Post- Modernism - who, what, when, where... etc.

At a conference last May in Malaga, Spain I was asked to share what our Connexxion campus ministry in Germany has learned about Post-Modernism and how to reach students in Europe. Specifically as it relates to using and engaging them with the Scriptures. This is some of what I shared.

Wow!
Generate surprise elements and creativity in your website, your worship, your parties, your small group times. Even new people can serve here. The “Edge Group” concept uses a creative worship time as one small-group element, usually something other than singing, which focuses on encountering God. Once I read Dr. Seuss’ “Green Eggs and Ham” story aloud, to illustrate our society’s hesitancy to get to know God, even if we’ve never “tried” Him.

We
Community is very crucial for Post-Moderns. Most people have a big need to “belong” before they will “believe” (and then “behave”). Karl Nyquist in Ireland says that we usually reverse this—we want non-believers to behave right, then believe in Christ; afterwards they’ll enjoy the sense of belonging to the church or Body. One more aspect of “We:” avoid the pressure to be too program-oriented. Things don’t have to be perfect— what has to work, however, are authentic relationships and honest community.

Wander
People consider their lives and their spiritual “enlightenment” as a journey, as flowing, versus as a destination or “point.” One of our small groups was revolted by the idea that the Ethiopian eunuch made such a life-changing decision so quickly (Acts 8), without taking time to think things over. Do you get discouraged when you don’t see immediate results? When I lived in Vancouver, Canada (extremely post-modern), I heard a statistic that a non-believer needed to hear the Good News about Christ an average of 21 times before committing to Christ!

Walls
Remove unnecessary “walls” to the Good News which deal with side issues versus the pure truth of Christ’s sacrifice and resurrection. For instance, have “secular” (i.e., normal) music playing when friends arrive for a party or study group, so they’ll experience something familiar. I let guests know that they’re free to use the balcony for smoking. How we describe our campus group and what we’re about is also very important.

Win
In 1 Corinthians 9, Paul describes becoming a slave to all men, that he might “win” many. Not only is evangelism under girded at every level of ministry, but also our ministry revolves around our evangelistic small groups. This outreach study was the very first group we started in Jena. Twice a year we teach our students how to “ruin” a Bible study (tongue in cheek!), giving helpful hints: 1) assume prior knowledge of the Bible, and that your participants know what “sanctification” is and where to find a “Job”; 2) meet every week for Bible study, without taking a break once in awhile for a fellowship party or night out; 3) correct any “false” answer; be the expert.

Woo
Post-moderns are “wooed” to intimacy with Jesus, as they are discipled through the Word, and mentored in relationship, through formal and informal methods. As people investigate who Jesus is and start to come toward faith, they actually begin to learn and grapple with “discipleship” topics before they are saved (part of the “wander” aspect as well).

Witness
People adore stories, especially ones which are true-life, and even more those from your own history. You are an eye witness to Christ, fleshed out on Planet Earth in your corner of the globe! 1 John 1:1 – “That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched—this we proclaim concerning the Word of life.”

Woe
Share your personal struggles and sorrows. Get real! “If you want them to bleed, you’ve got to hemorrhage,” said Howard Hendricks. That means to share more passionately, more honestly, than what you expect from others. We wrongly believe that people don’t want to hear our “tale of woe,” but actually Post-Moderns identify readily with pain. They are also often jaded and sarcastic. People wouldn’t believe it anyway, if you told them life was a bed of roses.