Roy’s Ramblings…
This was written 10 years ago – and I shared it to my congregation then …. And so now ten years later I share it with you – I truly hope this sparks conversation and deep thought:
How Church has changed…
Changes that are happening in our culture are having a huge impact on our church life in ways that often go unseen. The people who are sitting in our sanctuaries on Sunday morning today are not like the people who attended even 20 years ago and it challenges us to adjust so that the Sunday morning experience (and others) is meaningful and impactful. Here are some of the ways that churches have changed…
For many, the Bible is not authoritative. Just saying, “The Bible says” doesn’t carry the weight it used to. People need to discover the authority of the scriptures through the awareness of the truth that is presented. For them, if it doesn’t resonate with their life experience it doesn’t have any authority.
Tradition is not binding. Just because we use an ancient liturgy or rehearse traditional practices does not mean that people are moved or persuaded. Interestingly enough, many younger people are being drawn to old traditions and ancient liturgy, but it is because it has been reinterpreted and given fresh meaning, not just perpetuated.
People are less biblically literate. Some members probably don’t know who King David was, how many disciples there were (let alone their names), how many gospels are in the Bible, or the difference between Saul of the Old Testament and Saul in the New. Don’t ask them to find the book of Habakkuk. Our preaching and teaching can’t assume familiarity but must fill in backstory and context for it to have meaning.
There are more generations. A generation used to be calculated on a 25 year span. Now a generation is defined by worldview, values, use of technology, and behavior. It can be anywhere from 10-15 years or less. 50 years ago we could assume we would probably have 3 generations sitting in the pews on Sunday morning. Today we can have anywhere from 5-6. They all hear and understand what we say differently and it presents challenges with respect to music selection, how to preach, and presenting a meaningful worship experience. Language used, illustrations, life experiences, interests, and hobbies all affect how the message on Sunday morning is received and processed.
The general population is more concerned about expediency than truth. People will attend a church because it provides teaching on parenting, if it is convenient, is a place where their friends attend, has friendly people, or even offers potential for business contacts. Some of the fastest growing churches are those that offer simple black and white answers and that define who the good guys and the bad guys are, alleviating evaluative thinking. New people often don’t start asking until later if they believe what is being preached.
They are less influenced by a common set of morals than previous generations. Demanding that people conform to your church’s moral standard before coming in the door will probably drive them away instead of giving them a chance to form a moral center while being a part of a faith community. It will probably be argued that it shouldn’t be this way. But that doesn’t get us anywhere. That is where many people are and, like Jesus, we need to learn to speak their language.
So … How has your congregation/community changed over the last 10 years? How are you adapting? Are you Recreating? Rebranding? Rethinking? Recasting?
What would it take for the Church to be relevant in this new world and for the current population?
Roger Jenks, Director, Grace Institute
Just some stuff to ponder … There are tons of more questions, tons of talking points, tons of ideas we should think about … but this should get us started.
Blessings – Pastor Roy
