Relevant Church

17 May 2026

By Pastor John Macindoe - Senior Pastor

You should never hear someone accuse a church of being irrelevant. If so, something is radically wrong. How can the church of Jesus Christ, entrusted with the words of eternal life, ever be irrelevant? The world may accuse us of irrelevancy, but the only way for us to become irrelevant is if we let ourselves be distracted from the Gospel of Jesus and pursue other agendas.

Mark Earley, who used to serve with Prison Fellowship, summarizes the danger well:

‘If we view Christianity as nothing more than therapy or as an individualistic spirituality, or attending church as a way to get a spiritual fix to help us through the week, then we are going to become thoroughly irrelevant.

Some churches put more emphasis on recruitment than repentance. They measure success by the numbers. The problem is, we can become so focused on getting people into our pews that we end up doing anything to keep them there. Often, this means omitting hard teachings about sin or refusing to confront sinful behavior.

We must never forget that the early Church turned the world upside down because believers confessed that Jesus, not Caesar, was Lord. They didn't embrace the culture; they scandalized it. You and I must do the same. The Church will again be the ‘Church against the world yet for the world’ not when it becomes politically correct, but when it is under attack for proclaiming a truth so bold, so vibrant, that a watching world cannot ignore it.’

The Word of God is always living and active. Its sharp relevant edge confronts society, speaking truth to the heart and mind of all those who will listen. Let us hold fast to it.