10 Rules for Reaching Postmodern People

At the Darrell Whiteman seminar of last week, he gave out a handout titled "10 Rules for Reaching Postmodern People" by Michael A. Rynkiewich. Here they are:

1. Hospitality. Be inviting, welcoming, non-judgmental, inclusive people. Postmodern people need a place and a people because they are alone, rootless, without hope and without meaning.
2. Relationships. Find ways to build relationships, to integrate the seeker or novice into small groups and networks of Christians.
3. Community. Tolerate uncertainty, doubt, immaturity, and an exploratory spirit. Work to build community. Allow people to belong before they believe.
4. Involvement. Provide clear paths and easy access to lay ministry in and for the church. Let your motto be: Every member in ministry.
5. Diversity. Be intentional in recruiting and preserving variety among the membership. Let your model be: the Kingdom of God gathered around the throne in Revelation 7:9.
6. Dialogue. Provide a non-threatening atmosphere for honest sharing. Be prepared to listen, learn and appreciate the story of the other. Let the Holy Spirit guide the transformation. Remember: We are God's witnesses, not God's lawyers.
7. Narrative. Tell the story of the church, and situate it within the larger story of God and the Mission Dei. Invite the story of the seeker, and show how they too fit into the story of God, Jesus Christ, and the church. Repeat as necessary.
8. Incarnation. Engage people with the whole gospel on all levels, in sermons, in public celebrations, in confession, in counseling, in acts of justice and mercy. Address whole persons in their intellectual, emotional, and ethical dimensions.
9. Contextualization. Encourage the work of doing local theology by forming hermeneutical communities to consider how Christ confronts, confirms, and transforms culture in their particular day and place. Teach the difference between form and meaning. Show them contextualization in the New Testament church.
10. Integrity. Be sure that Jesus shines through you. Postmodern people are suspicious and will not tolerate duplicity. Meet suspicion with authentic Christ-like-ness. By the power of the Holy Spirit, we point to Jesus as Lord and Saviour and much more.