The Relevant Church

     A few days ago I finished reading “The Relevant Church” by Jennifer Ashley.  I have to say that no book has ever challenged my idea of church as much as that one.  It’s amazing how caught up in the whole idea of buildings and service structures we become...to the point that anything outside of that suddenly seems like it isn’t even church.
     Church, however, isn’t a building, an individual or a specific service structure.  In fact, when Christ spoke of the church he spoke of the whole body of believers.  Therefore, church really is the people of God.  We are the church.
     But the question put forward in this specific book deals with the relevancy of the church in our postmodern, pluralistic society.  Recently at the Leadership Summit, Bill Hybels suggested that relevancy is truly what people are interested in these days.  There was a time when the big question on everyone’s mind was, “Is there even God?” but now the question has become, “Who cares, is it even relevant to my life?”
     When a person is hungry, lonely, homeless, helpless, poor or struggling with an addiction they don’t really care if there is a God or a heaven unless He can do something for them right now.  Unless He affects their lives in the present, then His existence, as well as the churches, is irrelevant.
     After reading this book, where many of their ways to be relevant involved changing buildings and styles it occurred to me that these changes will not keep you relevant.  If you attempt to be relevant by keeping up with the trends you will always be either a step behind or one step from going back to being irrelevant.
     Having said that, I believe that these changes can be very useful...we have to be open to change, especially if it can attract the unchurched.  Paul seemed to believe this when he said he would, “be all things to all people...” but the key part of that verse to me is the, “ALL things” part.  We can make aesthetic changes that will attract people, but we must do more than attract.
     I believe that the key to being relevant has very little to do with specific music, colors, or buildings and everything to do with being holistic in our ministry.  As the church we spend a lot of time talking about our beliefs and preaching the Gospel (Thankfully) but we need to also live these out.  Being relevant means meeting needs.  It means loving people...not just telling them God loves them, but actually showing them.
     You would be hard pressed to find a church that LIVES the Gospel message that isn’t exploding with people and interest.
     The long and short in my opinion...if you want to a relevant church...be Christ.