This week’s prompt, once again, focuses on the tension most ministry contexts face as they discern what elements of ministry are fundamental, “anchoring,” and worth sustaining (at least for now!), and what elements might need to be adjusted, shifted, or even dropped. This type of shared discernment is not easy, and context plays a huge, determinative role.
Across the board, the common threads from all our respondents were the unique spaces that we are called to create; spaces for worship, fellowship, learning, and mission that might not otherwise be available in the broader culture.
BJ Hutto, Hendricks Avenue Baptist Church in Jacksonville, covered a lot of these:
“The importance of being ‘happy warriors’–good neighbors committed to our cause but big-hearted–in the midst of both an increasingly religiously/culturally diverse setting and a broader Church in which certain groups are becoming increasingly strident; theological literacy (which is related to biblical literacy but not the same thing) around the core commitments of the Faith (if we don’t form them, cable news or somebody else will) ; the (theological, anthropological) importance of community in a world that is increasingly isolated, lonely, and adrift ; Finally, liturgy. The worship of Jesus Christ is *the only thing* that the Church offers its neighbors that they cannot get elsewhere (they can serve elsewhere, they can make friends elsewhere, they can learn elsewhere, they can be entertained elsewhere), so thick but accessible and engaging liturgy is increasingly important these days.”
Susan Rogers’, Pastor, The Well, Jacksonville, FL reflection, representative of many others, is remarkably similar:
“Here’s what anchors us: Regular community gatherings to explore scripture, pray and listen for Spirit together; Learning & engaging in a variety of spiritual practices; Moving through the rhythm of the church year which also moves us through themes and stories that call us into a Jesus-shaped way of life; Listening to + sharing stories; Eating together; Being present in the wounds and weariness of our neighbors (which looks a lot of different ways) by sharing resources and practicing hospitality; Opportunities to show care & compassion with one another & our larger community.”
Leon Bell Jr., St. Joseph Baptist Church, Mobile, AL. also touched on these themes, but (like many other respondents) did so specifically with respect to the pandemic and what many have learned about the importance of face-to-face time together:
“One of the anchoring elements of ministry I strongly believe needs to be retained is interpersonal face-to-face/one-on-one engagement and corporate worship. COVID has made it easy for us not to connect and engage with people in-person with services being streamed. I believe that in-person corporate worship is an important element of ministry that needs to be retained and, in some way, needs to be recovered.”
Jennifer Watley Maxell, TMC staff and co-pastor at Breakthrough Fellowship in Atlanta, GA, picks up on the same concepts, but frames them in terms of the unique practices of Christian hospitality:
“In my context, we need to revisit the idea of hospitality. Pre-Covid we had very robust and vibrant practices of hospitality that we pivoted with during and post-pandemic, however, if we’re honest, we’ve fallen into a hodge podge of practices that I’m not sure are as edifying. Included in hospitality are all the ways we invite, welcome, and live with our neighbors. With all the innovation and change determining who our neighbor is now and how we feel called to engage is a priority.”
We also had people note the complex tensions between traditional and innovative forms of those many spaces described above, especially with respect to different generations. Rev. Kelly Chatman, Executive Director, Center for Leadership and Neighborhood Engagement, Minneapolis, MN captures it well:
“Young people desire to be seen and heard in the church. Don’t change the message, change the form. Translate ritual into newer forms that are less tied to old power structures. Translating church into experiences of welcome, safety, and belonging. This is embedded in the church but articulated in heady theology versus a more liberating and narrative theology.”
What else should be included in this conversation? We’d love to hear from you.
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