Figuring out who we are as times change
By Ayana Teter, Presbyterians Today.
Recently, I was invited to share my thoughts on the “big-picture” view of my church. I had the honor of sharing in a panel with a group of Presbyterian pastors from the Middle East. As Christians they were the minority in their national culture. As Presbyterians they were the minority among their Christian brothers and sisters. As such, they had to be intentional about nurturing the faith in their youth and cultivating character in their families and making disciples who could be the salt and light in their communities. And, though I have no first-hand experience of the lives they live, I was struck by the beauty and challenges they faced in their journey of faith.
As I prepared to answer the same questions, the strangest image popped into my mind. It was the image of a flier. You see, when I was a kid, if you wanted to get a group of people together you would make a flier. And, then you would stick it up on a wall for something like a school pep rally or weekend party in the hopes of spreading the word and inviting others.
But, since that was the day before digital social media it would always take a little creative work to make the fliers.
1 Comment. Leave new
Very good and well thought out remarks. In any church of any denomination, the basic question any pastor or church must provide is an over all compelling reason to go to church. Why get out of bed and go to church when a billion other options are available to any modern person.
Unfortunately the author is employed by a denomination that treats its member churches, and to an extent its people as commodities from which resources are extracted. It sees the church as either this mystery box where per capita and other resources magically happen, or a United Way Agency with hymns and robes. I do not know how you sell that either in the public square or make an over all compelling narrative. As the sham that is 1001 New Communities continues to demonstrate you can only engage people into coffee, art, and esoteric naval gazing so long, sooner or later they will want the real Jesus. And on that matter her PCUSA is out to lunch.