ArticleThe Difference Between Past and Present Forms of Church Service

Differences in past and present forms of church ministry - Church ministry is an activity carried out by the Church based on the vision and mission of the Church. The vision of every church comes from God Word in the Gospel of Mark 15-16, it says that Go into all the world, preach the gospel to all creatures. Whoever believes and is baptised will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.

In the times of development, everything has changed, one of which is the meaning and form of church ministry. So what is the meaning of church ministry in the past and present? Check out the following reviews.

The Meaning of Forms of Church Service in the Past

First, there is the observation that there has been a separation between the church biblical theology and congregational ministry practices. It seems that there is a sharp sword that separates the theological principles obtained from the Scriptures, books, and theological classes, with the reality of service practice in the midst of the congregation.

It is commonplace for theologians to acquire a wealth of Christian theological thoughts but live separately and are completely irrelevant to the complexities of the people life struggles, even at the same time practitioners of ecclesiastical services consider that the biblical and theological truths that have been found are irrelevant or does not operate in the unique context of the service. This separation more or less explains why the church ministry feels stagnant and even barren amidst the many books, seminars, works, research, and thoughts which of course can provide various valuable contributions.

Second, there is observation, consciously or not. The church has shifted its attention from more pressing issues to less pressing ones. The standard ambiguity for church success is one example of this neglect.

Although scripture clearly states that success primarily refers to reaching, converting, and growing souls in Christ as a form of obedience, many churches believe that success in ministry means increased attendance, finances, and physical expansion of the ministry. All of God's people according to the great commission of the Lord Jesus.

In practice, this neglect is also seen in the shift in the focus of ministry: from soul ministry to program orientation, from spiritual growth to a focus on methods, from true spirituality to being busy with various activities, from a focus on ministry of the word to organisational managerial skills only, and finally, from staunch disciples of Christ to simply fans of Christianity or certain Christian figures, the result shift.

The crisis that hit the church ministry before the pandemic is ambiguous, if these observations were to be summed up in one word. There is ambiguity in the theological reflection and vision of the church and its ministry, ambiguity in measuring success, ambiguity in the goals to be achieved, and even ambiguity in the methods used.

The problem is that this ambiguity has occurred widely, and in a vicious circle, from one cause to another leading to additional causes and effects, and so on. It seemed that the church needed some kind of divine distraction to wake it up from this fog and direct it in the right direction. As a result, church leaders need to be willing to re-evaluate the most important aspects of congregational life and adjust all ecclesiastical ministry practices that have been carried out so far to align with and support the most important things.

The Meaning of Church Service Forms in the Present

After a pandemic, assuming the church ministry will change soon is tantamount to having hope in vain. Ed Stetzer, a teacher and researcher on church growth, said that while many people assume that church services will change significantly after the pandemic, he is more concerned that church services will remain the same as before the pandemic.

Even Ed Stetzer emphasised that apart from COVID-19, the church has experienced a number of upheavals and other pandemics in the past, but it is still difficult to let go of wrong perspectives and ineffective ways of serving. What else can we say if this is the case? Or, in other words, if a pandemic of this magnitude is enough to bring about change, what or who can? So how do you make this update happen?.

However, Stetzer's warning was not meant to belittle present or future church services; instead, it develops into a serious record that requires attention. It is time for the churches to consider things that should exist, are being worked on, but have so far been neglected, after releasing several observations and seeing the pandemic mirror that reflects reality.

The post pandemic period, according to Thom Rainer book The Post Quarantine Church, is the ideal time for the church to reorganise its ministry so that it is more in line with the Gospel. In terms of time, no one can say for sure when this pandemic will end.

That is the difference between the meaning of church ministry in the past and the present that we need to understand together. It is God's grace that will enable the church to survive and even thrive in the midst of a pandemic reality, but it also requires anticipation and wise steps to take and apply. We hope that the reflection on the face of the church that has been shown during this pandemic will no longer be ignored, but instead can be used as material for reflection and evaluation to obey God more effectively and clearly. However, at this time we do need to worry because in this modern era, there is a new church management software called Erista that can help and make church data collection and ministry easier and more enjoyable.

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