Should the Church Strive to Be Relevant?

A friend once told me about seeing an advertisement for a new church that had launched in town. Printed on the ad in bold lettering were the words, “Relevant to your life.”

“I knew immediately to steer clear of that church,” my friend said emphatically.

While no one wants to be in a church that’s irrelevant to their life, the idea of “churches being relevant” can elicit a negative response for those who associate it with gimmicks, pageantry, and shallow messages short on the gospel.

But it shouldn’t be this way.

The Bible paints relevancy as a godly attribute that’s required for disciples to communicate the gospel of Christ to an ever-changing culture. But just like any attribute, relevancy can be twisted beyond its God-given intent and misused by sinful people.

Here are three reasons churches should strive to be relevant and three pitfalls to avoid when doing so. Read More