Our Methods

In the message this last Sunday I talked about our methods being empowered by the Holy Spirit.

The message must never change. The messenger must change. The methods may change.

The methods that worked in the 1800's were circuit riding preachers, preaching in open fields, and preaching on street corners. These methods worked because they concurred with the cultural trends of the day. People lived on horseback. People were primarily agrarian, and People did not drive cars or use mass transit and so most people walked through town and a crowd could be formed at any street corner.

The methods that worked in the 20th century were camp meetings, tent crusades, and large stadium events. Those types of events worked well because they were concurrent with the culture of those days. Camp meetings were still popular as a form of spiritual emphasis that was started in the 1800's and continued to hold a type of nostalgia. Tent crusades were popular just as traveling forms of entertainment were popular such as the circus, which also met in tents. Large stadium events became popular as more and more cities gained large stadiums and sporting events were attended by a larger percentage of the population.

The emerging methods of the 21st century include the use of the Internet and the re-emergence of close personal relationships in place of large events. We live in a culture where it is easy to hide in a crowd and personal relationships are often shallow if they exist at all. The thrill of attending a church with thousands in attendance soon fades when the worshiper realizes that they are a stranger to everyone in their church. People long for community. When they can't find it in their actual community they find it in a virtual community, or online community. Just think how different the lives of some of the perpetrators of violent school shootings would have been if they were invited into a community of friends that valued them rather than ridicule them. People long for a community where unconditional love is evident.

As we move into the 21st century we must preach the gospel in the regions (places) where Christ is not yet named. Let's get the name of Jesus all over the Internet! Let's get the name of Jesus in every home in our neighbor hood and in the home of every friend.

I have more to say on this, I'll save it for tomorrow.

Paul