Jackman’s insights come from a fascinating study done by David Lim, a South Korean who pastors a Korean congregation in Texas. Lim argues that Paul’s statement about his own preaching in 1 Thessalonians 1:5 reflects a commitment to content, delivery, and relationships. To use Aristotle’s categories in his classic, “On Rhethoric,” this is a commitment to logos, pathos, and ethos.

In 1 Thessalonians 1:5, the Apostle Paul writes: “Our gospel cam to you not simply with words [logos/content] but also with power, with the Holy Spirit and deep conviction [pathos/delivery]. You know how we lived among you for your own sake [ethos/relationship].” Paul elaborates on this last matter in 2:8 when he writes: “Because we loved you so much, we were delighted not only to share the gospel of God but our lives as well.”

Lately, I’m asking myself: “How am I doing at sharing my own life with my listeners? How do I show them that I love them? The feedback we get from the twenty-somethings in our church indicates that they insist on relationship before listening. They want authenticity. Yes, I know, the word “authentic” has been used and abused to death! But there’s a reason for that.

Although the congregation I serve is not huge, it’s simply too large for me to get to know everybody in the personal, intimate way I would like to. But I’m working to make myself available to talk after worship services. I’m seeking out twenty-somethings, inviting them into our home to hang out. In the past 6 months, I’ve visited about 20 small groups in our church, including those with twenty-somethings and with sixty-somethings. I try to connect when I preach, too, by discussing issues the concerns, issues, questions, and topics that are germane to various age groups. All of this is rooted in the text. But as David Jackman says, “We are called not simply to love the Word, but to love the Lord, and as we love, to serve him in our preaching, so he will call and empower us to love those to whom he sends us.”

What are you doing to love your people? What have you learned about connecting with people of various generations? How does the size of your church shape the way you answer these questions?