As with all parts of life, the routines found among congregations can easily become stale and predictable due to convenience, time restraints and complacency.
To keep church life fresh and energized, continuously review these eight areas:
One, experience with God. In light of the dangerously low levels of active participation by members of local churches, it appears that many are living with a secondhand faith and a lukewarm spiritual temperature. Therefore, we must put stronger emphasis on a personal, firsthand experience with God and His worthiness to receive from us a fire of devotion that cannot be quenched or dampened.
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Two, worship. Worship is important because God is important. This is the chief response of the Christian to God because it brings about a sense of oneness with God, as well as offers fellowship with other believers and gives meaning and purpose to life. We must always be evaluating both the nature and characteristics of Christian worship, regardless of what style of worship is employed.
‘Healthy inreach and outreach’
Three, fellowship. The church is essentially a fellowship of mutual participants who are committed to God and to one another in carrying out the will of God. This fellowship of mutual participation in fulfilling God’s mission in this world is anchored in brotherly love and sacrificial love. Both forms of love create a bond of both healthy inreach and outreach as God so directs. We should be unified and not factionalized.
Four, understanding. There is always room for a better, fuller, broader and deeper understanding of what Christianity is and what the church is all about. How we understand and express the Christian faith in terms of biblical teachings should determine the nature of our preaching and practice. Therefore, we must be sure that our understanding is biblically accurate and adequate.
Five, Bible study. We may yell, stretch and scream about the authority and inspiration of the Bible but neglect how it is to be used practically. We must not only find the grammatical-historical meaning of the texts in their appropriate contexts but also find room for the meaning of Scripture for us today and how to apply its significance in real life situations. We must convey how relevant its message continues to be now — not just what it meant then.
Need for ‘fresh awareness’
Six, awareness. It seems that sometimes we are only half aware of what is happening about us and what God is trying to say to us. We always stand in need of fresh awareness of the presence and power of God in the church, in the world, in individuals, and even in our own lives. We cannot be unaware and unresponsive to the needs of others who are crying out to us for direction.
Seven, concern for others. Yes, we must translate our awareness into actively focusing our attention on persons who have problems and needs in this present life. This is what Jesus did and what He calls upon His church to do. As servants of Jesus Christ, how can we do otherwise? We must realize that others are individuals who are created in “the image of God,” and God can use us to show them this truth and strengthen its importance to them.
Avoiding ‘religious games’
Eight, ministry. Churches must quit playing their little religious games inside the church buildings and actively and compassionately respond to the burning issues of our day. We need to see that the ministry of the church is a continuation of the ministry of Jesus — Luke 4:18 where Jesus introduces His ministry as one that grows out of the needs of people where they hurt. After all, Matt. 25:31–46 states that the basis of our judgment will be how we responded to people where they were hurting.
In addition to these, there may be other areas in which church renewal efforts are stressed and accentuated.
In fact, there may be no legitimate limitations to such efforts. So, may readers adopt, adapt, or add to these in accordance with their own wisdom, experiences and insights as God so directs.
EDITOR’S NOTE — Morris Murray, Jr. of Jasper wrote this article.
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