new generations will retell the story with a remix

This weekend we as acommunity again shared, listened to our story, but also reflected on it. Its an ongoing journey, so we are simply jotting down some of the pointers.

For one, we choose to invest in relationships: with God, with each other, with our community. Churches with our history often get bogged down in an existing structure, tradition and story. In our case, its the history of the Dutch Reformed Mission.

Of course, this is enticing, as we can maintain the existing membership, rituals and identity. But its also dangerous. The membership grows old and the next generations does not necessarily choose to identify with the existing rituals and identity. Being born in a different era, forging a different generation, they value other things more, their rituals are different, they face different questions and choices.

It is in this context that we need to view the shifts towards relationships, informality, but more so a conscious choice to remain committed to the immediate community.

The newer generations will again give birth to new faces, expressions of what it means to follow Jesus Christ. They will challenge the existing forms and therefor growth has to be central to our identity and the rituals will have to facilitate and celebrate this journey.