It is quite exciting to see what God is doing. I see the
Spirit of God disturbing comfortable assumptions, and stirring fresh passions.
It is a beautiful thing to witness. When the soul is confronted with a bold
truth, an overpowering love, or a gentle disarming revelation – hearts melt and
a new understanding of God unfolds. It is a beautiful thing to watch.
I have also been thrilled to see God bring fresh and new
ideas to our leaders. With our increasingly secular society challenging us to
think in new ways, hearing of creative approaches is encouraging. But it can
also be disconcerting.
Church programs are no longer the centre of shared activity.
In fact religious services seem to conflict with other values enshrined by
secularity. Family life – although remarkably busy - is given a high value in
secular society. It is expected that parents display this value by transporting
their children across cities, neighbourhoods, and even regions. From sporting
events to extracurricular clubs and interests, family schedules are full and
uncompromising.
This has posed a challenge to traditional church
programming. Attendance is irregular. Participation is optional. Impact is
inconsistent. “When there is a tournament during the weekend, half of my
congregation is at the hockey rink on Sunday morning,” lamented a pastor at one
of our Area Church Assemblies. What is a church leader to do?
This frantic activity creates a theological discomfort. What
can be used to measure commitment when regular attendance is no longer
applicable? Accommodating stressed schedules can seem like compromise. Is it
possible for the church to encourage a counter cultural approach without
appearing to disregard the value of family?
With these thoughts rolling about in my mind, I recently had
a surprise lunch with some Mennonite Church Canada pastors. We were describing
the changes in culture and the impact this has on ministry. The common
experience of scheduling difficulties surfaced.
“All the churches used to share a common midweek evening set
aside for church activities. Hockey practices and games always respected this
evening. But no longer,” explained the youth pastor, “now every night is busy.”
A fresh approach was needed. Realizing most of the junior
youth played on the same team, a new idea emerged. The pastor was having
difficulty scheduling a parents meeting to describe upcoming events and
initiatives.
“So we all went to the arena to watch the game,” explained
the pastor. “During the first intermission when the youth were in the dressing
room, I called the parents together in the stands and explained the upcoming
events and initiatives.” Then with a smile continued; “When the second period
started we cheered the team together.” I started to smile as well. “At the
second intermission I stood back up and asked if there were any questions,” the
story concluded.
I was intrigued by this unique approach. “What was the
reaction of the parents,” I asked?
“They were thrilled that the church was willing to come meet
them where they were at,” explained the pastor.
