It’s a Whole New WorldChurch & Culture in 21st Century

David SchoenEvangelism Ministry Team

Local Church MinistriesUnited Church of Christ

Including material used with permission from Rick Morse, V.P. New Church Ministry, Christian Church (DOC)Church Extension © 2007All rights reserved

IT‘S A WHOLE NEW WORLDTaxes done in India

McDonalds order taken 2 states away

Hundreds of marketing choices in any area

Instant communication

44% of Christians change traditions/denominations

60-80% Unchurched

Result of Karl Fisch’s, Colorado high school teacher, study on this rapid change

Result of Karl Fisch’s, Colorado high school teacher, study on this rapid change

So how much have things changed?

So how much have things changed?

Churches are stressed today:

Generational Challenges

Birth rates Cultural factors Church changes

What does it allmean to the Church?

More generations today than ever…

Gen Z (11-0) Millennials (28-12)

Survivors (29-49) Boomers (50-67) Silents (68-85) Builders (86+)

Each generation has unique events that formed it, and a different view of life.

Dominant values and behaviors of older boomers and older groups

Whatever is right for the group is right for me Appreciate sameness (i.e. Traditional liturgy) Committee structures that are tried and true Deferred pleasure until you have what you need

to make the purchase Spirituality of place Organize as a group to form a block (tenacious

about position) Circle the wagons; get people on your team to

protect what’s important Get it done! 35% of the US

Population

Dominant behaviors of young boomers and younger groups:

Ask first, what is good for the individual Individualized style and differentiation Appreciate Difference/multiple choices Trained to look for segments of population so that

one size never fits all See themselves as the correctors of the previous

generations Spirituality of journey…find spiritual insight

wherever they are and in relationship, not primarily place

Tribal65% of the US Population

Churches didn’t use to worry about generations…

Founders

Their children

Grandchildren & families

A few transplants

Stephen Compton

Many Churches have Lost a generation or 2:

Churches do not anticipate loosing youth…(even though that has been the pattern for 40 years)

Young adults report: Relocation after college or school Difficulty in assimilation because

church style IF they visit—little generational

affinity Most mainline youth become

unchurched

Roof and McKinney

Another part of the issue is “membership orientation”

Pay dues…sign line EXPECT care, access, privilege,

control, service by staff…etc. Loses vision for a mission that

can be characterized by God’s love in Christ for the world.

It is Exclusive The post-modern world has little

interest in membership organizations

POWER SURGE, Michael Foss

The result is aging congregations

While the younger cohort equals 65% of the population, they are only on average about 30% of existing congregations

Growing Gaps in understanding

Age of Protestant Populations 18-29 30–49 50-64 65+

Total Population 20 39 25 16Total Protestants 17 38 26 20Nondenom Charismatic Churches 18 54 22 6Nondenom Evangelical Churches 19 51 22 8 Church of God in Christ 29 33 28 10Assemblies of God 14 41 33 12 American Baptist Churches 18 36 23 23 Southern Baptist Convention 13 37 27 22 African Methodist Episcopal 14 31 30 25 United Methodist Church 11 34 29 26 Ev. Lutheran Church of America 8 36 29 27 Disciples of Christ 10 33 21 35 Lutheran Church, Missouri Synod 11 32 31 26 Presbyterian Church in America 12 29 32 27 Episcopal Church in the USA 11 29 34 25 Presbyterian Church USA 8 31 30 32 United Church of Christ 11 27 34 28 Anglican Church 7 26 33 35

Birth Rates:

Since “the pill” Anglo birth rates dropping 1960 24/1000 2000 13/1000 2002 11.7

Mainline Anglos have a very low birth-rate due to aging populations VERY Little Biological Growth!

There has been significant change in our racial-ethnic population

Racial ethnic composition of most neighborhoods has changed since 1960

Many congregations have little or no affinity with their neighbors

Racial ethnic growth must be recognized

Ethnic growth: In the next 50 years the

US Pop. Will grow by 50%. 90% of that growth will be people of color

In 2000, Hispanics became the largest racial ethnic minority

The US has the 3rd largest Spanish speaking population

By 2050 there will be no majority racial group

By 2100 Hispanics will be the largest group

Racial Ethnic Birth Rates:

African Am. 16.1 Native Am. 13.8 Asian Pac. I. 16.5 Hispanic 22.6 (Anglo 11.7)

Per 1000

Most future growth will be in Racial Ethnic congregations

There is also a shifting attitude towards “organized” religion

65% of the US population cannot remember a time when clergy were respected.

Denominational loyalty means nothing to most people.

The average person believes that no particular religion has claim to truth.

Shifting attitudes towards faith

9.2% 9.1% 9.0%

3.9%3.4% 3.1%

7.2%6.2%

5.5%

20.4%

18.7%17.7%

0.0%

5.0%

10.0%

15.0%

20.0%

25.0%

Evangelical Mainline Catholic Total

1990, 2000 & 2004 Percentage of the Population Attending a Christian Church on Any Given Weekend

1990

2000

2004

•Since 1991 adult population in the US grew by 15%.•During that same period the unchurched population grew by 92%! 75 million US adults do not attend church 'Unchurched' Americans say church is 'full of hypocrites'  consider Christianity to be more about organized religion than about loving God and people, …“unchristian”.

Unchurched USA

New Generations – Outsiders to Christian Faith

Age % Outsiders Populationto Christianity

61+ 23% 12 Million 42-60 27% 21 Million 18-41 37% 34 Million 16-29 40% 24 Million

44 percent -- agreed that "Christians get on my nerves.“

Vast majority of young non-Christians view Christianity as anti-gay, judgmental hypocritical, unwelcoming, too political, out of touch.

But 78 percent said they would be willing to listen to someone who wanted to tell them about his or her Christian beliefs.Almost three-quarters -- 72 percent -- agreed that God "actually exists“ and an even larger percentage -- 86 percent -- said they believed they could have a good relationship with God without church involvement.

21st Century Culture and Church Change from Modern to Postmodern World “It’s a Whole New World” – Anthony Robinson Reason

Where moderns wanted their preachers to explain mystery, post-moderns want to experience mystery.

Optimism & Objectivity Post-moderns are not so sure that salvation is

around the corner or that ‘objective’ science and technology are our saviors. What some call ‘objective truth,’ is the interest of the powerful and privileged.”

21st Century Culture and Church Change from Modern to Postmodern World Post-Modern - Modern World is crumbling

Universality & The Grand Story Post-moderns revel in the local, indigenous and the

particular. Post-moderns tend to be skeptics about this big story. Small stories, particular stories, and different versions of reality appeal to the post-modern mind.

21st Century Culture and Church Change from Modern to Postmodern World

While modernity was liberating and powerful in many ways, it was also and especially for Christianity, reductive. highly moral, but not especially spiritual modern Christianity explained miracle

and mystery (away) and proposed moral values and lessons as universal truth.

What was missing was spiritual connection and experience, the experience of a sacred, numinous, transcendent Other.

Postmodern Culture and Church

Christianity in North America has moved (or been moved) away from its position of dominance loss not only of numbers but of power and influence within society.

Rather than occupying a central and influential place, North American Christian churches are increasingly marginalized, in our urban areas they represent a minority movement It is now a truism to speak of North America as a mission

field. Missional Church: A Vision for the Sending of the Church in North America, Edited by Darrell

Guder, the Gospel and Our Culture Network

21st Century Culture and Church

Reaching 21st Century Populations

Make it spiritual and experiental. Make it personal, real and authentic Make it about mission and ministry

not committees Make it possible in busy lives

What does it allmean to the Church?

We are all at a threshold, a ‘kairos’ moment:

Where will we be in 2020?

It means CHANGE!It means CHANGE!

Congregational life has changed too:

Mimeograph Yellow pages Volunteers Hospital visits Organ Stairs Committees Budgets

It means CHANGE!It means CHANGE!

PHYLLIS TICKLE’S basis thesis is that every 500 years, the Church

goes through a rummage sale, and cleans out the old forms of

spirituality and replaces it with new ones.

Play Video

Change = OpportunityChange = Opportunity

In these tough times….

There is a future for the church The stillspeaking God calls us to be

Churches that the tomorrow requires Churches that tough times demand

Missional in purpose Relational in outreach Conversationl in witness

Missio Dei – “Mission of God”

The real problem is much more deeply rooted than programmatic and methodological solutions. It has to do with who we are and what we are for. The real issues of the church are spiritual and

theological. In The Other Side of 1984: Questions for the Churches

Bishop Leslie Newbigin analyzed the challenge presented by the changing context of Western society. What had once been a Christendom society was

now clearly post-Christian and in many ways anti-Christian.

The missiological consensus that Newbigin focused on may be summarized with the term ‘missio Dei’, mission of God.

Missional Church

“The Church exists to serve God’s Mission” Mission as Missio Dei, UCC Committee on Structure, 1992

The church of Jesus Christ is the instrument and sign of God’s mission and realm.

God’s mission is calling and sending us, the church of Jesus Christ, to be a missionary church in our own societies, in the cultures in which we find ourselves.

Vital Churches in 21st Century

Local Churches are Missional Communities,

moving from membership based social organizations to

discipleship forming missional communities.   Our mission focus is transforming lives, by

transforming both individuals and wider social culture. 

Difference between church with mission and missional church

Mission in 20th Century became program of church Mission boards emerged Mission workers became professional Mission ‘work’ become financial support Mission arena was someplace else

Our challenge today is to move from church with mission to missional church.

Missional in Purpose Vital congregations

clear sense of purpose Vital congregations

are sent churches Vital congregations

reach out beyond themselves Vital congregations

reproduce and plant new congregations

Vital congregations discern God’s call and mission

The greatest characteristic of a vital congregation is the ability to articulate and live God’s purpose.

What is God calling this church to be and do at this time, in this place, with the gifts we have on this corner of God’s realm that we are placed?

Identity and Mission

Reverend Otis Moss III from Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago speaks on Church Vitality and Discipleship

www.ucc.org/vitality/ready-set-grow/video/otis-moss.html

Missional Purpose

Cathedral of Hope UCC The Mission of the Cathedral of Hope is to

reclaim Christianity as a faith of  extravagant grace, radical inclusion and relentless compassion.

We are a people of compassionWe are a people of inclusionWe are a people of liberationWe are a people of hopeWe are a people of Jesus

Missional in Purpose

What is Your Mission Statement? Mission Statement should be:

7 – 9 words or less Engaging Compelling Visionary True

Missional in PurposeRelational in Outreach

Ministry in 21st Century is Relational

Build community with those outside the church

Get to know the unchurched people and culture

Relational in Outreach Bridge the gap by building relationships

The days of waiting for people to come to church to welcome them are over.

Instead of waiting inside, we go outside

Relational in Outreach

What do you think when you hear the word…. EVANGELISM ?

Celtic Evangelism

In The Celtic Way of Evangelism: How Christianity Can Reach the West . . . Again, George Hunter writes about the difference between what he describes as the evangelism approach in Roman and Celtic Christianity.

Celtic Evangelism

Roman Model Celtic Model Presentation Fellowship Decision Ministry and Conversation Fellowship Belief, Invitation to Commitment

Belonging and Believing

Christianity is more caught than taught! As Professor Robin Gill observes, belonging comes before believing. For this reason, evangelism is now about helping people to belong so that they can believe.

Missional Outreach

Go to where the unchurched are:Coffee shops, Book storesParks, Gyms

“I stopped wondering about how to draw younger folks into my church and started focusing on how to draw my congregation out of its building and into relationship with the world outside its doors.”

Go Forth….Into the Virtual World.

In Asia, Europe and North America—an entire generation has experienced the Internet as a means for maintaining relationships with family and friends.

The Internet is a lifeline for users whose mobility is limited by disability, chronic illness or advanced age.

The Internet is where we can find and engage seekers.

The Socialization of the WebThe Socialization of the Web

You Now Control the Message!

The socialization of the web…..is now forcing a renaissance that is transforming information distribution, human interaction and everything…..

Brian Solis, “Unveiling New Influencers” 6/29/2009

Modern day exampleModern day example

Costs are nominal or FREE!Costs are nominal or FREE!

Relational in OutreachConversational in Witness

Conversational ministry is central to the future of the church in 21st Century

Count conversations, not conversions Brian McLaren, More Ready than You

Think

Conversational Ministry The postmodern world calls for disciples

who reach out to a world that is hungering for good conversation about faith, values, hope, meaning, purpose, goodness, beauty, truth, life after death, life before death and God. Engaging in everyday faith conversations will not only help others become Christians, it will help us become better Christians, who know and love the still speaking God more than ever.

Conversational in Witness

Spiritual Seekers want to talk. Holy Conversations – Richard Peace

We are the ones not talking. Reverence for God – silence and service.

Tell it Like it is: Reclaiming the Practice of Testimony - Lillian Daniel

An unchurched world doesn’t know why we do what we do.

Conversational in Witness

Buzz Marketing

EvangelismOne beggar telling another where there is

food

Come and See!

Witness and Invitation UCC-Style

“Tricking” the church into Evangelism – Taking it back!

What do you say when someone asks you about your comma?

“For us it means God’s not stuck. God still has more light and truth for us today.”

“My church believes that God is still speaking to us today.”

“It means that no matter how bad things are in my life or in the world, God is in the midst of it.”

Are you still speaking?

Are You Ready to Talk?

Why do you love your church?

What impact has believing in God and following Jesus made in your life?

How is God still speaking in your life?

God is still speaking,

Through you and me!

Eight Challenges Richard Peace

We need to learn how to talk about Jesus We need to create spaces within which both

seekers and committed Christians can explore together their spiritual journeys.

We need to learn how to invite others We need to move beyond our stereotypes,

fears and negative experiences of evangelism for new creative and wholistic ways of outreach.

Eight Challenges Richard Peace

We need to heal the split evangelism and justice issues so it is a both/and and not an either /or.

We need to find the energy to engage in and to sustain an outreach ministry.

We need to stay open to transformation, our own transformation even as we invite others to be transformed.

We need to learn how to discuss all of this in non-theological terms.

Where will we be in 2020….? The still speaking God

calls us to become Churches that the Future Requires

Missional in purpose

Relational in outreach

Conversational in witness

And in Conclusion……Seven Missional Lessons

God is calling the Church to be a missional community in an unchurched world.

Missional congregation is to be a sign and instrument of God’s realm in its community.

Missional congregation listens for and seeks out the still speaking God in culture and its community.

Missional congregation finds transformation and vitality in its location.

Missional congregation is driven to discern, articulate and live God’s calling and purpose for church and community.

Missional congregation is relational and conversational in outreach.

Missional congregation engages culture’s tools, especially the web to reach out to world of seekers.

And in Conclusion……Seven Missional Lessons

Resources for Missional Congregations

Vitality Resources on www.ucc.org/vitality “It’s a Whole New World” Anthony Robertson Vitality Interviews Vitality Powerpoint - Retreat Resources

www.ucc.org/vitality/retreat-resources/ Web ministry resources

www.ucc.org/vitality/web-university/free-resources-for-internet-ministry.html

MissionInsite demographics www.missioninsite.com

Two questions Where are the signs of vitality in

your congregation?

What one thing stood out for you from this presentation and what might it mean in your congregation?

In these tough times….

There is a future for the church The stillspeaking God calls us to be

Churches that the tomorrow requires Churches that tough times demand

Missional in purpose Relational in outreach Conversationl in witness

Thank You!

Thank you for your Vital Leadership

Thank you for Your Support of Changing Lives: That’s Our Churches’ Wider Mission