EFCA District Meeting

I didn't make it to the District Meeting this year. It's the first one I've missed in 5 years. Apparently there were some fireworks this year. the Keynote Speaker was Scott Thomas, Director of Acts 29, a pastor's network for church planters.

I received an email from the District office concerning the newly reformatted and much easier to use District Forum Page (check it out, it's much better). The first listing was concerning Scott's message at the meeting:

When Scott Thomas, our keynote speaker at this year's District Conference, told a story about taking his youth pastor into a bar to check out the culture, he hit a few nerves. What do you think? When we talk about engaging the culture, what is acceptable and what isn't? How big a risk are we willing to take?

Being shy, I was hesitant to jump in but when I was small, I was always eager to throw a stone into still waters just to watch the ripples spead out. So, I answered:

I am skeptical about the current move towards 'relevance' in the church today. I'm not sure going into a bar to 'get in touch' with the people is a very good idea. I am sure the Corinthians would have approved wholeheartedly.

Somehow, we have managed to convince ourselves that, for 20 Centuries, the church was OK but now is in danger of losing it's relevance to the world. We have become so sophisticated and advanced that God now needs our help in keeping the place attractive enough to bring in new folks. I hear a lot about the 'New Reformation' and the 'New Christianity' and wonder what was wrong with the 'Old'. When did it become ineffective?

All this focus on changing the paradigm has caused us to lose focus on what we have been called to do....preach the Word of God! Present the truth! The undiluted, unaltered, God-breathed truth! It doesn't need us to help it along, it never has and it never will.

When did it become OK to go out into the world and immerse ourselves in their pigsty? (I know...I know! Jesus sat with the sinners. True, but He never took His disciples into the opium den and said, "Let's have a few tokes and get along with these guys. Maybe, somewhere down the road they'll get saved!"). When did it become OK to try to bring people to the faith by 'having relationships' instead of relating them to the gospel? When did tolerance become acceptance of non-Christian behavior and belief?

The church is not going to fade into obscurity and become abandoned, not by the true believers. Just take a look at Revelation. There are areas of the church that risk losing their relevance to the truth in an effort to become relevant to the culture.

1 Peter 2: 6 For this is contained in Scripture: “Behold, I lay in Zion a choice stone, a precious corner stone, And he who believes in Him will not be disappointed.” 7 This precious value, then, is for you who believe; but for those who disbelieve, “The stone which the builders rejected, This became the very corner stone,” 8 and, “A stone of stumbling and a rock of offense”; for they stumble because they are disobedient to the word, and to this doom they were also appointed.

That's our message, it's the gospel and we need to keep it simple.

Thanks for the soapbox!