We hear a good bit about how the Church needs to be relevant in order to reach the world around us. Is relevancy something we should concern ourselves with as Christians? Perhaps the importance of being relevant in ministry depends on how we define it.
What It Means Biblically for the Church to be Relevant
Looking at synonyms for the word helps us see that being relevant is about making a connection for/with people that helps them see the significance and applicability of truth to their lives. Hence, we’re showing how pertinent or important and useful it is to them. To be relevant, then, somehow we must make a connection between where people are and where we want to take them or what we want to teach them.
We’re not talking about becoming so much like the world that people can’t distinguish between us. As followers of Jesus Christ, we’re called to be set apart — holy as He is holy (1 Pet. 1:15). We conform to Jesus, not to the world around us (Rom. 12:1-2). We remain “the pillar and foundation of truth” as the Church of the living God (1 Tim. 3:15).
Yet, being set apart doesn’t mean we’re aloof, untouchable, or superior. Think about Jesus, “who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness” (Phil. 2:6-7). He was even criticized for patronizing with sinners and tax collectors (Matt. 11:19). Surely His incarnation provides the greatest example of what it means to be relevant. He made that connection, showing people what God is like (Jn. 1:18) and how to be in a relationship with Him (Jn. 17:20-21).
The Importance of Relevancy in Ministry
Given Jesus’ example, being relevant is a matter of Christlikeness. The Apostle Paul, who stressed how He wanted to know Christ and become like Him in all things (Phil. 3:10), provides some key commentary about the importance of relevancy in ministry. He said, “Though I am free and belong to no one, I have made myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible.” He then went on to mention different people groups and how he adapted to them, concluding with, ” I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some.” (1 Cor. 9:19-22)
The goal of making these connections with people is to affect their lives with the truth of the Gospel. Relevancy helps people better understand truth and see its importance which in turn motivates them to believe and appropriate it to their lives.
The questions we ask next will be: