The challenge for any effort to encourage people to a specific action lies in getting their attention, and quickly addressing their needs. That is true whether you are selling free range chicken, or giving away Living Water. The grocery store has consistently appealed to a changing culture in America. Has your ministry?
METHODOLOGY
The best methodologies for reaching a lost and dying world are those that have not been tried yet. New and innovative ways to speak the truth in love must be embraced. We must be willing to meet people where they are, and be loving enough to address their needs no matter how uncomfortable it might be. A completely objective assessment of the ministry’s mission field must be conducted. Then the ministry’s innovators should be the group who’s task it is to recommend how the community’s need will be met. The goal is not to find a new subdivision to visit with tracts that were produced when gasoline was under a dollar. The command is to go and make disciples, to put the adventure back in outreach. The commission may play out by going to a laundry-mat and folding clothes for that tired mom, or delivering roast beef and watercress sandwiches to a busy office building where hurting workaholics don’t take time for lunch. The only thing we cannot do is whatever we have already done, over, and over again.
There must also be caring follow through in the sound bite environment in which we live. Proper discipleship requires time and attention, the way Paul brought Timothy to service in the faith. This model has only become innovative because our churches have become so program driven that a new Christian may have to wait a month or more for the beginning of a thirteen week newcomers class. We must bring authentic community back to the church.
Finally, we must be culturally relevant. This element of methodology will most commonly be accomplished through worship style. We are all quick to applaud the missionary who learns to play a didgeridoo in order to worship with Aborigines in the Australian outback, but we are afraid to be culturally relevant in our own churches. This does not mean we must hire a contemporary praise team and teach our congregation the newest Big Daddy Weave hit. It may mean we worship in a country western, or hip hop, or jazz style. It may mean, “Praise God� that we sing hymns with a pipe organ. Relevancy must also be reflected in our sermon illustrations and use of available technology. More and more people are previewing a church or ministry online. Does this mean we must have a website? The answer depends on whether our mission field is Miami or Arctic Village Alaska. This ministry component will be challenged many times over the life of the ministry. We must be open to change. We must not force an irrelevant model on our mission field in the name of going and making disciples.
