This is a really good article. Well worth the read but more importantly, well worth a conversation in the congregation and to chew upon the meaning for congregations going forward. People respond differently today. If the “church” wants to be relevant, then the message must reach true authenticity, where people are at. Not only the sermons but more importantly the actions that the “church” takes and invites others into.
For congregations to be relevant in the time of authenticity, it will take lots of trial and error. Failure is inevitable and should lead to new ways of trying again and again, until authenticity takes hold. Success does not happen all at once. Failure is NOT failure but learning. Thomas Edison once said, “I have not failed 10,000 times—I’ve successfully found 10,000 ways that will not work.”