Two Keys to Transformational Ministry Environments
I’ve been leading deep-growth experiences for groups—from a few people to thousands—for more than two decades now. I’ve learned that when we are leading people in a ministry environment, we’re less like technicians and more like artists. That’s because our chosen “medium” is people, and our art form is relational. At our best, we reflect the relational artistry of Jesus, who impacted people with goodness the same way radioactive material impacts our cells—transformationally. Dr. Peter Kreeft explains: “Christ changed every human being He ever met… If anyone claims to have met Him without being changed, he has not met Him at all. When you touch Him, you touch lightening…. The Greek word used to describe everyone’s reaction to Him in the gospels is ‘thauma’—wonder.”
When we guide people into wonder, they are encountering Jesus as an agent of change in their life. It’s not their discipline that changes them, it’s their vulnerable and humble encounter with raw beauty. Musicians, painters, designers, filmmakers, and writers all know that great art is always the product of great risk. And that is also true of relational artistry. We take risks with people because our ministry-minded heart is always feeding our hunger for transformation, not the status quo.
The focal point of our artistry is always Jesus, simply because the Trinity’s transformational strategy is tied to relational intimacy with Him. Jesus says, “Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father!” and “Anyone who eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in him “ and “[The Spirit] will come to you from the Father and will testify all about me.” And the audible voice of God says: “This is my dearly loved Son, who brings me great joy. Listen to him.” From this centering place, where we’re always inviting people to “taste and see” the heart of Jesus, two keys to relational ministry fuel our momentum…
#1 – Relational Environments Marked by Spirit-Sensitive Pursuit
This means we ask highly engaging questions, not one-word-answer questions, or obvious-answer questions. We use an “inquiry based” teaching strategy because Jesus used great question-asking as a primary way to help his followers engage and grow. And we…
- Ask more “Why?” and “How?” questions, and fewer “What?” questions. “Why?” and “How?” questions tend to be thinking questions that focus on the heart, but “What?” questions often focus on the obvious. We go from “What did Jesus say to the Canaanite woman in Matthew 15 when she asked him to cast a demon out of her daughter?” to “Why did Jesus answer the way he did when the Canaanite woman in Matthew 15 asked him to cast a demon out of her daughter?”
- Ask questions that don’t have obvious answers, and require more than a one-word answer. We go from “Which of these—faith, hope, or love—did Jesus say was the greatest?” to “Why does Jesus elevate love over faith and hope?”
- Ask questions that have an element of surprise in them—that make you stop and think. For example, “When have you experienced judgment as both a good thing and a bad thing in your life?”
- Ask questions that are specific—narrow the question from a broad focus to a very narrow focus, and focus on one target. From “What role do the ‘fruits of the Spirit’ have in your life?” to “How have you experienced one of the fruits of the Spirit in someone you interacted with today?”
- Ask questions that invite a personal response, not just a theoretical response—questions that ask us to share from our heart, not just our head. From “What do you think Paul’s ‘thorn in the side’ was?” to “What’s something that feels like a ‘thorn in the side’ to you?”
- Capture Insights. How do we pull out insights? Say things like: “Let’s camp on this idea for a moment” or “This sparked an insight for me” or simply re-stating what you’ve heard to condense or clarify the insight.
- Ask Follow-Up Questions. The simplest way—ask “Why?” questions to flesh out a deeper conversation. For example, when a someone answers the question, “What bothers Jesus about the Pharisees,” with the answer “He hates hypocrisy,” follow up by asking “Why does He hate hypocrisy?” Keep asking “Why?” questions until you’ve drilled deeper into the heart of the issue—or the heart of Jesus. You can also ask: “Can you tell me more?” or “What brought you to that conclusion?” or “I wonder if…?”
- Jesus often studied the answers to His questions and offered additional insights or, more often, asked a clarifying or stretching question. He treated answers like a pile of dirt that had gold nuggets buried in it. He either found the nuggets and showcased them, or asked questions to unearth them. The goal is to be fully engaged in the conversation.
#2 – Co-Discovery, as Opposed to Monologue or Passive Participation
We respect the intelligence and capabilities of everyone we’re engaging. We resist a dumbed-down, over-simplified approach that depends on only one smart leader. And we create an environment that provokes thought and sparks real conversations–we model for people how to love Jesus with all their heart, soul, mind, and strength.
When we talk about “relational ministry,” most often our focus is on relationship-building is outside of our teaching/engaging times. I mean, relational ministry happens before and after our teaching time, or even outside the group setting. But true relational ministry happens in the context of our teaching. It’s much more natural, and it goes deeper.
- We emphasize deeper transformation, not rote head knowledge. Go after the heart, not just the head. Real relationships—with Jesus and with others—lead to real growth in life. So we stop using information dumps that masquerade as learning.
- We emphasize discover, not passive acceptance of whatever the “teacher” is delivering. We prod people—adults, teenagers, and children—to make their own discoveries and more deeply “own” their life with Jesus, because no one really grows just because they’re told they should believe something. Discovery produces the fruit of long-lasting impact.
- We emphasize knowing, not knowing about. We help people of all ages move from knowing facts and figures about God and the truths of his kingdom, to knowing Him and those truths intimately. God becomes real to them, not a concept.
- We sprinkle in experiences that are “debriefed” through coaching, not just the leader talking.Jesus used experiences, all the time, to teach—because he knew that an experience stays with you way longer than a “propositional truth.” The surprising fruit: people of all ages actually remember what they’re learning! Here’s a simple framework for building transformational experiences…
First, focus on the central action or emotional thrust of the passage or truth or theme. In John 6, Jesus says over and over that we must “eat His body and drink His blood if we want any part of Him.” We pause and consider the act of eating and drinking. Ask: What actually happens in us, in the process of eating and drinking? Basically, we take something from outside our body and put it inside. It’s very intimate.
Second, ask: “How could I replicate the action of what’s happening here, or the emotional reality of it?” How do we help people explore and experience this truth, not just passively hear it?
Third, brainstorm possibilities until you arrive on something that fits well. For example, we ask people to describe an apple first without eating from it, then have them describe it a second time after they take a bite, then compare the two descriptions. This allows them to discover the difference when they “eat and drink” something…
The process is simple: 1—Pick your teaching focus and decide what’s happening at the core of it. 2—Ask yourself what sort of experience could replicate the action or emotional reality of it. 3—Brainstorm possibilities until you land on something that fits, and is simple enough to pull off.
Help Is On the Way!
Fall is fast approaching, and we innovative, practical resources that will help you infuse your ministry environment with “rich soil” for transformation. First up, Following Jesus is a curriculum resource you can use with both adults and teenagers in your church this fall—help them explore what an ABIDING/REMAINING relationship with Jesus is like. It’s an experiential, highly interactive, co-discovery way to invite people into deeper intimacy with Jesus. And The Life of Jesus TalkCards is a simple, devotional way to invite small groups into the heart of Jesus.
Meanwhile, don’t forget to register for our FREE September webinar “Don’t Start With Why,” led by Dr. Kenda Dean, Professor of Youth, Church, and Culture at Princeton Theological Seminary and the author of Almost Christian and many other books. Kenda will guide you through an approach to Christian ministry that is both surprising and affirming at the same time. Despite the popularity of Simon Sinek’s “start with ‘why’” strategy, Kenda’s approach focuses more on what we feel than what we think. And that model for a compassion-driven, grace-drenched version of humanity is Jesus. We are not called to build better churches. We are called to be better humans who reflect God’s love. Join us on Thursday, September 19th, 2022 from 4-5 p.m. EST. Register HERE.
Rick Lawrence is Executive Director of Vibrant Faith—he created the new curriculum Following Jesus. He’s editor of the Jesus-Centered Bible and author of 40 books, including his new release Editing Jesus: Confronting the Distorted Faith of the American Church, The Suicide Solution, The Jesus-Centered Life and Jesus-Centered Daily. He hosts the podcast Paying Ridiculous Attention to Jesus.
A Deeper Way to Lead Others Into Faith Maturity… Guide your people into depth relationally and experientially… A new curriculum by Rick Lawrence for both youth & adult ministries. Learn More Here