Making the Obvious Connections

It is no wonder that denominational leaders write books – the wealth of wisdom gleaned from conversation with people across Canada provides a treasure of insight. There are two distinct conversations that have come together in my mind and generated some new thinking for me.

The first was a conversation with a small group of young adults in Alberta. After affirming their presence in the church, we started discussing what it would take to get their peers interested in church.

After some thoughtful consideration, one of the group members described a recent Peace March developed by a local Mennonite congregation. The march was considered a local Mennonite witness to the community.

While not disagreeing with the importance of the witness, it made it difficult for the young adult to invite peers to participate in the March. The intent of making a congregational statement was not conducive to involving individuals who were not part of the congregation.

The young adult concluded with the comment: “It’s too bad, because I really think my friends would have liked being part of the event.” This reflective comment clung to me.

The second conversation was an email dialogue with a Mennonite pastor in Saskatchewan. The pastor reminded me of the aging demographic of the Canadian church population and the urgent issue of the future of the church in a post-Christendom world. Maintaining the current status of church vitality has been largely assumed, causing the pastor to suggest a renewed focus on developing our skills of making new disciples.

The pastor offered some great insight by writing: “We are sometimes most vulnerable at our strong point. When something can be seen as a peace and justice issue or put into that frame, we rush to it. It's where we feel at home. We need to affirm that and keep our commitment but we need now to move in a new direction at the forefront. I don't think we know how because we've softened evangelism and outreach and even push it away.”

The clinging comment from the young adult made itself known again and these two conversations started to converge for me. Perhaps sharing faith in a post Christendom context can best be done from within the environment of shared values. Issues of social justice become a natural atmosphere where people of faith can engage with broader society. In fact, I think the Christian Church must be engaged in these common causes to be taken seriously by broader society.

But this also becomes an environment for natural conversations of faith. In missional terms, it becomes the platform to be aligned with what God is already doing. The yearning to express love and solidarity for those in need is an impulse of God’s Spirit. It is the product of the image of God within everyone. When this connection is made, it can lead to additional recognition of the yearning of God’s image, such as the yearning to be in relationship with our Creator. Questions such as “What is the concern that brings you here?” followed by the question of “Where do you think this concern comes from?” becomes the beginning of a natural introduction to matters of faith.

An issue of social justice is not contrary to the call to share faith. It is the new context of shared values from where the sharing of faith most naturally can take place.

If the church can connect with concerns that God is awakening within the hearts of broader society already, then a new platform of connectivity emerges.

I would love to hear responses to some of my most recent thinking on this. Feel free to add your comments.

Maybe It Really Is That Simple

I have had the wonderful pleasure of attending the Annual Sessions of our Area Churches this winter. It was encouraging to experience the energy and excitement of those who have shared a long commitment to the work of the broader church. I also hear a common desire to see this commitment passed along to others.

I usually worship with a congregation in the Area Church following these meetings. This too has been an important way for me to better understand our Canadian Church family.

During one of those congregational visits I was able to meet with a small group of young adults. We talked about what it means to be church in a changing context. They described how their peers are busy, and seem to portray little interest in traditional church. There was however, a keen interest in being engaged with issues of poverty and social justice. It was suggested that a natural place for people to become engaged with the church is when the church engages with these issues. We also noted that having responsibilities at Worship Services increases the probability of young adults attending those Worship Services.

I found the conversation intriguing and insightful. These young adults were swimming against the current of contemporary society and making congregational involvement an important part of their lives. I felt honoured to be in the presence of such pioneers.

We continued the conversation, discussing how we might be able to increase the involvement of young adults in our congregations across Canada. As the dialogue came to a close, I noticed a young man sitting quietly among the circle. He had been engaged in the discussion but had not said a lot. So I asked him for his thoughts.

He paused for a moment and said; “Most of my friends are not interested in Church. It’s too bad, because I think they would really enjoy it.”

The group disbanded, but this final statement impressed me. It was such a simple assessment, but such a profound clarity. After debating effective ways to engage young adults, perhaps the solution is simpler than we realized. If we offer more involvement with Worship Services and congregational ministry, young adults might just find that they really do enjoy it.

Maybe it really is that simple.