More on mission and ‘relevance’

There’s some animated discussion on our missional/sociological response to church decline here and here on Connexions, whilst over at Faith and Theology there’s another take on theology and ‘relevance’.

It’s been suggested to me that the point of the missional ‘relevant worship’ strategy is not to deny or lessen the enormity of discipleship’s demands, but rather to attract and draw people in before then inviting them, in effect, to ‘take up their cross’.

But I can’t help observing that the fishermen whom Jesus called, telling them that he would make them fishers for people, worked with boats and nets rather than a line from the shore. They knew nothing of the ‘baited hook’ approach.