Faith-sharing in a “Pre-Christian” Context

Faith-sharing in a "Pre-Christian" Context (An article written for "RETHINKHOME")

There has been much talk over the past 5-10 years, from Church growth experts and Church futurists, lamenting the reality that we now live at a time in which the Church has lost relevance, credibility, and position in both culture and society. These experts tell us that we now live in, among other things, what could only be identified as a "Post-Christian" era. Likewise, word has it, that in this "Post-Christian" era, the Church is in the process of "imploding" and that all things Church are undoubtedly going from bad to worse, doom to gloom, destruction to blah, blah, blah…

But, what if potentially, we have the power, as the Church, now, to create and begin to live in an alternative reality? And, what if in the missional context that the Church now finds itself, it could be that the best is yet to come? What might happen if we stopped lamenting, labeling and defining these times which now surround us as "Post-Christian," and instead decided to take a leap of perspective and begin to see them as "Pre-Christian?" What if we stopped focusing on what once was, and opened our eyes instead, to a new paradigm of hope, embracing as the Church, what might just be a divinely appointed (kairos) moment of opportunity to be the Church, and to begin to experience something very much like the First Century, all over again?

For us, at C@PC, as a "parachute drop" (90% failure rate) new church start, having started with literally only 12 people, meeting "illegally" in the back room of a gutted, bankrupt, foreclosed on store-front building (not yet approved for occupancy), in a decreasing population area (hit hard by the economic downturn that began in 2008), this leap to an alternative perspective and the complete embracing of a paradigm of hope has been the only way we could have survived as a new church start beyond our first 6 months of life. It has been an experience in which we have been forced to understand that faith-sharing in a "Pre-Christian" context must be both culturally relevant and determined by the felt needs and the expressed interests of the mission field. (See: Acts 17:22-34)

As a result, we have intentionally taken a "non-typical" approach to how we engage with our mission field in faith-sharing, both by employing the use of social media for coordinating, publicizing, and promoting events and outreaches (cultural relevance / technology), and by determining what are the expressed needs of our target demographic in the planning of ministry actions and events (missional context). For example, as I write this article I am doing so with an ice-pack on a shoulder injury I sustained while taking part in a fitness obstacle course called "Hard Charge" that was held in the context of our mission field, having just also posted pictures and comments from the experience on social media which is literally (as I write) exploding with interactions and connections between event participants, C@PC'ers, and their friends.

Events like this to us at C@PC are a great way to make our presence known in the community, and also draw in, start conversations, and create relationships with people who do not yet have a relationship with Jesus or a church home. For us, events like this are faith-sharing (evangelism) opportunities in a "Pre-Christian" context. And, we purposefully choose again and again to be active participants in events like this as a means of becoming all things to all people that by all means we may reach some.
(See: 1 Corinthians 9:20-23)

One of my favorite stories along these lines is that of Kris (Tex) and Andi and their pre-school aged daughter Addyson. I first met Tex at a "member-guest" sporting-clay outreach event we sponsored in the Spring of 2013. Tex was to say the least, not a "churchgoer" and at that time, had no real intention of looking for or attending a church. But, he had been invited to our Clay Shoot by a work associate named "Tank" who was himself a new believer at C@PC.

Fast forward a few months and Tex wakes up at 6:30am on the 1st Sunday in August with the thought in his head "Get up and take your family to church, it's time to change your life path and show everyone you are a better man than they see you as." So… He did just that. And, they kept coming. Then on Sunday morning, November 27th, one year to the day of his mother's sudden death, before worship started, Tex asked if he could talk to me. I said "Sure, let's step outside." In the parking lot that morning Tex told me about the death of his Mom and how much he missed her, and about how she had come to know Jesus before she died. During that conversation I listened, shared a couple of thoughts with him, let him know that I'd like to pray for him about the pain he was feeling but before I did I wanted to ask him an important question. I then said: "Tex, have you ever prayed a prayer and trusted Jesus as your Savior?" He said: "No, I never have." I said: "Well, when I pray for you in just a moment, would you like to pray that prayer and begin trusting Him as your savior now?" He said: "Yes I would." So, right there in the parking lot of our strip mall church, while my worship leader played an extended worship set because he saw that I was otherwise occupied, Tex, a big giant of a man, a former bouncer, bounty hunter, and addict, with tears streaming down his cheeks, prayed a prayer in which he committed his life to Jesus and trusted Him as his savior. That was truly an awesome experience. And, it all started with a conversation at a clay shoot.

Since that day, Tex and Andi got married (Dec 28th), Andi trusted Jesus as her savior, along with her sister Melissa and her husband Bobbi. Then, on February 23rd, 2014, Tex, Andi, Addyson, Melissa and Bobbi, all got baptized and became Charter Members of C@PC. Andi's mom Zoe now also comes to church, and Tex is the leader of our Outdoor Adventure Team and was just in charge of the Spring Clay Shoot we held this past Sunday (4/27). That's the power of faith-sharing in a "Pre-Christian" context.

"Tex" getting baptized, and his brother-in-law Bobby assisting.

This so called, "Post-Christian" era in which we now find ourselves in ministry is, in my humble opinion, the best time there has ever been, in the entire history of the Church, to begin engaging in contextually relevant faith-sharing. Truly, the harvest is plentiful, but… who will take up the work of culturally relevant ministry to meet the expressed needs of the "Pre-Christian" mission field? If not you and me, then who? If not now, then when?

Rob Schmutz, Pastor
The United Methodist Church at Park City (C@PC)
Zechariah 4:10a