Tucked away in 1 Chronicles is an amazing verse about the men of Issachar,

Of the sons of Issachar, men who understood the times, with knowledge of what Israel should do, their chiefs were two hundred; and all their kinsmen were at their command.  (1 Chronicles 12:32)

We see that the men of Issachar understood the times in which they lived – they properly discerned their cultural context.   We often see our circumstances not as they are but as we are.   A few years ago I was visiting a church and one of the leaders was bemoaning the fact that the young people were not coming to the church.  He said, “This is a great church.”  I replied, “This is a great church . . . for 1950 – the problem is we’re in the 21st century.”

It’s not enough to understand the times, you must also know what to do.  You must have a strategy to apply the principles of God’s word to your cultural context.  The men of Issachar knew what Israel should do.  Do we as church leaders know what our church should do to fulfill the great commission?

I had the opportunity last week to invest some time with the Willow Creek Association to better understand the times and develop a strategy of what the church should do.  I learned about cultural trends such as the millennial generation and multiculturalism.  Henry Cloud gave an interactive  presentation how leaders can experience true connection in their life and ministry.  Bill Hybels led a question and answer session coupled with a presentation on  cutting edge ministry ideas.   We closed our series of meetings with a presentation of the Global Leadership Summit faculty for 2014 (I will be saying more about the faculty in forthcoming blogs).  Mark August 14-15 2014 on your calendar for the Global Leadership Summit – it will provide you with the ability to better understand the times and give you the tools to know what your church should do.

Associate Pastor – Discipleship.  The Church at LifePark

Professor of Discipleship, Columbia International University

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