The Importance of Audience in Ministry

Think about the last few times you picked up your phone to answer it. Unless you’ve reached some superhuman level of inner peace, you probably checked the caller ID first. And the name on the screen probably changed the way you answered.

A spouse, a friend, or a family member? You likely answered with some warmth or excitement. “Spam Likely”? You probably greeted it coolly, if you answered at all. Of course, you may have had that moment when you answered an unfamiliar number with your “spam voice,” recognized the person, then did a complete turnaround. “Oh, I didn’t realize it was you!”

Knowing who was on the other end changed the way you interacted. The audience matters.

That has quite a bit to teach us about ministry. Elders are called to oversee the spiritual life of the church and help people grow toward maturity in Christ. Once we understand that purpose, another question follows: Who are the people we are called to serve, and how well do we know them?

Who Do We Hope Will Come?

I’ve had the privilege of helping a number of churches through transitions, mostly changes in leadership. Alongside the good desire to find a new leader, there is often an unspoken hope that the right person will cause people to rush through the doors and join the church.

But who are those people?

Ask that question, and the answers can become surprisingly vague. Sometimes the imagined newcomers look a lot like people from the church’s past. Sometimes they are simply anonymous families who will fill the empty spaces.

“We’re trying to reach everyone,” we say. Yet the ministries we offer often reflect the interests and habits of the people already here.

Are we imagining people whose lives we want to enter, or people who will fill the gaps in ours?

We may be sincere about welcoming others while giving little thought to what it would mean for them to participate.

You can see the problem in ordinary conversation. Ever heard someone make a Star Trek joke only to discover they were the only person in the room who got it? Painful. (And yes, I do enjoy Star Trek. I just know to save those comments for select people.)

A while ago, I took my sons to see Nate Bargatze. When he came onstage, he talked about Pittsburgh roads in detail. This was stuff a local would know. We laughed because it was true. He said something to us about us. I wasn’t sure about the ticket price when I bought the tickets, but I’m glad I went.

Ministry has a purpose far beyond a good night of comedy. Still, the experience illustrates something worth noticing: People recognize when someone has taken the trouble to understand their world.

Does Naming an Audience Exclude People?

Over the years, two topics have been especially difficult for church leaders: evaluating spiritual health and defining an audience. With the first, leaders worry about being judgmental. With the second, they worry about excluding people.

“Doesn’t choosing one group mean we’re not choosing another?” That can feel like telling someone they aren’t wanted. Aren’t we supposed to welcome everyone?

Of course. But a particular congregation has particular gifts, relationships, and limits. It can welcome every person who comes through its doors while giving sustained attention to people it is especially situated to serve. As a teacher, I can care about students at every grade level while recognizing that my skills are better suited to high school and college students.

Quick clarification: by “audience,” I mean the actual people a ministry seeks to serve and help grow in Christ. The word should never turn those people into spectators, customers, or a demographic we hope to acquire.

They are neighbors to know and people to love.

Nor does choosing a focus give us permission to turn away "inconvenient" people. If we choose only those who are easiest to serve, most like us, or most able to support our budget, we need to examine our motives. Knowing an audience should deepen our love for people.

Paul Entered the World of the People He Served

Paul understood the importance of audience. In 1 Corinthians 9:19–23, he describes adapting his way of life among Jews, those outside the Jewish law, and the weak. He was willing to surrender his own freedoms so that others might hear and receive the gospel.

He writes, “I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some” (1 Corinthians 9:22, NIV).

Paul’s flexibility had a boundary: He remained under Christ’s law (verse 21). He did not change the gospel to suit an audience. He changed how he lived among people and how he approached them for the sake of the gospel.

That asks more of us than changing the dress code or choosing different music. It asks us to enter people’s lives, listen to their questions, and consider what we may need to surrender. What seems obvious to us may be unfamiliar to them. A practice that feels comfortable to us may put an unnecessary barrier in their way.

Understanding an audience helps us distinguish the demands of following Jesus from the demands of fitting into our congregation’s habits.

The gospel will challenge people in every culture, including our own.

Begin with People We Can Actually Know

“Young families” is a category. It's not yet a relationship. Which families? What's daily life like for them? What support do they have? What are their fears and hopes? What questions are they asking about God? What have their experiences with churches been?

The same questions apply to retirees, immigrants, or any other people we hope to serve. We need to learn from them rather than assume that a label tells us what their lives are like.

For elders, this is part of spiritual oversight. We cannot help people grow in Christ while knowing little about the lives in which that growth must happen. It requires relationships beyond meetings and beyond the church building.

Before planning another event, choose a ministry and ask: Whom are we hoping to serve? What do we know because we have listened to them? What are we still assuming?

Think of it a little like that caller ID. Knowing who is there helps us give the best “hello” possible.

Then we need to stay on the line and listen.