Obstacles to engaging my community: Part 1
In a recent email this caught my eye “your experience . . . caught our attention . . .your skill set, and background mirror our current franchise owners.” I was intrigued, so I kept reading.
What was the franchise offer that they thought would connect with my values and interests? Owning and managing a boxing for fitness franchise! This sounds like a great idea and a great platform for physical fitness, but there is nothing about me that makes one think of boxing! It was like they were speaking a foreign language to me.
I wondered, do I do the same thing when I speak of my faith? Are there obstacles I may inadvertently be erecting that hinder the effectiveness of my Christian witness as I seek to engage my community?
Upon closer reflection, I discovered five obstacles in myself. Here are the first two:
OBSTACLE ONE: Waiting and longing for things to return to “normal.”
Research (Christopherson, Stetzer, Rainer) indicates that those organizations and businesses that are relying on things getting back to the way things were pre-pandemic may not survive post-pandemic. People have learned how to shop, connect with friends and family and even “go to church” online. It is likely that once the limitations of the pandemic protocols are lessened, they will want to utilize the convenience of “online” for at least part of their daily routine.
CONSIDER: The disruption of this season has created unlimited opportunities to demonstrate the love of Christ in our communities. So many of our churches have provided food, counseling, prescription delivery services and encouragement. Many in our communities now view the church in a new way. How can we build on this new platform as a continuing characteristic of ministry for advancing the Kingdom of God and not just a temporary interruption?
OBSTACLE TWO: Only listening to those voices that reinforce what I already think.
Social media has provided an overwhelming stream of information. Whatever your perspective on faith, politics, diet, sports, reading, etc., you can find innumerable streams, blogs, podcasts, Twitter feeds, Pinterest boards and Instagram posts that reinforce what you already think. Through filtering you can even prevent any information feed that differs from your perspective.
This reminds me of the negative example of Rehoboam. As the first king of the divided kingdom of Judah, he had a choice to make that would set the future of the kingdom. He “did not listen to the people” (2 Chron. 10:15) but openly listened to those who supported his opinion – and the Kingdom unraveled. Perhaps we need to examine how Daniel handled the cultural transitions of his day. Daniel 1:4 tells us that he learned the language, art, culture and literature of the Chaldeans. This knowledge enabled him to be a person of influence in his day.
CONSIDER: Are we seeking out conversations, even friendships, with people who come at life from a totally different perspective? Identify persons in your community that reflect opinions or positions on issues that differ from your own. Invite them out for a cup of coffee (or Zoom call) with the goal of building relationship. In the conversation seek to understand their position and seek to help them to understand your perspective. Explore forming a larger group to continue the conversation. Guard against compromising critical biblical values and, at the same time, follow the counsel of James: “Let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath; for the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God.”
Do you agree with my observations? What did I overstate or leave out? Let’s start a conversation. You can reach me at ssmith@bcne.net. And stay tuned for a follow-up article with my final three obstacles.
Stanley Smith serves as the interim church growth team leader for the Baptist Convention of New England.