Do We Need the Bells and Whistles?

I know this is a weird position for me to take as some would consider my ministry a bells and whistles ministry, (though, of course I do not) but I do sometimes wonder do we need the bells and whistles? 

What Brought This On?

There was a well publicized spat that happened at a recent men’s conference at James River Church. One of the forms of entertainment they had a the conference, featuring a shirtless male performer doing a routine climbing on a pole and swallowing a sword. When speaker Mark Driscoll called it out as the Jezebel Spirit, he was summarily kicked off the stage. Now I don’t want to speak to the Jezebel Spirit, that’s above my pay grade, but I have questions. 

Is This Appropriate?

The act in question is a former male stripper, who did his act on America’s Got Talent. Now ostensibly the man has since converted and became a Christian, and I am not here to judge him or his act at all, except to ask the question, is it appropriate? Is this act appropriate for a Christian men’s conference? Is this something most men would want to see? How did it add to the conference? How did it communicate the Gospel? I’m not sure I can answer those questions. I did not see most of the act. I didn’t find what I did see particularly offensive, but neither did I see it as necessary. 

Monster Trucks?

For that matter they had a monster truck on the platform, and while I am sure that was probably pleasing to a greater percentage of the audience, and for the record, I like monster trucks too, but I could ask some of the same questions. How did it add to the conference? How did it communicate the Gospel? I’m not sure it did that either. I could see this monster trucks being a draw to a conference, but is this really what we need at a men’s conference?

The Battle Rages On

Was Driscoll out of line? Perhaps. When the pastor called him out he cited Matthew 18, namely verse 15 “If your brother or sister sins, go and point out their fault, just between the two of you. If they listen to you, you have won them over.” For the record, he may have been right, the way to address this would have been before stepping onto the platform. However, we see the Apostle Paul call lots of things out in front of the crowd. Later in the event Driscoll apologized and the pastor brought him out, and even had him address the crowd. Then a few days later, the pastor called out Driscoll for repentance, so I guess, “It’s not over til it’s over.” 

Do We Need the Bells as Whistles?

I guess the question is, when it comes to ministry, what are bells and whistles? Admittedly some would see my creative arts ministry as bells and whistles, but I think it’s more. I should also admit that I sometimes like bells and whistles. I remember being at a creative ministry conference at a huge mega church, the theme was “The Elephant in the Room” and there, as we pulled up to the church, was a half-grown live elephant. I’ll admit it impressed me. There is such a thing as creating an environment and doing things to draw a crowd, and I can’t say bells and whistles may not have their place, but what is that place.

My Bells and Whistles

So in the spirit of full confession, I make art in my ministry, and I do it with a purpose in mind. I do the drawing/painting to draw people into the message. I try to make the painting mysterious, waiting as long as possible to reveal the image. The reason is simple, the longer it takes, the more intrigued the congregation tends to be so that by the time I am ready to step up to the microphone, the people are listening with eager expectation. I think to me this is why it’s more than bells and whistles. To me, everything I do in a service, should point to the message the Lord has given me to share. The message is central and everything should point to it. If an item whether that be a worship song or a “bells and whistles” item, I don’t use it. 

Whatever Gifts and Bells and Whistles

Just as, as Christians, what we do should point to Jesus, so the worship service should point to the message and the message should point to Jesus. I’m of the belief that we should utilize as many of the gifts of the people of a congregation as possible. I do not believe we should limit the Worship service to the “Big 3,” preaching, playing and singing. I believe there are many things that can be used to draw people into the message and to the Lord, but we need to intentional to make sure that it all has a point and a uniform, God-glorifying purpose. Utilizing the gifts of the people is important. It’s the way we get past the consumer mentality and give people ownership in the church.   

What Should We Do Instead of Bells and Whistles? 

Let’s go back to men’s gatherings, as an example. My life was radically changed as a result of the ministry of Promise Keepers. I am in ministry today as a result of what God did in my life at their gatherings. Their gatherings had a few main elements. Prayer, strong biblical worship, stronger biblical preaching and small breakouts for accountability. Yes occasionally they would have an entertainment element like a comedian, but even that leaned into the theme of the conference. Everything pointed to the theme, and the theme pointed to Jesus. At the end of the day that was enough. Bells and Whistles have their place, but those bells and whistles need to point the audience to the Lord. 

The Goal

Some might call my ministry bells and whistles. My goal is to prove them wrong. Whether I am painting, preaching or both, everything points to a consistent message. Everything in my presentation is designed to drive that point into the heart of everyone that receives it. As people in ministry, isn’t that the goal. To help people to move beyond bells and whistles, and to move beyond being hears of the Word, to being doers of the Word.  Whether you are designing a worship service or a major conference, have a strong, biblical theme, look at everything you’re doing, and if it doesn’t fit that theme, cut it.