Preaching to the Choir?
by Abena Safiyah Fosua, Director of Invitational Preaching Ministry, General Board of Discipleship

Have you ever been carried away by overwhelmingly strong convictions about a pressing need in the church or a faith issue, only to realize that most if not all present already shared your beliefs before they heard your rousing preachments on the subject? If so, then join the ranks of many of us who have found ourselves preaching to the choir!

In a more recent time — a time alive in the memories of many who attend our churches, the majority of church members attended churches in their own neighborhood. They expected that preaching, among its many functions, would bring about conversion and transformation. They also expected that the preacher would challenge, from the pulpit, both new and longtime members to greater depths of commitment to both God and their local congregation. Even as populations shifted and the concept of the local church was replaced with that of the commuter church, expectations remained fairly consistent. New members were expected to join existing members in doing whatever was necessary for that local church to maintain its visible witness to the community — a community where fewer and fewer of its members resided.

In this age of increased mobility, church rolls reveal that people will, without hesitation, cross several community boundaries to find a church that meets their needs. As we observed the church and its constituency go through major changes in configuration and mission, few of us anticipated that the expectations of those looking for a local congregation would also change in such dramatic ways. What are the needs of those who are finding their way to today's churches? Kennon L. Callahan suggests in Preaching Grace (Jossey Bass, 1999) that grassroots people and the unchurched (whom we also call "pre-Christians") are searching for churches where they will find compassion and community. Seen in this light, it comes as little surprise that these pilgrims experience a "disconnect" when they discern the strength of our expectations that they will quickly join us in "shouldering the load."

How then shall we preach to this new generation of seekers and spiritual pilgrims? Callahan suggests that at least two-thirds of the time we should preach sermons that stress compassion and community. Our world has become a less-than-friendly place; many wonder if God cares about them or our world. Callahan urges us to proclaim the grace-filled love, acceptance, and forgiveness of God who has planned a better way of living for us. We are also invited to share God's invitation to become part of an invisible community, founded upon the principles of the Kingdom of God, made visible through the ministries of the local church. The other one-third of our preaching then, according to Callahan, would deal with challenge and commitment to God and to the congregation.

Changing times call for changing approaches to ministry. Compassion and community are timeless messages that many old-timers also long to hear more often. Perhaps through an intentional, well-thought balance between compassion and commitment, our preaching might reach both the choir loft and the back pews — to the glory of God!

posted 1-16-03