Restructuring our Postmodern Ministry

It feels like there is so much happening for me right now.... I already told you about the friction this Belize trip is causing, but I really think that this trip will allow the high school group to turn a corner in terms of the spiritual growth of the kids. Sure, those who don't go on this trip might be upset, but I think that this trip will be transformational for those who do go.

Big changes are also happening with what our church calls the Third Service, our highly modern/postmodern worship service. We got together as a team a week and a half ago and decided that God may be calling us to try something new--to restrategize and restructure the ministry that had been the Third Service.

What's also really exciting is that others in the church are also buying in to the idea (which I'll explain in more detail in a minute). Chuck, our Sr. Pastor, is behind the idea, and the Worship Committee got behind the idea when I presented it to them last Saturday.

When I met with our Third Service Team back on Jan. 28, all of us had the sense, as we discussed, that we need to start taking a bottom-up approach to evangelism rather than a top-down approach.

Here's what I mean. Starting a contemporary/postmodern service, while a lot of fun and really creative, is basically a top-down approach to ministry. In other words, we start a service and try to attract people to attend that service.

In switching to a bottom-up approach, we are inviting people to join us in small communities that could meet anywhere (homes, coffee shops, restaurants, parks, sports facilities, etc.) to talk about spiritual issues. These communities become church. In fact, they are church. If people feel like they want to come to church on Sunday morning, too, great! But we would never tell them that they need to go church on Sunday morning. The small community is just as much church as Sunday morning is.

We've still got some strategizing and dreaming to do as a team. And I really need to thank D.G. Hollums who is a church planter in Florence, Kentucky, with Florence United Methodist Church for sharing the idea for this kind of church first with me and then with our team. D.G. is starting something very similar through his church called The Waters and I'm looking forward to continuing to engage with D.G. as he and I both participate in similar minstries. And maybe our ministries can even work together!!

Now, wouldn't that be stretchy! Presbyterians and Methodists working together!!