Relevant Christian Ministry In Changing Times

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Exercising relevant Christian ministry in these rapidly changing times demand far greater and different responses than the church seem able to deliver. Thus debates flourish about the continued relevance of the church.

The 21st century dawned with Christianity boasting a new landscape. It was the dawn of the mega-churches, international ministries and the global dominance of charismatic Christianity. We attend, hear, and or read about them all the time. These churches and ministries are the new standards for judging all other churches. The standardization of ministry aligned with this notion is that if you are doing ministry “right” then your church should naturally explode from small traditional church to cutting-edge charismatic mega church.

Reality tells us a different story. Moreover, the grass is always greener on the other side.

Church As Servant Community
The church is essentially a servant community. However, it is true that too many congregations have now reached dinosaur status because they were locked up behind their walls, thinking it was still fashionable (was it ever?) to serve themselves. We are not to confuse any such examples of “self-service” with the kind of [tag-tec]ministry[/tag-tec] we are called to exercise as the worshiping community.

We take our cue on service from Jesus. In John 13:1-20, Jesus used the opportunity, through example, to teach his disciples what it means to be a true servant of others. Christ called the church to a life of service. We do not simply exist to cater solely to the (many) needs of our own membership.

In Mark 14:3-9 Jesus commends a woman, whom some call Mary for her sacrificial act of service to him. The conditions of our world today, demands such sacrificial acts of service today. The world is tired of our talk. They need to see us do what we claim to be.

Necessary Impact But Scarce Resources
With increasing ministry needs and our dwindling resources, many of us are grumbling like the disciples. Service is expensive. It is never-ending, and demands more than we have. The scarcity of resources, evident in the following areas, has us lagging behind in relevant ways to respond to a world in need.

Ministers
I am still trying to get used to the word “volunteers.” I shall dedicate a whole discussion to that at some point. However, I am talking about persons willingly offering themselves for service in the Kingdom of God. Fewer members of churches are truly committed to service. The same few are overworked, which limits outreach and of course retards the impact we ought to have on our context.

Pastoral ministry is a chief area of concern. There is a shortage of persons applying for ministry. While more women are answering the call to pastoral ministry, controversy still shrouds our efforts to serve God in this way. While the general shortage is a matter of concern, many have been voicing their disappointment in the lack of leadership qualities in today’s pastoral candidates.

Financial Resources
Poor stewardship is another challenge to the kind of service the church should give. More Christians need to understand what it means to give of all we are and have for the welfare of others and the environment. Everyone loses out from not understanding the power of giving generously back to God through support of the Church’s ministries.

Recovering Lost Ground?
I am not pessimistic about the powerful reach of God. However, I do not believe it is possible to recover lost ground. Many have died who never experienced the love of God through us. That cannot be corrected again in this life.

We can work though, to secure the present and also the future. There are many opportunities around us. We need to face the reality that we have to make changes in the way we do ministry.

A relevant [tag-tec]Christian ministry[/tag-tec] requires a new thinking and a new vision. That is possible in Christ. The Holy Spirit can bring about that transformation in our pulpits, pews and homes and society. We cannot expect to receive new life in ‘old wine skins’. I suspect that is what we are still trying to do.

To be continued.

Marvia