Change of address

'The world has moved, but it didn't leave a change of address. We in the church keep sending messages to the same old address and it's not surprising they don't get through.' This thought from Carol Childress is especially pertinent to those of us concerned with sharing our faith with the secular community. Identifying where people "are at" is a big part of the challenge in faith-sharing.

Too often, I think, we're answering questions nobody is asking, addressing issues only a select few have compelling interest in. We assume, for instance, that everyone outside church life experiences some sort of spiritual void, a clamoring for a spiritual identity. I'm not convinced that's true. Many unchurched folk seem to be getting along rather nicely without the congregational support we consider essential. As we think about evangelism in our particular time/space slot, we need to pay closer attention to what really motivates the folks around us. Their values and aspirations may or may not reflect our own. To assume we're all on the same page is to keep sending our message to the wrong address.

It's also more challenging to figure out how the gospel of Christ intersects the interests, concerns, lifestyles, dreams of those who are not bought-into what they regard as "organized religion." The other thing to think about is what we, as ambassadors of Christ, are calling folks to. In what sense is it the case that the gospel really does offer the secular person an abundant life today? Yes, for us there is purpose, meaning, a relationship with Christ that transcends the materialistic inclinations of our age. But how can we communicate that as "good news" to folks whose focus is altogether different?