As Bishop (and over the years of my Christian life), I have had the great privilege of sitting in many different services, and not just Methodist services in Singapore.
Other than worship and the sermon, another important part of a church service is the time for church communications. This is a time when updates or announcements are shared. Traditionally, emphasis is placed on worship and the sermon to fill our spiritual tank, but how about the time for church news?
During the pandemic, churches everywhere had to pivot quickly to offer digital services so that members could still “attend” church. A digital format has its pros and cons, but the chief weakness is the lack of a real and deep connection. Digital services are here to stay, so how should we best leverage this platform to minister to people personally, virtually?
When we look in the Bible, we have no precedents to follow. However, there is much we can learn from how Jesus communicated to the people. The use of parables was a distinct feature of Jesus’ teaching style. In Matthew 13:10, after talking about the Parable of the Sower, the disciples asked Jesus, “Why do you speak to them in parables?”
His answer in the following verses is lengthy, but the gist is that parables often reveal the heart posture of those who are listening: “But blessed are your eyes, for they see, and your ears, for they hear” (Matthew 13:16).
This means those who have soft hearts are able to see beyond the words, understand the divine revelations hidden in the parables and obey. But those who have hard hearts will not discern the truth that is hidden in the parables. Even today, the divine truth in Jesus’ parables have the power to speak different things into lives that are in different situations.
Is it possible for church communications to be like this too? Church communications—however it is executed—can reveal the Father’s heart for different members and speak to them in whatever circumstance they are in. Instead of a segment to be done with, it could breathe life and refresh weary hearts like how worship or a sermon could. Is it possible for us to use stories like how Jesus taught through parables? This presents such an exciting possibility and growth area for the Church!