(Raw Notes from the Focus talk by Jon Imbeau at the Awana Vantage Conference)
Change is coming and there is nothing you can do to stop it. There is only one thing that is unchangeable, that is God, the nature of God. So if God is unchangeable, then ministry should be as well, right? Wrong. God’s character is creative, and so should our ministries.
There are three things we need to understand:
We are living in a pre-Christian culture
People, especially youth have no context to the Christian narrative.
We are living in an Anti-Christian culture
It is now hostile, even violent, toward Christians and their values.
We are living in a Secular Humanist Cuture
A result of enlightenment. Man is the center if his story.
Two things to consider about how our ministries can look at this culture and say what can we do?
Flexibility
Ministry must change to introduce the God story to a pre-Christian community
Availability
We cannot help, if we are not accessible, if we are not available. How many times do church staff schedule families to meet with them in their office? What if we went to them, made ourselves more available? What an impact that might have to this community.
Change is inevitable…. how will you embrace it and adapt.
