Changing Methods for a Changeless Message

Even a casual reading of the gospels reveals how multiple methods effectively communicated the gospel message. A great host of heavenly messengers proclaimed the birth of the Christ child to awaken shepherds and motivate them to go to the stable where Jesus lay in a manager. In the same event, a brilliant star guided some of the most educated leaders from their far away home to draw near enough to see the new Messiah. But sleeping shepherds would probably have missed that subtle signal in the stars. To the faithful worshipper Simeon, the message came in a time of private prayer. For Mary, who faced one of the greatest challenges in the Word becoming flesh, a visible revelation and announcement seemed more necessary. For Joseph, the truth was clearly revealed through a dream. Interesting isn’t it, that God selected so many different ways to communicate the Good News for the sake of so many different kinds of people?

And who can forget the unorthodox style of the prophet and evangelist John the Baptist? Or the confirmation that came through Elizabeth’s prenatal nudge or Zachariah being stricken dumb? And that wide variety of methodologies is just in the opening chapters of the gospels. The common objectives for all of these revelations brought faith in Christ.

Time and space won’t permit an exhaustive registry of methods throughout the rest of the gospels. Miracles of nearly every imaginable form energized faith and heralded the establishment of Christ’s new Kingdom. From turning water into wine, healing the lame, opening blinded eyes and even raising the dead back to life, Jesus enlisted dramatic and diverse tools to communicate the Good News. And the Spirit of Christ seems to continue to do so.

Follow the ministry of the Apostle Paul and early church through the book of Acts and the epistles, and the variety of approaches only grows. Every new context seemed to call for a new approach to deliver the message in a new way: the focus was to help bridge others to faith.

Even our spiritual roots in the holiness movement trace back to John Wesley’s innovations to preach on street corners, in mining camps—even from his father’s grave stone. His use of itinerate preaching from villages and towns had previously never been attempted, forming class meetings in each place to promote discipleship and holy living. Many of the church leaders of his day criticized his innovations as unorthodox and undesirable.

For whatever the reasons, each new generation of the church has continued to face criticism—and even opposition—to adapting methodologies to increase the impact of the gospel. For many critics of change, their confusion has grown from an inability—or refusal—to distinguish the message from the methods. The gospel remains timeless. Scriptural truth is sacred. But styles and forms of delivery of that message continue to change.

In effective missional leaders and ministries, change and innovation are expected and embraced. For those focused on their mission, most refuse to criticize other methods working in different contexts when they assist in extending the Kingdom. As in the revelations in the Christmas story, different people come to understand the Good News from different kinds of revelation. The message remains consistent.

Some critics of innovation have tried to connect theological accuracy with ministry conformity. They suggest that only certain ministry methods are acceptable in particular doctrinal belief systems. But the most effective missional leaders rarely make those assertions. And church history and the scriptures deny any connection. For most of the critics, the truth is they just don’t like to deal with change.

One of my mentors in ministry told of his family’s experience dealing with change in their church. He recalled as a child when his mother seemed deeply distressed. He even heard her weeping alone at night. When he asked his father, he learned that his mother was enduring unkind criticisms for playing the new organ in their church’s worship service. For some in their congregation those many years ago, “an organ belonged in the movie houses—not in God’s house.” And they weren’t shy in saying so. “Now,” he said with a smile, “I’ve lived long enough to see worship wars over guitars and drums, from those trying to keep the church organ.”

Missional ministry moves us beyond our preferences and comfort zones. To reach others with the Good News, new ministries and new approaches continue to develop. Sometimes, if we live long enough, old approaches may be revived and adapted to effectively implement again. But the heart of the issue involves reaching the hearts of others with the Good News.

Jim Dorsey
Editor, GROW