21 st Century Landscapes For Mission

2. 21st Century LandscapesFor Mission 2012 Christian Church in Virginia Regional Assembly By Dr. Todd Adams Associate General Minister and Vice President With credit shared with: Sharon Watkins, GMP; Mission Alignment Coordinating Council; the General Board; Hope Partnership for Missional Transformation and others

3. “About every five hundred years the empowered structures of institutionalized Christianity, whatever they may be at that time, become an intolerable carapace that must be shattered in order that renewal and new growth may occur.“ -Phyllis Tickle Keynote speaker for the 2012 GMP’s Pastors Conference October 2-4, 2012, St. Louis, MO

4. Historical Garage Sales • The Fall of the Roman Empire (476) • Great Schism (Orthodox / Catholic 1054) • The Great Reformation (1517) • 2000’s Beyond the Posts (Post-modern, post-denominational etc.)

5. Results • A new and more vital form of Christianity emerges • The previously dominant form of Christianity "is reconstituted into a more pure and less ossified (rigid) expression of its former self“ • Shifting of structures • Redefining of mission and method of delivery

6. Harvey Cox • 1-3 Centuries – 1st Age • Replicating the life of Christ • The people of the way • Continued the “Jesus Project” • Healing the sick • Feeding the poor • Challenging the political institutions

7. Cox Continued • 4th-20th Centuries – 2nd Age • Aligned with the state (Constantine) • Christianity is institutionalized • Means to contain the movement • Bishops were feeding the poor and the government took notice • Right worship, right dogma, correct belief • Focus is on interpreting Jesus rather than living like Jesus

8. 21st Century – 3rd Age • The Age of the Spirit • People are “more spiritual, less religious” • Little commitment to institutions/creeds • Aligning their activity in the world with their faith • Grassroots, networking, viral mentality • Today’s version of the western frontier

9. The New “Western Frontier” For the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)

10. Three New Landscapes • Missional Geography / Environment for Ministry • New and Emerging Technology • Unprecedented Diversity

11. Missional Landscape • Today’s version of the western frontier • Not the first-time God’s people have been here: The LORD had said to Abram, "Leave your country, your people and your father's household and go to the land I will show you. • Difference: familiar people / foreign land

12. Missional Landscape • Among people who don’t know the stories of Jesus • No longer in a land of assumed church / attractional model (tomorrow) • Spiritual, not religious • We don’t have one language nor one single narrative beyond confessing Jesus • Linguistic, cultural, generational • Setting a table big enough to embody the diversity of the family of God • We also have to transmit the stories in a relevant fashion

13. New Technology • New language • Transmitting the stories of Jesus and telling the stories of God’s love in a relevant manner • Generational speak • LOL Story • New Modes of “presence” • Bethany Christian, Tulsa • New social media • People are emboldened by social media • People feel connected to a larger conversation • Emotionally descript • Reading Mark as story

14. The Last Supper via Facebook • John checked in at the Upper Room • James enjoying time with Peter and Mary. Jesus likes this comment via OliveTree Mobile • Jesus updated his status Big night ahead • Matthew and Thomas took the What Kind of Disciple are You Test They scored as gladiators who will fight to the end Jesus does not like this comment

15. World of Social Media • Facebook • Twitter • LinkedIn • Pinterest • YouTube • Tumblr • Klout FourSquare Flickr Wordpress Digg Reddit Vimeo SecondLife

17. Unprecedented Diversity • Global Diversity • Theological Diversity • Generational Diversity • Racial / Ethnic Diversity

18. Global Diversity • Fueled by technology • Food insecurity • Result of climate change, urban development, population growth and oil • World’s population est. 7 Billion • 925 million are food insecure • Economic Ties • Greece and the world markets • 0.41% of the World’s GDP • USA is 25% of the World’s GDP • News around Greece

19. Theological Diversity • Congregations are made up of fewer cradle disciples – more ecumenical • Church growth is no longer the attractional model • Congregations need to be Discipleship Oriented • Places for Spiritual Exploration

20. No Longer the Attractional Model • Church growth through the 80’s based on attracting people to a particular community through programs • Today’s framework is • Discipleship and Spirituality • Authentic engagement – not committee membership • Coaching, community and nurturing • Worship wars are irrelevant for under 40; excellence, spirituality and how I am different on Monday as a result of Sunday

21. No Longer the Attractional Model • Greater percentage of the population raised outside of the church • Counter-cultural • Spiritual Exploration • Spiritual center without doctrinal rigidity • Safe place without fear of rejection • Spiritual but not religious

22. Generational Diversity • People live longer • 2010 average life expectancy all races • Men 76.2 • Women 81.1 • 1980 average life expectancy all races • Men 70 • Women 78.1 • 1930 average life expectancy all races • Men 58.1 • Women 61.6 • 1850’s most people died in their 30’s

23. Racial / Ethnic Diversity • 2010 Census – US Population • 308,745,538 • An increase of 9.7% • Breakdown • White – 72.4% • African American – 12.6% • Native American - 0.9% • Asian 4.8% • Hispanic 16.3% • Pacific Islander / Hawaiian 0.2% • Bi-racial 2.9% Number is greater than 100% because people can check more than one category

24. Average US Birth Rates • US Average All Other – 5% • Hispanic – 43% • 2042 – no longer a majority race in the United States.

25. So What Does this Mean For Your Congregation?

26. Four Quadrants of Congregational Life 3 2 Sustainable 1 Difficult to sustain 4 Growing Declining

27. DISCIPLES CONGREGATIONS TODAY 63% declining 4% 23% 46% 10% 17% Source: The Yearbook

28. -Energy Administration Program -Intimacy Intimacy -Program -Administration Energy Life-Cycle Theory Financial Viability

29. Margaret Wheatley – Leadership and the New Science 2 3 Sustainable 1 Difficult to sustain 4 Declining Growing

30. -Energy Administration Program -Intimacy Intimacy -Program -Administration Energy Life-Cycle Theory Financial Viability

31. -Energy Administration Program -Intimacy Intimacy -Program -Administration Energy Life-Cycle Theory Financial Viability

32. Honest Assessment • Ask the vitality question • Great Commandment + Great Commission= • 10 Outreach + 0 new members / baptisms= 10 • Great Commandment X Great Commission = • 10 Outreach x 0 new members / baptisms= 0

33. Reversing the Decline • Re-focus mission • What need exists in our community today that we seek to address • People don’t know the stories of Jesus • Spiritual, but not religious • Re-focus vision • In three to five years we will… • In three to five years as a result of…

34. Examine Trends • Characteristics of growing congregations • High spiritual vitality • Worship that joyfully connects to the Holy and connects to compelling opportunities for response • Distinctive purpose (mission / vision) • Willingness to evolve (5 yrs)

35. Benchmarking • Looking at the next size congregation • What do they do • How do they do it • What can we learn • What do we need to do to “get there”

36. Ask The Key Questions • What do our numbers say? • Age of attendees • Average worship attendance • Small group participation • Financial viability • What about our community? • Who lives around us? • What are their needs?

37. Ultimate Key Question • If we weren’t doing “x” today would we begin it, because it is key to who we are, what we do and how we understand ourselves as a community?

38. Visitor Assessment • Have someone from the outside who does not know the church “mystery shop” the congregation. • How were they received? • Could they find the sanctuary? • What wasn’t in the worship bulletin?

39. New Beginnings Assessment • Hope Partnership for Missional Transformation • New Beginnings Assessment Service helps congregations in decline assess their strengths and weaknesses through missional refocusing.

40. Community Transformation • Joyful Noise • Do you believe…?