In 2024 it is crucial that we embrace a more biblical, more holistic and incarnational gospel, one that considers justice and mercy work as central to what it means to live the gospel message. If you want to engage Millennials and Gen Z in your church, give them a cause that is biblically-informed, local, and committed to transparency and sustainability. Our generations are hungry for churches who are committed to a Christian life that is not just about getting to the Sweet By and By, but are about the work of lifting the poor, addressing issues of injustice, prioritizing the protection of vulnerable populations, and stewarding creation in a holy manner. Millennials and Gen Z will find those outlets for justice work outside of the church or within the church—which they choose depends largely on us.
Shift 8: From a Focus Anchored in Self to a Focus Anchored in Jesus
What I have discovered in nearly two decades of church ministry is that if we are not very careful and incredibly intentional, we can become so busy doing work for Jesus that we actually miss Jesus. I’m not simply referring to the internal motivations of our hearts as church leaders, though this is important. I’m referring to the life of our church, even the focus of our Sunday services.
Pertaining to Sundays, how far into your service can someone participate before they actually hear the name Jesus? Is the focus of your service—from the song selection to the content and aim of your preaching, about felt needs, personal improvement, or developing leaders…or is it about Jesus? Do people walk away from church knowing how great the church is without knowing how great Jesus is?
We sometimes forget that the most simple, yet most vital, component of our shared faith as those who walk in the way of Jesus, is keeping our eyes fixed upon him (Heb. 12:2). We can become so passionate about talking about developing leaders, or prayer, or even evangelism, that we find ourselves obsessively talking, thinking, and fixing our eyes on those very important things that we forget to talk about, think about, and fix our eyes on Jesus. We can become so consumed with orienting our services in a way that people find them relevant and engaging, that we forget to orient it around Jesus.
My prayer is that 2024 will be a “Jesus renaissance” in our churches; a time when we come back to a simple practice of adoring Jesus, of talking about him as one talks about someone he or she loves, of patterning our lives after him, and of forming our worship around lifting up his name above every other concern.
Conclusion
As we step into the challenges and opportunities that 2024 has in store for us, churches have the opportunity to help people navigate the complexities of this cultural moment with courage and creativity. The needs of the moment call us not to learn to do something new, but instead to learn to do old things in new ways. The basics of what makes the church the church are the same in 2024 as they were 2,000 years ago. But could it be that the shifts we need to make in this new year are returning with greater fidelity to the basics of what makes Christian community authentically Christian? Sure, the technology and challenges are unique to our moment. But the beauty of following Jesus is that his power to transform lives and build his church transcends both time and space. And we have the joy of joining him in that work.
