I have been doing a great deal of thinking about the local church of late. In fact, this thinking process has been going on to one degree or another since I re-entered the ministry in 2004. I'll spare you all the details that led to that re-entry except to say that all that came before had a great impact on changing how I approached ministry and what I believed that ministry, and the church, could and should be. I still have a long way to go!
Over the last couple of years, that thinking process has included another direction. I' been pondering the current state of the local church and the people that are not being attracted to it. These people, encompassing mostly young adults but also a growing middle adult population (I believe) are referred to as the "Nones" because they have no church connection. They no longer attend, either because they've become turned off from the politics of church (small and capital "P"), the hypocrisy of those in the church, they have been hurt/betrayed/abused by the church in some way, or they simply were not raised in the church. Recent statistics put these "Nones" at 1 out of 7 adults and 1 out 3 young adults.
Even though the "Nones" have dropped out of or never have gone to church, many of these people, nonetheless, have a spirituality in their lives, believe in God on some level, and have a desire to understand and grow in these areas. They are searching but not by means of the church. Therefore, I believe, the way we do church, and the usual "church" ways we use to reach out to others to get them into church, will not necessarily appeal to them.
I am no expert, I am simply writing about what I think, and what I have come to think is based on conversations, lots of reading, conversations (I know, I already said that but it's important), my experience, and observations. (See some resources list below.)
The "Nones" (and those who haven't so much left the church but who simply occasional attenders ) not only have a spiritual interest but also desire developing a better handle on "handling" life (don't we all?). They don't want to be preached at (what the church tends to do from the pulpit), they don't want to be lectured (what the church tends to do from the pulpit and in its teaching), and they don't want to be told what they need to do (what the church tends to do from the...you know). They lean more toward self-discovery yet they also want flexible guidance, non-condemning accountability, and conversations that involve the sharing of life stories, experiences, ideas, and acceptance (I call this process "Holy Conversation" - may not be an original idea of mine but it fits).
I hate to say it but such environments don't typically exist in current church structures. They should but they are usually rare or limited. We can discuss why such environments don't exist at a later time. That should be an interesting conversation!
It's my growing belief that we need to add a new approach to church planting, not instead of how we church planting now but in addition to how we've been doing it (though I do wonder if we don't need to do some adjusting to how we've been doing it because, honestly, we are now in the 21st century and we aren't getting the "Nones). The problem with this different approach is that it really doesn't fit the typical model that most denominations follow in planting churches, as one looking from the outside in at a distance, so I could be wrong in that evaluation.
Here's my view of it (I can tell you're just giddy with excitement!):
The "Nones" aren't interested in church membership. They want to belong but not necessarily to a religious organization that seems to emphasize numbers and money, let alone to most major "membership" organizations. They want to be part of a group (typically a small one) where "everybody knows my name," as the song goes. They want to sit around over coffee (tea, soft drink, water, even a beer or a meal) and converse (from which we get "conversation") about life, faith, experiences, hopes and dreams. They want to be challenged to grow but not dismissed or criticized if they hold a differing view or belief with the one(s) who they are conversing with. And even though they believe that truth is relative (what is right for you may not be so for me), they nonetheless are looking for an absolute Truth that isn't changing or fluid. They want to understand this spiritual void that they feel but aren't able to connect with or necessarily explain...their spirit/God's Spirit. And they are struggling to make sense of their life, careers, relationships, family, emotions, etc.; to piece these together and find their purpose. All these come into play on one level or another in the "conversations" they have with friends and acquaintances (walk by a bar or a nightclub or some other hangout and listen to what they are saying to each other, even to complete strangers).
I see a new kind of church emerging, not one that meets in a large building on Sundays but one that meets one day during the week, in the morning before work or over lunch/dinner; or in the evening at a coffee shop or resturant or a home or...anywhere that offers a space. The groups are made up of ten to thirty people (reach thirty and you form a new group). The pastor serves more as a facilitator-consultant-coach than a preacher. The people gather, the pastor sets up the discussion (teaching? - maybe there is a topic), and then asks questions to generate discussion. As this holy conversation moves along, the pastor weaves the Gospel into the sharing of the peoples life stories being shared (isn't the Gospel the greatest of all stories?). People share opinions and ideas and experiences, and in the process, the group learns from each other. The role of the pastor is to help make connections among the group, connect ideas, ask questions that help people discover answers within the discussions and the life stories shared, and from the sharing of the Gospel.
Of course, the hope and goal is to start several of these groups, develop additional leaders who then help lead other groups. Mission projects can be taken on and shared, supported, and worked by all the groups together. And, in time, a special gathering of all the groups can be implemented on a quarterly or monthly basis, coming together to worship and the sharing of gifts and talents in various ways utilizing the arts (music, dance, art, drama, etc.). And from these groups, as members express interest in going deeper in the conversation, connecting with more spiritual issues, and building on scripture through study, prayer, and deeper accountability, subgroups are formed. (Very much a Wesleyan approach.)
Ok, I've probably rambled on way too long, and I wonder if this makes any sense to anyone besides me. As I said, things are always clearer "in" my head. So, let me go back and re-read this, make any changes, clarifications, or corrections, in hopes that it will be clearer. Feel free during this pause to go to the bathroom, get a drink, or check your emails and texts...
Well, seems like I'm just shy of this being a dissertation! Sorry. The good news? I'm about to wrap this baby up.
I know that there are still a number of questions that need to be answered. How does one go about forming such groups? What about children? How would such a approach be financially supported? How many groups can one pastor oversee? Are these groups autonomous or will they have some connection with each other? What about worship and the sacraments? No membership emphasis? These are but a few, and I'm sure that you may have several of your own. Maybe I can address some of these in another blog, if the interest and response is there.
All this is still a work in process but it has been rolling around my head, and in my heart, for several years. So I decided to try to articulate it so that I can work on refining it. Thanks for reading, and I would love to hear from you, your thoughts, insights, ideas, and questions.
Resources - just a few:
Talking About the Future of Christianity in the USA Today
- Ed Stetzer, Blog
The Secular Boom
- James Emery White
- Ed Stetzer, Blog
The Secular Boom
- James Emery White
Reaching People Under 40 While Keeping People Over 60: Being Church for All Generations
- Edward Hammett, book
- Edward Hammett, book
3 comments:
...hmm I am thinking that we had a Holy Conversation about some of these ideas.
It is clear we need to approach outreach differently. I am not sure we should even call it outreach. Finding ways to foster conversations that are real, honest and genuine within a context of the Word...that is much harder than it sounds.
Good read. Thanks for getting me thinking. Love the bibliography...I am always on the hunt for the next book to read.
Another insight from Ed Stetzer worth reading:
http://www.churchleaders.com/pastors/pastor-articles/165719-ed-stetzer-church-will-face-in-the-next-10-years.html
Hi, Jim. I'm having some of these same conversations in my head, as well as exploring them a little in church life. I like the reading you've been doing on it. See you soon on the trail.
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