"But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it and how from infancy you have known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus" (2 Timothy 3:14-15 NIV). These verses speak of Paul's desire for Timothy to continue living a Godly life in the presence of those who do not. In them he describes how Timothy will be able to do so: "continue is what you have learned" and be in "the Scriptures" which can make you "wise for salvation." I've been preaching through 2 Timothy for the last few weeks and have thought about how this letter is Paul's last. It's his "final words" to a young Christian, telling him what matters and what's important. As I've been looking at it, I've also been thinking about how the "church" can and/or ought to reach this generation. What are people in their twenties and thirties thinking about and looking for with respect to spiritual things? What are the young people I coach in Bible Bowl thinking about in connection with faith? How can I, or maybe even more importantly, how can the church reach out to these folks in a meaningful way?
I've tried to do some reading on the attitudes and interests of different groups of people. I am not an expert in any way on this topic, but I thought I'd share a few observations that I'm working through.
Observation 1- To reach people today, faith must be real and tangible. I think people are wanting something that is meaningful. They want to know where to look and to whom to turn when things get really hard. I also think there is a desire for people to be able to demonstrate what they believe. I think this is one of the reasons for the rise of mission trips and the resurgence of interest in missions.
Observation 2- People today are not as tied to history and tradition as maybe they once were. People don't necessarily attend the church or type of church that their parents did. Other factors weigh more heavily in that decision.
Observation 3- The "worship experience" is very important to this generation. It may have been in the past, too, but it is even more so now as I see it.
These are not all that remarkable and you've probably seen them listed and explained better than what they are here. There are, too, some things about our faith that don't change.
1. Jesus Christ is always God's Son and the only way to heaven.
2. The Bible is always the inerrant Word of God.
3. God's desire, throughout the pages of history, is for his people to be holy.
The challenge, I think, comes in trying to balance how we change our approach without changing the things that can't be altered. Can we present the unchanging Jesus in ways that are fresh, relevant and meaningful? Can we be more honest in our pursuit of Christ? Does the word "transparent" have anything to do with this? Can we present ways to serve Christ and display faith that are genuine and make a difference? Can we issue the call to be holy without seeming to be judgmental?
I ask these questions knowing that I am asking them to myself before I ask them to you. I think these questions and probably countless others are worth thinking about as we try to "tell the old, old story" to a continually changing generation. I hope to get to some answers. It is my desire that the church I serve maintain relevancy in the years to come. I want ministries like Bible Bowl and others to continue to challenge and inspire kids years from now. I want mission trips and a zeal to tell and show others the love of Christ to continue to grow. I would by not telling the truth if I were to say to you that I'm not concerned about that. I think if we make wrong decisions or don't consider these questions, we may very well limit the effectiveness of these activities. This is not to say God becomes irrelevant, it is simply an indictment on how effective his church might become.
This is a different kind of post in "Bill's View," but one I hope you'll think about. Thanks for reading and have a blessed day...
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