Adapting Under Pressure Focus on Ministry


by Seth Guthrie


I recently played around with a non-Newtonian fluid. In a scientific sense, this is a liquid whose viscosity changes depend- ing upon the amount of external force applied to it. Tis means that a small amount of force causes it to act like a liquid, but a large amount of force makes it act like a solid. In other words, the fluid changes the way it behaves in response to the amount of stress it’s under.


We who do ministry find that this ability to change the way


we function based on things outside our control, this adaptabil- ity, can be a real struggle. We like routine and normalcy. We can easily fall into the mindset of thinking, “Tis is the way that I do ministry.” While it is necessary to recognize our strengths and the ways we can effectively serve, we should not become so affixed to our methods that we cannot change how we do things when something comes along to disrupt our ministry, because something will disrupt our ministry. As I write this, we are in the midst of a nationwide quarantine, with public gatherings prohibited. Tis has forced us as churches to consider how we can continue ministry in the midst of a massive disruption, but I believe we should constantly be evaluating and considering our ministries, and adapting them as necessary.


To discuss the ways we can do ministry, we have to recog-


nize the needs of the people we’re serving — our congregation and community. Tis will look different in every church. Some churches will have a large number of families with small kids, others may be primarily an older generation, some may be in low-income areas, and so on. While every congregation will have its own unique set of needs, at least two needs are true for every church: Biblical Truth and Fellowship.


Peter understood the importance of identifying the needs


of the people he served. His Pentecost sermon in Jerusalem (Acts 2) is vastly different from his message to Gentiles (Acts 10). Te truth is the same, but he presented it differently so that the peo- ple listening could truly benefit from it.


We also have to determine how we can use our unique giſts


to meet those needs. I’ve seen leaders of churches and other ministries who just look at what everyone else is doing, and copy it. Tis will always leave us short of our whole potential. God has placed each of us in our ministry roles, and has blessed us with unique skills, knowledge, and resources. It is certainly beneficial to look at others for ideas and inspiration, but it is not wise to do something just because everyone else is. God has prepared in each of us our own special ways that we can minister to others; we should be faithful in uncovering those.


Adaptability in ministry can be scary, as any change can.


It requires us to lean heavily on God to provide for us and our congregation. No matter how hard we try, how much we study,


6 Fellowship Focus, May/June 2020


we will make mistakes in our ministries. We will imperfectly teach the Word, we will miss needs in our congregation. But God has called us, as im- perfect people, to serve him. He has promised that his Word will not return void. We may try a new form of ministry and see it immediately flop, which is incredibly discouraging, but God calls us to keep serving. God wants us to be faithful servants and representatives, but he’ll be the one changing lives.


So what does adaptability in ministry look like in practice?


I’m a children’s pastor, and this is something that’s frequently on my mind. Kids today are very different in some important ways from kids even 10 years ago. Te culture is constantly shiſting, and the ways that they can receive Biblical Truth and Fellowship can be difficult to navigate.


My church used to hold VBS every summer, like many


churches. I’ve personally spent more time on VBSs than almost any other ministry, so they will always hold a special place in my heart. One year the church realized that VBS had produced no professions of faith for several years, but that was the express goal. So the church decided to adapt by hosting a Sports Camp instead. Te kids still got Biblical Truth and Fellowship, but the method was very different. Since that change, several kids have accepted Christ each year.


At this moment, we are not able to meet at church for


anything, which has really forced us to adapt. Online worship and digital platforms for communication have been huge in this time. I’ve personally built an online platform to allow families to continue working through Awana books at home, and I am cre- ating videos every week that combine Bible teaching and science experiments. Tese are things that suit me very well and utilize the giſts and knowledge that God has blessed me with. Everyone can find ways to use their God-given giſts and passions.


God gives us chances to adapt. Or rather, God puts us in


situations that force us to adapt. But when we faithfully serve him through all the twists and turns, the results are truly spectacular.


Seth Guthrie is the Pastor of Children’s Ministry at Community Bible Church (CBC) of Omaha, Neb. Before stepping into his role at CBC, Seth graduated fom Grace University and has served as a camp director, VBS leader, and worship leader.


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