3 Truths for Ministering After the Chaos

Research shows some of the cultural chaos seems to be settling. We are in a new world, which calls for new skills and a new mindset.

By D. Scott Hildreth

A couple of months ago, I went to a local shopping mall to have my computer repaired. It had been years since I’d walked through a mall. I was shocked by how dead things were. I grew up in the ’80s when “The Mall” was the place to be on weekends. It was full of life … and probably a little bit of trouble.

But this visit reminded me that we live in a new day—online shopping and bigger, standalone retail stores have rendered many shopping malls a thing of the past. This trip got me thinking, “How many of us are trying to do ministry today with little appreciation for how the world has changed around us?”

“How many of us are trying to do ministry today with little appreciation for how the world has changed around us?” — @dshildreth Share on X

The past four or five years have been extremely chaotic for the church in the U.S. We’ve been forced to do ministry in the middle of extreme political chaos, cultural upheaval, and a global health crisis. All of these forced us to adapt and pivot on the fly. As a result, many of us are tired and more than a little confused about what comes next.

Even though we will probably never go back to ‘“the good old days,” recent research shows some of the chaos seems to be settling. We are in a new world which calls for some new skills and a new mindset. But the upheaval of the past years seems to have calmed.

Consider these findings:

• Churches have returned to in-person services, and attendance seems to be hovering around 90% of pre-COVID numbers. This means our churches have settled into the new numerical average, so all growth or decline can be measured from this point. We shouldn’t expect another massive bump in attendance caused by people returning from COVID.
• Those who attend church have established a different pattern of regular participation. The new definition of a ‘regular attendee’ is a person who attends twice a month. Again, this statistic allows us to anticipate attendance, volunteers, and ministries.
• Recent studies are also indicating that the number of people who would have indicated “none” when asked about religious affiliation could be declining.

What do these statistics mean? Quite frankly, they signal we have entered into a new day that is ready for the gospel and ripe for Christian ministry. At the same time, we need to appreciate that these days are different from ones we have previously lived through. A new day calls for a renewed passion and new ministry tactics to reach a new generation.

“We have entered into a new day that is ready for the gospel and ripe for Christian ministry.” — @dshildreth Share on X

How do we move forward in this new normal?

1. Don’t neglect the basics

For centuries, through many changing times, the ministry of the church has remained. It would be a mistake to let these changing seasons tempt us into neglecting these basics.

Acts 2:42 gives us a summary of the ministry of the early church:

• The ministry of the Word
• The ministry to the body of Christ
• The ministry of prayer and worship
• The ministry of evangelism

This new season will require us to pursue some of these in different ways than in the past, but we cannot neglect these, or we will cease being the church of the Lord Jesus.

2. Remember change today is not a criticism of the past

One reason our churches reject change is the misunderstanding that we are looking at what we (or our family) did in the past and judging it as a mistake. As church leaders, we need to help our people recognize that those who went before us were serving a different culture and in a different time. This new day calls for renewed ministry. By adjusting ministries, we are simply taking the baton of gospel advance that our grandparents and parents have passed on. We are also setting things in motion so that we can give the baton to our children and grandchildren.

“By adjusting ministries, we are simply taking the baton of gospel advance that our grandparents and parents have passed on.” — @dshildreth Share on X

3. Trust the promises of Jesus

“…on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overpower it” (Matthew 16:18b, CSB). 

“… remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:20, CSB).

We may be confused and frustrated in this new season, but Jesus is not. He has commissioned us to make disciples of all nations and promised His presence and protection until the job is complete. These promises should give us the internal grit to be creative and courageous as we seek to minister in this new day.

For permission to republish this article, contact Marissa Postell Sullivan.