When The Community’s Culture Impacts Your Ministry’s Success

The Raven’s were in the AFC championship, and I couldn’t care less. I like football, but not a huge fan, plus with over 15 years of working Sundays, I didn’t have a pulse on what was happening. I knew people loved the Ravens; however, I didn’t realize to what extent. Not being aware of the weight of Raven’s being in the AFC Championship game was an error on my part. I told parents, teens, and volunteers that we were still meeting, and if they wanted to watch the game, we would end before the final quarter.

I only had three teens and two adults show up that night. Like me, they didn’t care about the game, but we were in the minority. Okay, so it might not have been smart to have the program, but at the same time, I felt funny about canceling for football. It wasn’t the first and not the last time I found myself in that situation. There will be times in our ministry when we face the question:

Do I go with the culture or against it?

And it’s not just one time events that have us scratching our heads. Every year it seems like ministry has new competition, whether it’s the increasing involvement in youth sports or the mountains of homework. And it’s tempting to give up and easy to blame people for losing a sense of their priorities, but the reality is:

WE NEED TO CHANGE AND ADAPT

Instead of answering the question, “Do I go with or against the culture?” We should be answering the question:

How can I leverage the culture of the community to impact the influence of my ministry positively?

To answer that question, it takes a new mindset, and we have to approach ministry by:

KNOWING THE PRESSURES AND PASSIONS OF OUR AUDIENCE

What currently holds the hearts of your teens and their parents? What is it they feel like they have to do or accomplish? What brings them joy? The way we learn this is by listening and getting to know them. As leaders, we need to set aside time to meet one on one with people in our parish to learn more about what dictates their lives.

At the same time, we need to hold listening sessions where a group of teens or parents can come together and discuss the reality of their situation. During these meetings, it’s not about getting ideas but more about asking questions like:

• What pressures do people in your season of life face?
• What are your goals and dreams?
• How does faith, and the local church play a role in your life?
• What are your most significant needs to enjoying and getting the most out of life?

Sit down with your audience, get to know their story, and use it to create a more relevant ministry. (For more on this check out Know Your Audience)

GET ON BOARD WITH THE BIGGEST OPPORTUNITY

We’ve all heard the phrase, “If you can’t beat them, then join them.” There is a lot of wisdom in that adage when it comes to the strategy of your ministry. If youth sports are a huge deal in your community, figure out ways you can get involved. If school work is an obstacle to them engaging on a weeknight, then look at helping them work through it.

If you have a passion or skillset for sports, arts, theater, or are smart, get involved in an after school activity, team, or club that caters to teenagers. Use it as your mission field. You’ll be out in the community, building up relationships that can bring a positive impact to your ministry. People will see that you care so much about them that you are willing to go to them instead of them coming to you.

CELEBRATE WHAT IS HAPPENING IN THEIR WORLD

There are so many fun and special days in the Church. From feast days to seasons, there is so much to introduce. At the same time, there are special days in the community that have little to do with the church, or at least we think. But, imagine the impact your ministry could have if they openly celebrated a local school’s championship trophy, or partnered with other churches or organizations who were doing something special.

The efforts of your ministry would not go unnoticed. It would send the message that we care about what’s happening in your world, and we’re excited to see you succeed. It’s easy to do, next time something unusual happens you can:

• Congratulate that teenager or school in your bulletin
• Hold a prayer service for teens who are heading off to college
• Encourage teens to wear their school colors the week leading up to homecoming

Take note of what’s happening in their lives and acknowledge it with affirmation.

It doesn’t have to be an us versus them mentality. Your ministry can be in the community without sacrificing much. Take the time to learn what is going on and get involved. The more you go to them, the more they’ll come back to you.

How are you leveraging what’s going on in the community?