What is relevancy?

Relevancy to whom, when and where?

Who decides what is relevant and what is irrelevant?

I work for a youth organisation whose mission statement is ‘to take good news relevantly to every young person in Great Britain’.

I go to a church that is desperate to be seen as relevant to the local community.

I live in this country as a Christian where it is vital that I be seen as relevant. Certainly, no one would listen to my point of view if they believed me to be irrelevant.

Being relevant is important to me and a big desire of my heart.

‘We are not relevant’ is a statement I have heard a lot recently in different contexts. Some of those statements have had clout, but I wonder if others have really been genuine or thought out properly.

When we say we are not being relevant I wonder if we are actually saying I did not enjoy that, that was not my preferred option, that made me feel uncomfortable; or are we really looking to those outside for whom our relevancy is an issue? In other words, are we jumping on the relevancy bandwagon to try and get our own way, or are we honestly interested in being relevant to those who do not yet know Christ?

You see, I have a problem with this whole concept. If we were to really make, church for example, relevant to those outside, then would it still be relevant to those inside? Would those already there feel their needs were being met? Would those already there be prepared to make the sacrifice that might be necessary for real relevancy?

What would true relevancy look like?

A relevant church in a country where communal singing would be unheard of?

A relevant church in an environment where one person speaking without being challenged or questioned would be totally alien?

A relevant church in a world where people expect instant results in a buy now pay later world culture.

A relevant church in a world that questions the ultimate authority of one book that we claim is the word of God … because it says it is the word of God.

A relevant church in a world where a pick and mix folk type religion is adopted by many?

A relevant church in a world which looks in on the in-fighting arguments of that church with amusement and desperation?

A relevant church in a world where equal opportunities based on gender, racial and sexuality is seen as normal, while the church is viewed as having prejudice

Are we prepared for the sacrifice we might need to make to be truly relevant to those we long to reach?

Are we willing to forego our personal likes and tastes to achieve the relevancy we need to achieve?

Relevancy…. are we up for it?