At a recent conference I attended, that was the extent of the choices given to today's local churches. The local church was faced with the need for dramatic and deep change or it would die. I have to elaborate and say that goes for the individual Christian, the local association of churches, and the conventions on the state and national level. Of course we hear that a lot from a variety of directions. The problem arises when we are forced to decide what to change and to what extent both in our personal lives and in the arena of these larger collections of relationships.
Relevancy is a key concept in this, and it can and should be separated in content and methodology. While content can remain relevant for eternity, methodology may need to change on a regular basis. Relevancy reveals importance, value, and applicability. Relevancy is often lost when the communication methodology is muddled, and only reappears when the methodology is changed.
The human body must change if it is to remain healthy. It will grow. It will change form as well as size. Changes will take place that are both apparent and hidden. The process of maturing will bring about loss in some areas and gains in others, some of course we would like to avoid. Change is inevitable in living things. The only option is the radical change caused by death itself.
So what's new about this revelation? People have been writing on the subject for years. Change or die. We live with it. We recognize its own relevancy as a concept for our lives. So what's new?
Perhaps it is the idea that even though it is being repeated over and over, no one is listening. In far too many cases either no change is being considered or the change is cosmetic. Deep change is being avoided. Substance remains the same. Change that would guarantee a healthy future is not happening.
On the personal level people must eat right and get enough exercise and rest. People must stretch their minds through activities that involve something besides television and video games in ways that will develop abilities in analysis, evaluation, and application. People must seek to grow in ways other than girth. We find it easy to see what needs to be done in our personal lives. The public media is telling us that all the time!
State and national conventions must look not only at what will be new in how they do their ministries, but also what will renew the foundations that provide the resources for those ministries. Who is providing the material resources for advances in missions? Who is training the leadership for these advances? From where will the next generation of leaders come?
The local church must step forward to answer these questions. State and national conventions look to the local church to provide the funds and the leaders for our mission and ministry efforts. The health of the local church will determine the health of all those institutions that depend upon it. Right now the 20th century church is having a hard time keeping its head above the water in the 21st century. It must change or it will die, and if it does, it will take a significant portion of those institutions that depend upon it with it.
Church, and association, renewal must move beyond repeating the old methods at a faster and more desperate clip. Relevancy in renewal must focus on how effectively we are communicating the unchanging content. Relevancy in renewal must focus upon finding and using the languages of our cultures. Relevancy in renewal must focus upon understanding those we are trying to reach and do so in a way that insures what we are saying is understood by those we are urging to listen.
Change or die. We can change. We don't have to die - as churches, associations, or conventions. If we don't change in a healthy and intentional way, however, death remains our only option.
