Strategic Stuff Vital Implications of Postmodernism for Your Church and Ministry Posted by Office of Leadership Development on Jun 20, 2005, 16:39

Vital Implications of Postmodernism for Your Church and Ministry

Postmodernism - It’s a buzz word that has been floating around evangelicalism for over a decade. For many, the mere mention of this word conjures negative emotions. The concept of postmodernity represents a spiritual battle that we see emerging in our churches today - a battle many churches are losing.

Some churches are adopting postmodernism in an attempt to “move with the times,” while others are choosing to ignore the fact that it exists. Neither is an appropriate response because God’s church is called to reach the people who live within culture.

Here are several principles that will help guide your church and ministry through the confusion of postmodernism:

We need to remember that Jesus commanded us to ‘go’ to people in culture.
We quickly forget that Jesus has not asked for them to come to us. This will require considering and adopting new approaches to ministry. What we are doing is not working—postmoderns are not getting the picture.

We need to engage this culture, not condemn it.
It is a common practice for the church to oppose cultural change rather than to change its methods to reach people in a new culture. Some churches will choose to engage the culture in radically biblical ways—becoming missionaries to a culture which has traveled to them.

We need authenticity, not programs.
Postmoderns are looking for something real and genuine. They are eager to see vibrant expressions of faith and fresh approaches to life and ministry… not pre-packaged, memorized-message Christianity.

We need to focus on postmoderns as people, not the philosophy.
A clear distinction needs to be made between “postmoderns” and the philosophy of “postmodernity.” We have lost our sense of urgency when discussing postmodernism because we find so many errors in the philosophy. That is why we have to separate the people from the philosophy.

We need to lift up Christ, not tear down an axiom.
Postmoderns are not looking for another voice of opposition; they are looking for hope and inspiration. Soapbox preaching is not attractive to this culture. Young evangelicals are having success in ministry when they instill hope and truth in real and practical ways. Focusing on the disease doesn’t transform people—focusing on the cure does.

We need to inspire artistic expression, not hinder creativity.
Culture historically (and even presently) is driven by the arts. In fact, the Church used to define the culture through art. Artists and composers were often inspired and actually employed by the church. Young evangelicals are seeking to renew this emphasis—to inspire and engage culture by encouraging artists to share their talents with the world, not just the Christian sub-culture.

It is easy to dismiss an issue when we do not understand it. We can do the same thing in our churches. If we don’t understand something, we simply create another program to contain it. We need to cultivate an active desire to reach this culture. How we respond to this changing culture will determine our effectiveness in expanding God’s kingdom among the nations.

The source of these thougths and ideas is Ed Stetzer who is director of research for the North American Mission Board. Learn more about his ministry at NewChurches.com. He is the author of Planting New Churches in a Postmodern Age and co-author of Perimeters of Light: Biblical Boundaries for the Emerging Church.

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