me, how will I grow, change and develop?” Nothing will stagnate us quicker then if we go through life asking advice of people that only share our point of view. The only way to grow is to be stretched by differing viewpoints and find out what God is teaching you through each one.
As always I welcome your input and comments.
GS
