My former pastor Mike Smith once said something to the
effect, “Don’t say that Baptists have never done a certain thing. Baptists have done a lot of things they may
not be doing now.” This is true of the
church at large. Every form of ministry
was at one time new and untried.
In a missional church class several years ago, students
helped me to see that innovation happens in the church in response to a
cultural need, the innovation matures and become institutionalized, and then
society changes and innovation is needed once again. In reality, the church must always be in the
process of renewal.
This is not to say that innovation is quickly accepted. Once a practice becomes established in the
life of the church, change is hard if not impossible. One reason is that change is
uncomfortable. Another is that each
practice has someone willing to fight for its continuity even if it no longer
works.
Innovation is not easy, but reality eventually dawns and I believe
more churches are becoming open to trying different methodologies as part of
the mission Dei. How can we encourage innovation
in the life of the church?
First, we must know what is essential and what is not. What are the basics of faith and practice and
what is negotiable? These are hard
conversations, but just because we have always made certain statements and done
things one way does not mean that these are central to our theology. The scriptures do not tell us when to worship
but we are encouraged to do so. Eleven o’clock
on Sunday morning may be an accepted time for worship but it is not biblical!
Second, we must exegete our culture and understand the
opportunities there for ministry. Our
example is Paul the Apostle, who never abandoned his faith in Christ, but was
willing to use his knowledge of the Greek and Roman cultures to clearly
articulate the Gospel while building on the Jewish practices of mutual support
to establish new faith communities. His
innovations provided a way to penetrate first century culture with the
Christian faith.
Third, we must recognize the gifts and skills of those
within our fellowship that broaden and strengthen our ministry. God sends our way those needed to build up
the body of Christ. Whether clergy or
laity, we must unleash their abilities in order to engage our context.
Fourth, we must listen to the outsiders and neophytes. If we truly want to make an impact in our
community, we will listen to the voices of those outside our fellowship and tap
into their expertise. New believers or
those who are new to our fellowship also offer valuable insight. Why did they choose to join us? What do they
see with “fresh eyes” that we have overlooked?
The mission of God was instituted by a creative God, one who
continually surprises us with love and provision. As God’s people, we must be follow
that example.
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