Relevance in the Church

Our churches must be relevant. Think about it. Do we really want the opposite to be true? Do we want our churches to be known as irrelevant? Certainly not! But when we say we want to create relevant worship services, what exactly do we mean? Are we just trying to be cool or hip? If we define the word relevant as the Encarta Dictionary does, “having some sensible or logical connection with something else such as a matter being discussed or investigated,” our churches simply must be relevant. Either we step up in this area, or people will label us irrelevant and tune us out completely.
To create relevant worship services, we must consider three types of relevance and how to create next steps:

1. Become spiritually relevant.
People come to church to meet with and understand God. Most likely, they didn’t walk into church to sit in a coffee shop, walk through a bookstore or attend a concert. When we plan and execute our worship services, we must be intentional about helping people experience and respond to God. His truths, found in scripture, are timeless and relevant. Let’s make a commitment in our churches to preach truth well and to help people open their Bibles and dig into scripture that moves their heart toward God.

2. Become relevant to daily life.
When someone sits through our services, do they feel we meet them where they’re at? No matter why people come to our churches, they are seeking an experience related to their daily life. If you live in a metropolitan area, seek to understand the concerns of those who live downtown. If you have a ton of parents, talk frequently about the joys and struggles of raising kids. If you’re a church with a high percentage of college students, talk about how they can make a difference with their one and only life. Most of our churches are filled with a mix of people, but if we’re intentional about speaking into the lives of our congregation, we will become relevant to their lives.

3. Become culturally relevant.
For many people, culturally relevance in the church is a sticking point. But the world will either see our churches as a source of truth or they will relegate us to the list of those out of touch with society. Becoming culturally relevant means we seek to include references to or aspects of our local, regional, national and global culture. If our area is being flooded, we need to speak to it. If our region is having an important holiday, we can use elements of it in the service. If our nation is currently attracted to a certain type of music, let’s consider using it. And if our world is worried about global warming, let’s figure out how we can take these concerns seriously. Cultural relevance does have a place in the church.

4. Provide next steps.

Whether it’s spiritual, life or cultural relevance, perhaps the best way for our churches to be relevant is to help people engage in worship and apply what we’re teaching about God in our services to their daily lives… Challenge those who attend your services to life-change. Give people a worthwhile assignment. Help them think differently about their Monday-thru-Saturday-life. Move their hearts to recognize their Creator. When we do this relevance goes beyond a point of connection and becomes a catalyst to point people to God.