Last month I asked the question about the best ways to make contact with our community. I suggested that we have turned our backs on old methods like door knocking and gone for up-market entertainment events. My suggestion was that there is strong evidence that the old methods produce better long term results.
In that article I noted that a brilliantly organised Jazz Night brought no lasting contacts. My friend Con Campbell, who many of us know to be a wonderful saxophonist who plays at evangelistic jazz nights, told me a number of stories of people eventually coming to faith through events such as these. This was a good corrective by Con. I am not opposed to innovative contact means and jazz nights work brilliantly, especially with university educated, childless people. What I am suggesting is that we should not jettison the personal, relational methods which Christians are best at, and which are entirely gospel encouraged.
I want to now revisit another old means of making contact with our community…
It’s the choir.
Many of you will shake your heads in disbelief as we have all heard the stories of how the devil entered the church through the choir. Many people are still rightfully conscious of the way that poor theology has been sung, remembered and believed because it as musically sophisticated. Their caution may also extend to remembering the way that some church ministry was ambushed by choral demands. But that need not be the case. After all doesn't James proclaim "Is anyone happy? Let him sing songs of praise". We are the people of song, and of community singing.
Our churches have the resources to do this. We have songs worth singing. Our congregations often include musical people who are willing to give their time lovingly and self sacrificially. And there are others who are willing to be involved and around so that glancing, low key contacts with people of faith becomes part of the process.
There has been a rise in the number of young people and their parents keen to be involved in choirs. It could be that it is a good, wholesome activity, or that it provides relationship opportunity or some other reason. But we should be there teaching the songs of the Kingdom, and relating with the children and their parents. Our concerts then become excellent opportunities for engagement with the community.
But with all this, we must be careful to explain that we conduct a choir for gospel reasons, not as an end in itself. Otherwise we will remake the mistakes of past generations.
