April 11, 2011

The Black Hole in the Ministry of the Church pt. 3

Image courtesy: www.penn-olson.com
In a world where anybody can post whatever they want, regarding whatever or whomever they want, using whatever basis of truth they want, it seems that everyone has an opinion. And in most cases, as you read their opinion, their opinion is Right; it is True. Many times that's the case with this blog. My thoughts are the modus operandi for truth.

So, in every effort to try and do "College Transition" or "Young Adult" ministry, a very severe recognition of this notion is realized. Every person that sits in any service or ministry has their opinion on how it should be done; how it should look. And this is what makes both of these groups very difficult to do relevant ministry with and "hold water" for extended periods of time.

The reality is that everyone has an opinion on everything that is a performance-based, audience-centered, rallying of people that does not have a clear and distinct purpose that is greater than putting on a good show. And yet, this, at the root of many of our programs, is the form that our worship services take, especially in reference to college and young adult ministry. "Let's create an experience" have been uttered many times from my very own lips. We've seen what Louie Giglio and his team have pulled off for 4 days a year and we continually try and recreate, retrofit and relocate to our own ministries and it consistently comes up short of what college students and young adults desire, need or have created expectations with which to measure up to.

So, what if our efforts to reach this part of the Church that sees more spiritual atrophy and more personal decisions to turn away from Christ for the pursuit of their own "destiny," looked completely different and sounded completely different and were created completely different? What if it was something that was so organic and centered around a focus that no one could truly describe yet every person involved could identify whole-heartedly and met every participant at the place that they found themselves. What if this thing had no resemblance to a "program" at all, rather took the role of simply being a constant in their lives that they can turn to in any time of their life.

What if Acts 2:42-47 became a reality in the lives of all church member, but specifically in college and young adult ministry?

Just some questions I'm asking lately.

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