This Is My Parents' Church, Not Mine!

WE may not like certain innovations, but we can’t get away from movement. If the past teaches us anything, it’s that the methods we used a generation ago probably aren’t effective today. For example, what we call “delivery systems” have continued to evolve – and that momentum won’t stop with this generation. We started with e-mail and web access – almost unheard of in 1990 – and now we order on-line and postman delivers the items to our doorsteps.

So where do we, the church, fit into this flux? Do we follow every whim or new idea? Of course not. But we don’t stand paralyzed either. The church is in the business of effectively and relevantly communicating a holistic, life-changing gospel; therefore, we have to adjust our methods to meet the times.

Here’s the principle:

Our message remains the same. We stand on the fact that “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever” (Heb 13:8).

Our methods for presenting the truth not only need to change; they MUST change.

We need to separate methods and attitudes from biblical principles. Those of us who commit ourselves to grow and interact with the world around us realize that we need to change our thinking and our perceptions. What worked for Mom and Dad may be as obsolete as slide-rule.

Today change happens in the pulpit, in boardrooms and on the streets.