Skip to main content

Transforming Churches: Contextual Awareness

One size does not fit all. In the ecclesiastical structures of the 20th century, denominations often provided standards for local congregations to pursue in order to be more effective and efficient. These standards and policies were meant to challenge each church and to call out the best in members.

The problem was that each church is very different. Even in connectional denominations, each congregation finds itself in a distinctive context.  The area may be urban, suburban, or rural.  In reality, the setting may be shifting from one of these to another! Those who attend the church come from different situations with varying experiences of work, family, and education.  In many situations, the community is changing due to economic and social factors.  

Churches in a particular denomination may have much in common, but the context in which they minister varies significantly.  This requires an awareness of where the church is and what is going on around it. As the church becomes more self-aware, leaders and participants reach a clearer understanding of what they have to work with, what their community is like, what they can do to make a difference in their community.  This is one of the keys to transformation.

How does the church enhance its awareness of its context?

First, the church can increase engagement with its external community.  The place to start is talking with church members about their own involvement in the community.  Teachers, first responders, health professionals, and business people interact with the “real world” on a daily basis.  Many in the church probably volunteer in local service organizations.  They can have great insights about needs and possibilities.

Second, the church can engage with community organizations. Especially in situations where church participants may not live in the immediate geographical area, church leaders can reach out to government agencies, schools, and not-for-profits to achieve a clearer picture of the area around the church.  This may open the door for volunteer involvement from the church or partnerships with other entities.

Third, as the church learns more about its context, participants can pray as well as serve. Prayer walks in the area around the church are a very effective way to raise awareness. When disciples are aware of the needs of the community, they can pray more intentionally and allow the Spirit to lead in opening doors for service and ministry.  

Wherever God has placed your church, there are opportunities for Kingdom service.
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Check these out

Confessions of a Recovering Southern Baptist

I am grateful for my heritage as a Southern Baptist.  I was exposed to the Bible and worship from a very young age.  I grew up in a church in south Alabama that supported the Cooperative Program of missions giving.  This meant that our church had the benefit of being part of a supportive group of local churches and the educational opportunities that afforded. Our state convention provided varied and effective ministries with groups like orphans, ethnic groups, and college students.  We supported missionaries at home and abroad.  We had good Bible study and training literature (which we paid for, of course).  I went to an accredited seminary and paid a remarkably low tuition.  Wherever you went on a Sunday morning (in the Southeast and Southwest, at least), you could find a church that sang the familiar hymns and studied the same Bible lesson. In hindsight, I realize that this Southern Baptist utopia was imperfect.  There were significant...
1 comment
Read more

The Bible Tells Me So

As I read the story of the Good Samaritan during my devotional today, I was reminded of the times that I have heard the story in the Christian education setting of the local church--as a youngster in primary and intermediate classes (old terminology), as a young adult in college classes, and then as an adult, often teaching the passage myself.     The characters and story line are very familiar due to these experiences of Christian education. These are challenging times for Christian education in the church.  Like so much of what is happening in the church today, the old forms do not seem to support present needs.  What once worked no longer seems to be effective.  Christian education or the formation of believers is in a state of flux. In an article on ethicsdaily.com , retired professor Colin Harris addresses this issue. He points out that the period of the 60’s and 70’s  “saw the beginnings of a loss of vitality within the educa...
Post a Comment
Read more

Metaphors of the Kingdom of God

In a recent blog , consultant Seth Godin addresses the power of metaphor.   He points out, “The best way to learn a complex idea is to find it living inside something else you already understand.”   In other words, “this” is like “that.” “When you see a story, an example, a wonderment,” says Godin, “take a moment to look for the metaphor inside.”   Jesus turned this around.   In the use of parables, he told a story or provided a metaphor and challenged his hearers to see the truth within. For example, in his teaching on the Kingdom (or Reign) of God in Matthew’s Gospel, Jesus compares the Kingdom to such things as a mustard seed, yeast, a hidden treasure, a net, a king, and a landowner.   His hearers are encouraged to use their imaginations to understand something that they had never experienced.   He also attempted to shift their perspective so that they might see signs of the Kingdom breaking into their present reality.  These are metapho...
Post a Comment
Read more

The Tragedy of Willow Creek Community Church

File photo of Steve Carter, Heather Larson, and Bill Hybels As Christian brothers and sisters, we need to pray for Willow Creek Community Church.   On the eve of the Global Leadership Summit, a worldwide conference sponsored by the church in cooperation with the Willow Creek Association, church leadership imploded as a result of further allegations against former pastor Bill Hybels. Last year, Hybels introduced the team who would assume church leadership upon his retirement--lead pastor Heather Larson and teaching pastor Steve Carter.  Although the founding pastor planned to stay on to assist in a time of transition, reports of sexual impropriety involving Hybels surfaced early this year.  He accelerated his departure from the church and left the board of the Willow Creek Association. When other charges emerged last week, teaching pastor Carter resigned. On Wednesday evening, Larson and the entire elder board--lay leaders who provide accountability ...
Post a Comment
Read more

A Future for the Global Leadership Summit?

Craig Groeschel, the founder and senior pastor of Life.Church. The Global Leadership Summit which began as a project of Willow Creek Community Church in South Barrington, Illinois, and its founding pastor, Bill Hybels, over 25 years ago was held this week without Hybels. For several years, the GLS has been now produced by the Willow Creek Association, a spin-off organization and a loose network of churches but Hybels has been its driving force. Attended by thousands at the church facility in South Barrington and broadcast to thousands more at satellite locations, the annual meeting brings together not only evangelical leaders but outstanding speakers from business, charitable organizations, politics, and business.  For the first time, Hybels did not appear due to allegations of sexual impropriety brought against him over the past year by former employees, staff members, and business associates.  He has already left the church and resigned from the board of t...
Post a Comment
Read more