New Wineskin For A New Generation
Posted on 28. Jun, 2009 by Martin Schmaltz in Re-Imaging Church
In the past few months, I feel like the Lord has been focusing me on connecting with young church planters: those that are not doing church in the usual way. These are individuals who are challenging the status quo of the traditional religious paradigm: desiring to create something that will reach the younger generation.
If you have read any amount of my writings, you will see that I challenge the status quo of man’s religious traditions (The Barrier To The Apostolic). There are many ways that we do church that are based on these traditions that have been handed down over the years. Now, before I go too far, I am not against all traditions: I am against the traditions that conflict with the commandments of God (making them of none effect).
In my opinion, these religious traditions of men have created a rigid or almost sacred paradigm of thought that has resulted in a church that cannot reach the soul of the younger generation, those that are around 35 and under. They have seen so many things in there short lives that they have developed a healthy skepticism.
This skepticism has resulted in two significant things:
First – They challenge the status quo. Instead of blindly swallowing what has always been, they want to know why. I do not believe this is bad, in fact I think it is healthy. If the word of God cannot stand up to honest questions, how can it sustain us? The challenge is when man’s traditions are questioned, their foundation begins to crumble and it becomes uncomfortable to others.
Second – because these individuals have seen such hypocrisy and failure in the world and lives of leaders, they are aware of their own frailty. This makes them hungry. They desire to be connected – just don’t know whom they can trust or relate too. The big question swirling around in core being is “What am I all about?” They long to be a part of something they feel makes a difference. I see this as they are looking for Connection, Purpose & Mission.
Jesus states that you cannot put new wine into an old wineskin. Without going into a deep exegesis of this text, the word for new used in relationship to the wine skin means “unused, unworn, as respects substance; of a new kind; unprecedented, uncommon, unheard of” (Thayer’s). I believe the principle here can be applied to the church in this day; to reach a new generation, we need to us a new wineskin.
This new wineskin is what I am seeing spring up if you will among these young church planters. Their ways of doing church are radically different than the traditional. They focus more on people than buildings. They look to the needs of others. They are establishing a community of believers that desire an intimacy with Jesus that goes beyond a Sunday and Wednesday and transcends every aspect of their life. Their methods may not fit in the traditional paradigm of church, they may not look like the church on Sunday, and they do not sit idly by and accept with out challenge what they are taught. They are hungry for more. They are willing to connect and commit, just explain how and why. They desire to be used and give, just show them how and where. In my opinion, they are the church that will usher in the next great harvest!
8 Responses to “New Wineskin For A New Generation”
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Veron Graham
29. Jun, 2009
Martin,
Thanks for this post! With each voice I hear or read encouraging individuals to live out the way of Jesus, even if and when it goes against tradition, I am thankful!!
Do you think this “skepticism” is unique to our current generation of youth? Or has this always existed among the younger demographic?
Martin Schmaltz
29. Jun, 2009
Thanks for commenting. I cannot give a good answer to your question about youth always being this way. I have spent time researching the past cultures like that. Sorry
Elcoj
30. Jun, 2009
Greatings, Amazing! Not clear for me, how offen you updating your martinschmaltz.com.
Martin Schmaltz
30. Jun, 2009
I try to update a couple times a week.
David
30. Jun, 2009
Awesome word.
I plan on launching a church next spring. It is my hope that we will be an authentic community of faith that brings Heaven to earth.
I want to especially tear down the walls of race in the church. I believe that people under the age of 35, think that it is silly to be segregated on a Sunday morning.
Paula
03. Jul, 2009
Thanks you Bro Schmaltz…thank you! I couldn’t say it better!
I always say just because ‘it always was, doesn’t mean it should always be’! There is always room for improvement!
Like the women who always cut the end off the end of the roast and didn’t know why. When they went back they found out the ‘tradition’ of doing so started because grandma’s pot was to small for the roast!
Let’s not get hung up on hang ups…..let’s love Him and everything about Him….touching everyone for Him as He has touched us!
Todd Theissen
01. Sep, 2009
Right on. That is exactly what we are doing in our new church plant in Pevely, MO. From your words ” they are looking for Connection, Purpose & Mission” is absolutely true. I was challenged by Rob Bell’s “Velvet Elvis, repainting the Christian Faith” We have so many truths that haven’t been uncovered in years and therefore have no value to the current generation because we’ve gotten too focused on things that belong in the basement (were started by man) that we keep on our trophy shelf. Let’s get down to the real things that inspired this Pentecostal Revolution to begin with; the book of Acts.
Martin Schmaltz
01. Sep, 2009
Like your idea truths that have not been uncovered in years. The basement things you mention are the traditions of men that we discuss in our book Apostolic Authority, Every Believer’s Privilege. We focus on the things of man, making the commands of God powerless.