1. Evangelism Explosion! (Not) Christians like to get together…with one another. We like to “Rally to Worship” but distain “Reaching the World.” The passion and urgency once a primary characteristic of the evangelical church is gone. Fear is the new emotion of the church. Church growth is now collecting the disgruntled members of a neighboring congregation. We rely on transfer and biological growth rather than regeneration growth to sustain our churches. The New Testament church was known for their unwavering witness of Christ.
2. Leaders Replace Congregations. Decades ago, churches were known for their geographical or sociological identity. They were neighborhood churches meeting significant social, spiritual, and educational needs within the community. Pastors had positive relationships within the community but depended on the laity for program and ministry leadership. Now it seems that pastors rather than the people have become the face of the church. Church attenders seek out celebrity pulpiteers. High profile pastors as well as television and radio preachers have become the primary spiritual leaders for many disconnected and disenfranchised members. With the rise of the celebrity or professional pastor we see a congregational dependence. Congregations expect the pastor to “draw” new people to the worship services and sermons. A personal responsibility to share their life and faith is abandoned.
3. Technology Turmoil. A new generation of church goer has come of age. Millennials, Gen X, and Gen Z are digitally dependent. High tech teaching, social media access, and smart phone interfaces are changing the way people connect, relate, worship, and communicate. A preponderance of churches has not learned how to incorporate the new technologies into their communication strategies, worship planning, and educational models. Older generations are fearful and uncertain of new technologies and fail to see their value. Recent generations don’t seem to be satisfied with the purchase and integration of new technologies. Finding the right balance between spiritual authenticity and technology savvy is a real challenge for the modern church.
4. Seismic Social Shifts. Families are undergoing radical changes. The traditional nuclear family is a distant memory. Many communities are seeing a dramatic change in the ethnic makeup. The world is coming to America bringing with it different moral attitudes, economic expectations, and political beliefs and values; not to mention the languages. 24/7 Schedules. We live in a twenty-four hour a day world. You can shop, eat, go to school, be entertained all day every day. The contemporary world doesn’t exclusively fit our Sunday morning schedules. We are seeing a revolution in the educational systems in America. From a new wave of home schooling to online graduate education the delivery methods, teaching – learning styles, and schedules of education are changing at every level. Entertainment is paramount. Despite the fact that we are in severe economic times movies are recording record receipts. Music downloads, video games, etc are higher priorities than clothing or even food.
5. Denominational Downfall. Churches and their leaders have allowed the two extremes of creedalism and liberalism to drive wedges of division. The unifying virtue of selfless abandon to fulfill a shared mission would be a worthy alternative. Where did the quest to reach the lost, proclaim the truth, and disciple Christ’s followers go? Denominations have become known more for their fights and feuds than a radical love for one another as part of a spiritual family. We are more determined to “get my way” or push others “out of the way”, than to lead those far from God “to the Way.” Conventions and assemblies have become places that personal projects are promoted and pet peeves remedied. Committees are formed and function to serve the desires of a few rather than the laity mobilized to accomplish the unimaginable. We have spent too much time and money majoring on the minors.
All churches are influenced or impacted by some or all of these trends. We can do little to avert them but with wisdom can mitigate or even better convert them into opportunities to see God work in extraordinary and supernatural ways. I’ll address some of these topics in greater detail in the future. Be on the lookout!
