Cultural changes call for fresh expressions

Posted: 3/17/06

Cultural changes call for fresh expressions

By Ken Camp

Managing Editor

DALLAS—Cultural changes require God’s people to be open to fresh expressions of the gospel, Baptist World Alliance President David Coffey told a Texas Baptist conference.

“When there is a change in culture, that constitutes a fresh calling from the missionary God,” Coffey said at Epicenter, an event sponsored by the Baptist General Convention of Texas.

Cultural upheaval may be “the headache of the traditional church,” but it can become “the heartbeat of the fresh-expression church,” he asserted.

Churches respond in healthy ways to societal change by asking critical questions, telling their story in new ways, reflecting theologically, listening carefully and drawing conclusions thoughtfully, Coffey said.

“Recognize God’s hand in social upheaval and cultural changes,” he said.

Societal change sparks spiritual hunger, and Christians can point people to a relationship with God that truly satisfies.

Like a vendor who distributes tiny samples of a tasty treat to passersby to whet their appetites, Christians should display God’s grace in a way that causes people to hunger for more, Coffey said.

“We are God’s free samples,” he said.

Christians need to pray for spiritual discernment and missionary intelligence so they will know which traditional expressions they should retain and which they should leave behind, he said.

Fresh-expression churches may find it easier than traditional churches to reach people with the gospel, but they could be challenged when it comes to making converts into disciples, Coffey said.

Churches need to distinguish between a blind allegiance to traditionalism and a genuine need for the richness found in tradition, he noted.

“Fresh-expression churches should have a respect for the past,” he said.

“You don’t have a church for today without having the church of the past.”