Spirit vs. Strategy

[jaimassee]

This is something I've debated in my mind for a long time now. When trying to reach the lost, where is the line between relying wholeheartedly on the Holy Spirit or using strategy to reach a particular people group (recently in my case I'm talking about modern and postmodern people as the groups have two very different ways of "experiencing" God). I work at a church that is constantly talking about "strategies" to reach people and honestly I cringe when I hear the word "strategy" as I feel that it lacks a certain reliance on the Spirit to guide us and instead relies on human creativity and intellect. I always remember a quote from the sermon "Ten Shekels and A Shirt" by Paris Reidhead... On a Chinese Christian who came to visit the U.S., a pastor proudly asked him what he thought about our American churches and the Chinese Christian replied that he was amazed at what our churches accomplish without the help of the Holy Spirit. With this quote in mind I look at the gatherings that I help create and I always make sure there is appropriate or dark "mood" lighting, the music I play is mostly current praise tunes with a modern 2010 style rock band, and the speakers are good entertaining speakers. Does anyone understand what I'm talking about here? I guess what I'm getting at ultimately is do we need "modern" church services that are very "culturally relevant" to reach the lost or should we strip everything down (which I think is the Steve Greggian approach as I once attended a house gathering he led and it was very simple) and rely completely on the Spirit without all the hoopla? Or is it a combination of the two?

[TK]

great question-- i am interested to see some responses.

i cringe over the same things that make you cringe, but at the same time i think you have to 1) meet people where they are at WITHOUT 2) toning down the message. most "seeker friendly" churches do a good job at #1 but fail at #2.

I have always wondered about this passage:

Now in the church that was at Antioch there were certain prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon who was called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch, and Saul. As they ministered to the Lord and fasted, the Holy Spirit said, “Now separate to Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” Then, having fasted and prayed, and laid hands on them, they sent them away. (Acts 13:1-3)

HOW did the HS "say?" Could they have been in a "strategy" meeting and simply reached a consensus? Could this have been interpreted as the HS "saying?" Or was it something more specific?

TK