Ministry Tools Resource Center | Christian Ministry Training Blog

How Can We as a Church be Relevant?

Posted on November 15, 2023 by Ministry Tools Resource Center — No Comments ↓

We already established in a previous post that being relevant as a Church, does not mean compromising who we are as Christians. Nor does it mean compromising truth. Certain realities do not change, like the eternal truth of Scripture based on who God is. We can, however, biblically find great flexibility in style, form, methodology, and structure, that can enable us to be relevant without watering down or violating God’s Word.

Ways the Church Can be Relevant without Compromising Truth

Relevancy cannot lead to changing the message. Our culture does not define truth but rather God does. Instead, we put the unadulterated truth of God’s Word in terms or language people can understand. It’s about adapting how we communicate, not what we communicate.

Jesus lived among people, talking their language, yet remained 100% God (Phil. 2:6-8).

Like Jesus, we can start by ministering to people’s physical or felt needs, never forgetting their greatest and most real need.

Like Jesus, we can use every day, familiar objects or illustrations to communicate truth.

By meeting people where they are, we’re showing them the connection between truth and their real life issues. Again, we’re not changing truth to fit them but rather showing how God and His ways already fit even their deepest needs.

This means Bible lessons and sermons aim for more than head knowledge. We seek to show the implications and application of truth to people’s lives. We tap into their age level characteristics and needs, to help meet them where they are. We get to know the people we serve so we can tailor our approach to them.

How We Can be Relevant in Different Aspects of Ministry

Relevancy needs to extend beyond how we connect with people to how we function as a Church. Here are just a few ways to consider:

We make programs relevant by structuring according to needs, not because “we’ve always done it that way”.

Presentations and meetings become more relevant when we employ current technology and creative methodology, and not merely do what’s comfortable for the leader.

Recruiting people for ministry becomes more relevant when we emphasize the worth of getting people involved, rather than simply filling a position

Training for ministry becomes more relevant when it gets tailored to people’s needs rather than simply applying a one-size-fits-all approach.

But, we need more than relevancy.

Should We Be Concerned about Relevancy in Ministry?

Posted on November 8, 2023 by Ministry Tools Resource Center — No Comments ↓

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:

Compelled by Love?

Posted on October 25, 2023 by Ministry Tools Resource Center — No Comments ↓

Compelled by the Love of Christ
Why do we do what we do as Christians? Certainly it shouldn’t be to earn favor with God since we began our relationship with God on the basis of grace (Eph. 2:8-9) and we continue our walk with Him by grace (Col. 2:6; Titus 2:11-12). Rather, Christ’s love should be that which compels us. He loves us so much that He took the punishment our sin deserves.

The more we “grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ” (Eph. 3:18), the more we’ll want to do that which aligns with Him. The more we’ll want to serve Him and others because of love, not out of duty.

For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that … he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them, and was raised again. (2 Cor. 5:14-15)

What happens when we’re compelled by His love?

The love of Christ compels us to love in return. I remember my very first public testimony as a 13 year old after giving my life to Jesus. I said, “I love Him because He first loved me.” I don’t think I was familiar with 1 John 4:19 then but I was able to make the connection. When love compels us, we are never too young to worship, expressing adoration to Him because He first loved us.

When we truly grasp the love of Christ, we no longer want to live for ourselves, taking advantage of the freedom we have in Him. Rather, we “serve one another humbly in love” (Gal. 5:13-14). No matter what position we might hold in ministry, serving is all because of what He did for us so there’s no room for pride and self-ambition.

We want others to experience His love as well. And so, we’re compelled to witness to those not yet in a relationship with Him because of His love. We’re also moved to build up fellow believers, praying that their “love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight” (Phil. 1:9). As Jesus told Peter, if we love Him, we’ll feed His sheep (Jn. 21:15-17).

In addition, when compelled by His love, we’ll not only give willingly and cheerfully (2 Cor. 9:7) of our financial resources and time, but also sacrificially. — “Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” (Jn. 15:13)

All that we do should be affected by and driven by His love.

What Kind of Bulletin Board Are You?

Posted on October 18, 2023 by Ministry Tools Resource Center — No Comments ↓

Remember those church bulletin boards? If not, perhaps it’s because they lacked appeal. Our lives as believers can have a similar effect. People may not even take note that we’re followers of Jesus. — God’s intent, however, is that our lives make people want to stop and investigate further. We authenticate the message when we reflect His light around us (Matt. 5:14-16).

The Kind of Bulletin Boards that Barely Gets Noticed

It’s easy to pass by bulletin boards that are cluttered or outdated.

1) Cluttered bulletin boards make it hard to tell what really matters.

When our lives are filled with so much busyness, stress, or dysfunction, it’s hard to identify what really matters in our lives.

What is most important, or central, in your life?
Can people see Christ in the midst of all the clutter?

2) Outdated bulletin boards, with images and content that rarely change, lose their relevancy.

When our lives and churches get stuck in ruts and we keep repeating what we’ve always done even it it doesn’t work, it’s hard to imagine that being a Christian makes a difference.

What is Jesus doing in your life today?
Can people see the difference He makes in your life?

Just as it is easy for people to pass by these kinds of bulletin boards and barely notice their existence, so people might dismiss our lives in Christ if we live similarly.

What Makes People Stop and Want to Investigate

A document for Bible Teachers, Make Bulletin Boards Super, provides a number of tips for designing bulletin boards that have a greater potential of getting noticed. The following suggestions have parallels to our lives:

1) Have a central theme.

What a difference it makes when everything we do is because of, for, according to, and through the Lord, to show love to Him and bring glory to His name.

Does your life reflect Jesus in all you say and do? (Matt. 5:14-16)

2) Keep changing.

When people see the transformation Jesus makes in us, they can’t help but notice. They will be drawn to Christ in us. Our lives will make the message look attractive (Titus 2:10).

Are you yielding to the Spirit so you’re becoming more and more Christ-like? (Gal. 5:13-26)

What Do You Depend on to Effectively Serve?

Posted on October 11, 2023 by Ministry Tools Resource Center — 2 Comments ↓

Sensing that our ministry will make a difference in people’s lives provides motivation to serve. If we’re going to put the time and effort into serving, certainly we should want effective ministry. But, what enables us to effectively serve?

What We Might Rely on in Our Ministries to Effectively Serve

What we rely on might relate to our area of ministry.

Bible teachers might rely on their communication skills. Words do hold importance for teachers. They will be held to a greater accountability in regard to their use of words — not so much eloquence but accuracy (James 3:1-2).

Church leaders might depend on their ability to influence people. As a shepherd it is their responsibility to guide the sheep (Ps. 78:72; 1 Pet. 5:2-3). They have been given an entrustment for which they will be held accountable (Heb. 13:17, 1 Pet. 5:3).

As witnesses of our Lord Jesus Christ in an outreach ministry, we might rely on a certain strategy to reach the lost. We have the Apostle Paul’s example of strategizing to best reach people where they were (1 Cor. 9:19-23).

Those in some sort of benevolence ministry might rely on their kind deeds that meet people’s needs. Jesus did say that blessing and an inheritance lie ahead for those who share. Whatever we do to help others is like as though we’re doing it to Him (Matt. 25:34-40).

People on a worship team might rely on their musical and vocal abilities. We are exhorted to do all we do to the glory of God (1 Cor. 10:31), to be faithful stewards of what we’ve been given (Matt. 25:14-30), which include our natural talents..

Real Effectiveness in Ministry Requires Depending on the Right Means

It Takes Jesus to Effectively Serve
Whether serving as an individual or on a church committee or ministry team of some sort, we need to use what it takes to do our best to the glory of God as faithful stewards of what God’s given us. Yet, self-effort isn’t sufficient for making an eternal difference. Effectiveness that leaves an eternal impact requires the power of God. We must always remember Jesus’ words in John 15:5. — “If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.”

When we depend on His power, we can do exceedingly more than we ever could by relying on our own words, influence, strategies, actions, or talents. We can’t even imagine the possibilities (Eph. 3:20-21). Like the Apostle Paul, we can say, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” (Phil. 4:13, NKJV).

If you’re a church leader, be an example of depending on God’s power and encourage people in the Body to rely on Him in their ministries as well. The Steering the Church Toward God’s Power Leadership Guide can help you think through how to do that.

Reflecting the Joy of the Lord in Ministry

Posted on October 4, 2023 by Ministry Tools Resource Center — No Comments ↓

If we are going to serve with joy through the good and bad of ministry, our Source of joy must be “in the Lord” (Phil. 4:4). Jesus expressed His desire for followers, “that they may have the full measure of my joy within them” (Jn. 17:13). Notice that He wants us to have the FULL measure of HIS joy, not a trickle of it or an occasional flow of it. He also said, “I have come that they may have life, and have it TO THE FULL” (Jn. 10:10).

Reflecting the joy of the Lord amidst all of the stresses, disappointments, and hardships of ministry speaks volumes about our wonderful God who is the Source of such joy. So, here’s the question we should ask as we look at our ministry: Are we reflecting the joy of the Lord, that abundance of life?

Evidence We’re Reflecting the Joy of the Lord in Ministry

Circumstances will not always be ideal in ministry. We will face challenges and complications. Some things will be out of our control. We will often have more to do than our schedules can handle. Despite all of that we will have certain qualities evidenced in our lives when serving out of joy that finds its Source in the Lord.

We will have …

peace regardless of the circumstances that enables us to endure. (Heb. 12:2; James 1:2)

hope regardless of the challenges that enables us to press on. (Rom. 15:13)

gratitude regardless of the complications that enables us to keep loving and believing in Him. (1 Pet. 1:3-9)

contentment that keeps us satisfied due to His love that enables us to have a song in our heart. (Ps. 5:11; 90:13-15)

confidence no matter what that enables us to remain unshaken because we know He is with us. (Ps. 21:6; Acts 2:25-28)

Do you want such joy? Remember that His joy is a fruit of the Spirit. We must constantly yield control to the Holy Spirit (Eph. 5:18-20) and walk in the Spirit (Gal. 5:16-26) rather than try to do ministry on our own.