When in doubt . . .

 

Dieter Zander doesn’t walk far to work these days, he is working out of his apartment near Golden Gate Park-Zander and his wife Val are church planters in San Francisco.  The work is hard, but then again Zander is no stranger to hard work, or to planting churches.

In 1986 he and Val started a church in Upland, CA, the first GenX church in America.  They started the church to reach "betweeners" -- unmarried people who didn't fit in the family section of the church because of their marital status or the youth ministry because of their age.  In eight years, the church grew to 1,200 in attendance.

About the time Zander was feeling that the church was outgrowing his skill set, Bill Hybels invited him to join the staff of Willow Creek Church in suburban Chicago, IL.  Hybels observed that their seeker services were missing a generation, those from 18-25, the same group of people Zander was reaching in California.  For four years, Zander was the teaching pastor and worship leader for Axis-- a church within a church.

Today, Zander is building relationships with neighbors, doing census work in the community and laying the foundation for his new church.  This one will be different from the previous two churches Zander started.

For the first time in his ministry, GenXers aren’t Zander’s primary target group. Generation X was on the cutting edge of the shift from modernity to the postmodern era, but they are no longer the only postmodern people.   Zander is targeting all postmodern people.

The postmodern age, is saturated with the world view that there is no objective truth.  The postmodern person doesn’t ask the church about doctrine, they want to know do you want me here, and will you accept me here? Said Zander.

People in the modern age believed that rational thought could solve society’s ills--it didn’t.  God was pushed out and human reason was on the throne. Zander said individualistic human reason became god.  In response to the modern age, preachers concentrated on a rational approach to presenting the gospel. 

Times have changed. 

Postmodernism, rejects the belief that technology, science and progress can solve society’s ills, and finds its hope in community and spirituality.  They don’t hold to the myth that they can fix their own lives.  Education, technology, philosophy will not solve the problems--they are increasingly turning to spirituality.  But their spirituality does not resemble Biblical spirituality.

People are desperately seeking for anything that will bring meaning to their lives and are as likely to turn to a cult, a world religion or an eclectic spiritual cocktail as Biblical Christianity.  They are willing to listen if believers are willing to tell Gods story.

Postmodern people want to hear how Christ can make a difference in their lives today, not just about eternity.  We have done a disservice to reducing the Kingdom down to what you need to do to get into heaven.  Zander said.  People want to hear good news about something that will help them while they are alive.

Zander is working in one of the most difficult ministry fields with one of the most difficult target groups in America, but he is optimistic. Postmodernism is a better soil for the gospel than modernism. Zander said. Postmodern man is as open to the gospel as any has ever been--you don’t even have to prove God, all you have to do is tell His story.

And that’s what Zander is doing-telling his new neighbors an ancient story that will give them a new direction and purpose for their life, and he is doing it with a simple motto: when in doubt, love.