There is a focus among church pastors and leaders to approach the task of making disciples of Christ in culturally relevant ways. For some...that means trying the newest and coolest techniques and methods. These methods may include stage props, dress, music, videos, or topics covered in multi-week series.
In many cases, the chasing of the "new" becomes more focused on than what is really important.
What we NEED to do is find culturally relevant (missional) ways to communicate the truth of the gospel and then DO IT.
I read a great post written by one of the leaders in the field of evangelism and church growth.
(You can read it here: http://jdgreear.typepad.com/my_weblog/2008/12/i-dont-want-to-be-new-and-innovative.html)
Summit Church is a community impacting and transforming church in a deeply "church saturated" culture. Still, while many churches exist in their community, Summit has found a way to get the job of evangelism and discipleship done...better than most.
How do I define "better?" The same way Luke did in the Book of Acts, "and the Lord was adding to their number daily those who were being saved" (Acts 2:47). In fact, throughout the Scriptures...numerical growth and spiritual depth (discipleship) go hand-in-hand.
Some might propose, "I am growing deeper in love with Christ, and more aware of who God is, but I am not actively sharing my faith with anyone." This is not possible. It is not possible to grow closer to Jesus and not grow more passionate about evangelism. We can grow more knowledgeable and not be passionate about evangelism. We can grow philosophically and not be passionate about evangelism. But, if we grow closer to Jesus and come to know the heart of God deeply...priority one is communicating the gospel with others.
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