"One of the most dangerous cul-de-sacs that any human organization can drive into is the belief that our current assumptions will continue to be correct, are evergreen, and never need to change." -Mark Oestreicher
Marko is writing about the historical shifts in youth culture and adolescence and the church's need to respond. (But the thinking applies well outside of the youth ministry realm as well.) Just because something was the right approach at one time, doesn't mean it will be today.
But the church isn't just a "human organization". We certainly are an organization of humans, but we are not only that. It's even more imperative then, as a spiritual body whose head is Jesus that we are allowing our minds to be renewed, our assumptions changed when necessary.
"A church that pitches its tents without constantly looking out for new horizons, which does not continually strike camp, is being untrue to its calling... We must play down our longing for certainty, accept what is risky, live by improvisation and experiment." -Hans Kueng
Just because something is the way it is, doesn't mean it should stay that way. We should be consistently studying humanity, the heart of God, and how He's responding to (and dare I say even driving) the cultural shifts we see happening. As we see the world changing all around us, will we have the courage to step from the safety of our tents and venture out into the wildness of God's love. Don't forget that He so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son... Since He's already given so much, will we give our assumptions - will we give our comfort?
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