Pop Goes the Church: Should the Church Engage Pop Culture? [Anglais] [Broché]

Tim Stevens makes an inspiring case for leveraging pop culture to reach out to people in the language of their lives, with compelling biblical backing for this approach. He offers a new perspective that give relevance and impact to the church by using popular culture - stories from movies and music - to point people to the gospel. He encourages us to get out of our comfort zones and look people in the eyes, meeting them wherever they are.

Although he writes in the context of using pop culture as an evangelistic starting point within local church ministry, his insights equally apply to using it for online evangelism, which as coordinator for Internet Evangelism Day, I believe is largely a missed opportunity.

Incidentally, you do not have to agree with the outworking of this approach in every example he cites of how different churches are using the pop-culture starting point. What one church may feel to be appropriate within its particular culture and demographic may not necessarily resonate with you. Each must use this approach as they are led.

All of the Guys at Granger are awesome. Tony Morgan is now gone and down with Perry Noble at New Spring. Tony is one of the most gifted and awesome individuals around. But Tim Stevens is the Executive Pastor at Granger Community Church. They are one of the most innovative and fastest growing churches in America. They have done it by bringing the message of Jesus Christ to culture and presenting it in a most creative manner without sacrificing the timeless truths of Scripture.

I have just finished reading Tim's new book "Pop Goes The Church." I got to tell you it rocked my world. Never have I read a book that I cant wait to read again, this time with a notebook, highlighter, and a pen. See, being a new church in SW Florida we live in an area with a multi-cultural mindset. We have the seasonal retirees that come down for the winter, we have the fastest growing university in Florida with FGCU. We have a large Hispanic ethics group. We have a lot of service workers. We have alot of families from Gen Xers to late Baby Boomers and that is Life Point Churches target. 78% of the people in this area are de-churched or unchurched.

So LPC really wants to rock this area by spreading the message of Jesus all over SW Florida but particularly being culturally relevant to our specific demographic. Now everybody wants to be culturally relevant. Everybody wants to be the church that reaches all the unchurched. The problem is nobody seems to have a grasp on just how to do that in a manner that can be demographic specific.

Until Tim Stevens came along and wrote this book. Tim has written THE KEY BOOK on relating church to the culture so that culture can relate to the church. The Chapter called "Lets Get Started" is really a playbook. Tim breaks down exactly what you need to do in order to be culturally relevant for YOUR CHURCH. The great thing about this chapter is that a small brand new church plant running 35 people can uses these steps as well as a mega church running 5,000 per weekend. In this chapter alone e brings to light somethings I have taken for granted. One of those things where after you read the information you say: " I KNEW that."

For example, he writes that the starting points are:

1: Start Slowly

2: Provide Exposure

3: Lead From The Middle

4: Become A Pop Culture Expert

5: Don't Condem The Art

6: Dont Worry About Being Original

Tim even gives us the names of current magazines to help us relate to culture as well as several churches that are doing it. The interviews with these pastors about culture is awesome.

I am telling you, I read alot of books and have read virtually everything written about church planting and todays culture and this book is at the top of the list. You need to order this book and dvour it if you are the least bit series about reaching culture and the unchurched and de-church.

I am telling go buy this book!!!

Tim Stevens presents a strong case for the importance (and opportunity) of leveraging popular culture for building a bridge between those who see church as irrelevant and anti-culture, and the eternal message of redemption in Christ.

He begins with the problem of the church, so evident to those on the outside but a complete blind spot to many well-intentioned Christians whose focus has turned completely inward. Though not a theologian, Tim gives some strong biblical examples and principles to support engaging our culture, meeting people where they're at and sharing the good news - not in a watered-down diluted message but with the whole truth of the gospel.

The book also describes many examples of how his church and others have intentionally used music, movies and TV shows known to their audience to make a connection, and demonstrate that the questions they're asking are ones addressed by Christ and His church. It falls short of providing explicit help in 'how to' - but the sense is that creative people in the church with an outward focus will come up with their own ideas if just given permission to do so.

One of the most interesting parts of the book was an allegory of how five churches respond to a big pop culture event in their city. Churches may choose to condemn the culture, separate from it, embrace it, ignore it, or they may choose to leverage pop culture while staying focused on the Word of God and providing inspirational services that are relevant to the community as well as the church. The author presents a compelling case to leverage. Sadly, many pastors and churches will condemn and ignore this book, some will embrace it as rationalization for their watered down message. This book is not for them (and its tone may not even allow some to get past the first chapter). But for those who have been wondering why attendance in their church has been dwindling for years, why there are no members under the age of thirty, or those trying to understand how they become more culturally relevant while staying true to the gospel, this book is a must-read. [review first posted on 'Step Up to the Call' blog]