June 2007

Relevance is a Tool, not a Goal
By Ed Stetzer

I've got a DeWalt 12-inch dual bevel compound miter saw with a slide. (Grunt.) Oh yes, it's a serious tool and, no, you can't borrow it.

I tell my wife that I have to have the right tool for the right job. She smirks and points out that I haven't used it in 4 years - but I know what really matters: I might. And when I do, I need the right tool.

Tools matter. They make it possible to accomplish the goal. Relevance is like that - it is a tool to accomplish a more important purpose, communicating Christ in culture.

Relevance is a word seen more and more these days on church marquees, yellow page ads, and websites. It seems that every church wants to make sure everyone else knows how relevant they are. This strikes me a bit like the advertising agency named "Creative Ads." If you are so creative, could you not share that with me in a more creative way?

No one advertises their lack of relevance. Who wants an irrelevant church? (Well, it must be a lot of people, but that is another story. But, I am guessing that most of them do not read articles on this site.)

For most of us, we are tired of people criticizing culturally relevant churches. I have heard dozens of sermons against contemporary worship, music, and casual dress. Been there, done that, got the T-shirt (or the tie, depending on your perspective).

But, we also need to be careful. Relevance can (and sometimes is) over-emphasized. The problem isn't found in the desire to be relevant. After all, the word relevant means, "to be pertinent." The problem is that sometimes we have too little confidence in the Gospel and its ability to prove relevant on its own merit.

The Gospel is relevant, in this and every culture; it is often our churches and ministries that are not. We can find ourselves putting too much emphasis on relevance itself, and not enough on what we're trying to make understandable - the Gospel.

While relevance can bridge some gaps to the Gospel, it is only a tool, not a goal. Recently I shared some thoughts with a group at the National New Church Conference (Listen at www.exponentialconference.org/podcasting) to illustrate this point. We cannot lose the Gospel in order to find relevance; relevance must be a tool that spotlights the Gospel within culture.

Are you focusing too much on relevance?
Here are some ways you can know that relevance has become more important than the Gospel to you:

1. If we focus on personal transformation and not Gospel transformation.
Too often our messages are driven by the steps method (i.e. five steps toward financial freedom), when oftentimes these steps have little to do with Biblical advice on the subject. If this is the case, you'll find more secular advice than Biblical advice on certain subjects. It's not that we can't learn from others in the world; however, the goal of our churches isn't to simply reflect the culture but to impact it. The danger of relevance in this area is to enforce an already narcissistic mentality that permeates our culture. The consumeristic, me-istic mindset is thorny ground that threatens to choke out the Word in people's lives.

2. If your sermons are so practical they lack any Gospel.
Do not preach any message that would not be true if Jesus had not died on the cross. It is great to be practical in what we teach; but, if we hesitate to share about the work of Christ, what is the eternal value? Using practical messages can help us share Biblical truth, but ultimately our goal is that they leave with the Truth, not just true stuff. The Truth is the person of Jesus. Think through the inner logic of Jesus and his very character. How does his viewpoint - what he really treasured - shine through here? The very essence of Jesus should waft through the room during your sermons.

3. If you talk about practical more than you talk about biblical.
This is more than simply how we preach, it is how we carry out our duties in the ministry. When sharing the vision of your church, what is prominent? What do people walk away with? What strikes them as being at the very heart of what your ministry is all about? There are many pastors who have visions of a new building, higher giving, and so forth. While these fit practical needs, many focus on them more than we focus on a Biblical aspect of our faith. You want the people you are leading to be built on the solid foundation of God's Word - not the wood, hay, and stubble that will eventually fade away.

4. If your outreach demeans others that preach the Gospel.
This shows that your confidence is in your relevance and not His Gospel. Do not communicate anything that feeds people's tendency to devalue other churches that preach the Gospel. There are plenty of churches today promoting their church by diminishing the ministry of another. While some of these churches may be irrelevant to much of the community, we shouldn't make an extra effort to prove this to the community. Those churches are probably able to reach some people you couldn't. We are all on the same team, even if our methods and styles are very different - so let's begin to act like it - even when others do not.

5. If your approach makes you the hero and not Jesus.
It seems that many ministries are driven by personalities. It is not a good thing that the number one reason someone stays at a church is because they like the pastor. It is inevitable that personalities will drive some ministries, because people will obviously come to listen to this person. Seek for ways to promote others and their unique gifts. When you do so you emphasize the astounding body of Christ and the phenomenal power that comes when that body is truly connected and functioning. This brings glory to Jesus and not you.

6. If "personal evangelism" is an oxymoron at your church.
Simply put, disciples share their faith. If our goal is to make disciples, we don't just hope to have plenty of seats filled on a given weekend at our church. Instead, we hope to see people respond and be moved by the Gospel. This is evident in their personal devotion toward sharing the Good News with others. Train your people to share their own stories of encountering Jesus.

7. If "invest and invite" never leads to evangelize.
Many church structures emphasize to their members to simply "invest and invite." This is a great strategy toward getting their friends, families, and neighbors in the door. But if this is the means to an end, you might be placing too much emphasis on relevance and not enough on the Gospel. Once we have invested and invited, we need to share the Good News with them. If you are really developing disciples you are training your people in the full set of discipling skills.

8. If attendance is a greater value than conversion.
Everyone wants to know numbers. Deep down, many pastors equate attendance with success. It definitely does make sense in some ways, but the fastest growing religion in the world is a works-based falsehood. Face it, Donald Trump or Madonna can draw a crowd. Don't be fooled into believing your ability to fill seats is effecting redemption in others. Numbers can help us only if we have already defined our win on the response to the Gospel.

9. If the cross gets less focus than the church.
Typically, we don't talk about the cross enough. The cross should be central to the vision and direction of our churches. Without the cross, none of us would even be where we are today - and without the cross our churches will never be where they need to be. We must lead people to depend on the cross and not our programs and systems. Help your church learn that the path to redemption in their own lives and circumstances can lead straight to the cross. It does not have to go through a relevant church first.

10. If not offending seekers is more important than telling the Gospel.
The Gospel is offensive. When it comes down to it, eventually we're going to have to pull the trigger and we may end up being the stench of death to someone. But, if the risk we take is so that they can hear the truth, we must move forward regardless of the relational cost. Don't try to sand down the cross and make it smooth and lightweight. Be "seeker comprehensible" and quit trying to be driven by seekers.

The sad truth is that some churches sacrifice their God given message on the altar of relevance, and the Gospel is what is seen as irrelevant. We need to recapture a genuine faith in and love for the Gospel and a desire to let it do its thing in our congregation. We can use relevance as a tool to connect with people, but even the best tool can't do its work if there is not a clear goal. As my wife reminds me, there is no point in having that beautiful yellow miter saw if it is not building something (like that new swing set she wants built).

Let's be relevant - but let's make sure that relevance is a tool and not the goal. Relevance is a tool that helps people to understand the eternal truths of Christ - that's relevant in this and every age.

Ed Stetzer is Director and Missiologist in Residence at Lifeway Research. His most recent books are Comeback Churches and 11 Innovations in the Local Church.

Why Be Healthier?
By John W. Fogal, Sr.

What a silly question. Nobody plans to be sick. (Some hypochondriacs may miss some attention and sympathy if they were healthy.) Health is much more than the absence of sickness. I asked my doctor to define "health." His answer was, "optimal functionality." God is the One who gives life to everything (I Timothy 6:13) and every form of life must be healthy in order to do what God intended – including the living organism called the church.

Some would answer the question by saying...

 ...I want to avoid the pain and aggravation of sickness.
 ...I want a strong immune system to fight disease.
 ...I want to live longer.
 ...I want to cut down on doctor bills.
 ...I want to do all the things I desire to do.

Rev. Fogal is the Church Health Director for the Western Pennsylvania District and a Church Health Specialist with Church Health Service. Please visit his web site at www.churchhealthservices.com.

The Root of the Problem – Digging up the Past
By Mark Barnard

“A man had a fig tree, planted in his vineyard, and he went to look for fruit on it, but did not find any. So he said to the man who took care of the vineyard, ‘For three years now I’ve been coming to look for fruit on this fig tree and haven’t found any. Cut it down! Why should it use up the soil?’” “‘Sir’ the man replied, ‘leave it alone for one more year, and I’ll dig around it and fertilize it. If it bears fruit the next year, fine! If not, then cut it down’” (Luke 13:6–9).
What was wrong with the unproductive fig tree? The aggravated owner of the vineyard saw problems with the fruit; his astute gardener, however, saw problems with the root. The gardener dug around the tree, applied fertilizer and gave the fig tree one more year of care. Like the barren fig tree, what’s wrong with an unproductive church, one consistently failing to bear fruit? Instead of looking for the expected fruit, perhaps we should do a little digging.

Heart Healing
Consider Emmanuel Fellowship in Douglasville, Georgia. This discouraged Alliance church was bewildered at the disappointing results of its nine-year ministry in a growing suburb of Atlanta. With the church on the verge of extinction, the members took a hard look at themselves and faced a painful reality. Their problem, it turned out, was rooted in the church’s troubled past.
At first they could not put their finger on it. People would say, “Something is holding us back. We just don’t know what it is. Perhaps it’s our lack of vision or maybe our lack of identity.” They had dwindled over the years from 125 persons down to 25. This frustrated yet committed group was nearing the breaking point. When an interim pastor suggested they review a book titled Healing the Heart of Your Church (ChurchSmart, 2003), by Dr. Kenneth Quick, they politely and cautiously agreed.
What was supposed to be three evenings of review stretched into five draining nights of difficult discussions, painful realizations, repentance and eventual blessing. It took great effort to grasp that God prevents congregations from making progress until they learn the lessons He has for them. Why should this surprise us? How many years did Israel wander in the wilderness? We often encounter God’s discipline on a personal level. Why would it not be experienced in a corporate setting?

Corporate Renewal
During those nights, the church’s leadership faced the painful reality that a congregation’s vision can be undercut by past offenses. Who wants to believe a church may be its own stumbling block to progress?Startling as it may be to realize, the Lord of the Church will not violate His standards. When a local church has unresolved conflict or sin in its past, the likelihood for anointed ministry quickly dissipates.
Before the review was over, Emmanuel Fellowship’s leadership made another surprising discovery: God holds current leaders accountable for the failings of previous leaders. Consider the famine of II Samuel 21. When David sought the Lord, he discovered the famine’s ties to Saul’s sin against the Gibeonites. Something in the root of Saul’s kingdom literally affected the fruit during David’s reign. However, David was able to undo the damage and restore God’s blessing. David acted in Israel’s behalf as a mediator between Saul’s sin and God. In the same way, leaders today can stand before God on behalf of previous administrations’ offenses.
For Emmanuel Fellowship, this meant facing up to an undercurrent of strife resulting in three major crises in the church’s history. It meant repenting for allowing conflict to find a home in the heart of the church. It required writing letters of apology to a previous pastor and a denominational official. It called for confessing before God that the church had a problem with submission to authority. It meant holding a corporate renewal service where the congregation came within revival’s reach.

Consider the Root
We should not be shocked or surprised by the failings mentioned above. They run rampant in the Body of Christ and sometimes in our own hearts. The good news is that the Divine Gardener does not quickly throw barren fruit trees on the fire! His gracious patience often lasts far longer than the one year mentioned in Jesus’ parable. He is committed to His garden and wants every plant to thrive.
Emmanuel Fellowship steps into the future as Hope Community Church. The members changed the name, symbolically breaking from the patterns of the past and looking ahead to a hopeful future. They have every reason to look forward to the Holy Spirit’s blessing and the fruit that springs from revitalized roots. Is it time to do a little digging in your garden? If there’s no fruit on the shoot, consider the root!

Rev. Mark Barnard served as interim pastor at Emmanuel Fellowship and now leads a ministry promoting health and healing among local churches in Atlanta and beyond. to email Rev. Mark Barnard just click on his name. For the latest visit Hope Community Church.

This article originally appeared in the July 2006 issue of alife, the magazine of The Christian and Missionary Alliance and is used by permission. www.alliancelife.org

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