As of last Friday, we have been able to begin meeting in person again. But this is restricted to groups of 10 at church, 5 visitors in homes and distanced wherever we are.
Will this disrupt our existing patterns of ministry? Yes. Will this impede God’s mission of advancing his kingdom? No. Will it mean changes for us? Yes. But that is OK. In every age, the Lord Jesus and his gospel has remained firm, but the patterns of sharing it have changed. In 2020 it changes from month to month!
Change is difficult for us all, because all our patterns of life are anchored to deeply held values. Change is easier when values can be articulated. Change is much harder when we hold values we don’t even realise.
As things continue to change, and our church and evangelistic practices change as well, we would be well served by reflect upon what is worth restarting, what is worth changing, what is worth leaving stopped.
Why do we do what we do at Oak Flats Anglican? What values drive us to do things the way we do them? Should we hold to them firmly as gospel values, or loosely as cultural and personal values?
It was pointed out again to me in an email last week, that we are essentially the only church in this suburb. What must we restart, change or stop, to better reach our suburb of over 6000 people? How can we – for the sake of the gospel – be all things to all people so that by all possible means, we might save some? (1 Corinthians 9:22-23)
– Sam Pursell