Incarnational Church
In the last issue of Outreach Magazine, one of my favorite friends in ministry, Dave Furguson, interviewed one of favorite thinkers in ministry, Alan Hirsh. Hirsh had a few quotes that may help some understand why we’re doing things the way we’re doing in Vegas…
Hirsh said: “The incarnational church is very attentive to the culture around it and attempts to communicate the Gospel in ways that are meaningful to that culture. We actually become part of that community. And the form of an incarnational church takes its reference point from the mission of the Church. That’s critical to its impact.”
For those who, like me, are not professional theologians, incarnation basically means “in meat.” When we speak of the incarnation of Jesus we’re talking about when Jesus put skin on. He didn’t speak from the Heavens and lead a heavenly church, He became one of us and lead a church full of human beings.
To be an incarnational church means that we’re going to put Vegas skin on. We won’t speak from where we’re coming from and impose the form of church we’re used to and enjoy, but instead will seek to become one of the community and lead a church full of Vegas residents.
That’s part of the reason we’re taking a long time to simply get to know people and ask questions and learn the rhythms of the culture. So that when we share the gospel, we can do so in a way that’s meaningful to the culture.