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THE CHURCH

THE CHURCH. THE CHURCH FROM BELOW. The Church is a natural community It fulfills many socialization needs There is recognizable fellowship in the Church There is a sense of community which is foundational (not a luxury, but a necessity). THE CHURCH FROM BELOW.

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THE CHURCH

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  1. THE CHURCH

  2. THE CHURCH FROM BELOW • The Church is a natural community • It fulfills many socialization needs • There is recognizable fellowship in the Church • There is a sense of community which is foundational (not a luxury, but a necessity) Church and Sacraments 1

  3. THE CHURCH FROM BELOW • The Church is a political community • There are socially ordered relationships and patterns of authority and decision-making • It is not a question of whether politics will exist in the Church; rather, it is only a question of the quality of the politics • “Ol’ Boy” networks often are alive and well. This is not entirely negative, but can have some negative considerations • There are positive considerations as well Church and Sacraments 1

  4. SENIORS • Birth Years: before 1926 • Formative Factors • World War I • Great Depression • Serious about faith, close relationship with God • Appreciate stability • Close family ties • Rooted in community • Generation least affected by stress • Actively engaged in church, volunteer activities • Part of the “Greatest Generation” Church and Sacraments 1

  5. BUILDERS • Birth Years: 1927-1945 • Formative Factors • Great Depression • World War II • Cold War • Appreciate stability • Family, Community, Friends, Employment • Not open to change- prefer predictability • Emphasis on Duty, Obligation • Part of the “Greatest Generation” • Satisfaction found in “simple things” Church and Sacraments 1

  6. BOOMERS • Birth Years: 1946-1964 • Formative Factors • Cold War • 60s: Counter-Cultural Movement • Vietnam • Question authority (the establishment) • Uncertain of the relevance of the church • Curious mixture of laissez faire and utilitarianism • Search for Excellence in all of life Church and Sacraments 1

  7. BUSTERS • Birth Years: 1965-1983 • Formative Factors: • Watergate • Vietnam Syndrome • Inflation, Unemployment • Age of “limitations” • Question authority (Boomers are Establishment now!) • First generation not to “have it better” • Interested in process of growth, embrace change • Disenchanted with “superficial stuff”- even in church! • Interested in relationships, involvement • Want options, not directions • Feel abandoned, are disillusioned Church and Sacraments 1

  8. MOSAICS/MILLENNIALS • Birth Years: 1984-2002 • Formative Factors • End of Cold War • MTV Age/Clinton Presidency • Desert Storm • The Digital Generation (non-linear thinking) • High Levels of Stress/Anxiety • Self-Reliant- and Skeptical! • Interest in “spirituality” • Believe in the Bible- but not in absolute truth! • Brighter than previous generations (IQ) • Relationships more important than achievement Church and Sacraments 1

  9. GENERATIONAL VALUE SYSTEMS • Key Factors in Generational Identity, per Strauss and Howe, The Fourth Turning, An American Prophecy • A Common Location in History • Common Beliefs • Perceived Membership in a common generation Church and Sacraments 1

  10. GENERATIONAL VALUE SYSTEMS • “The major generational watershed, as far as religious beliefs and practices are concerned, is between those who in our research we call Pre-boomers (born prior to 1946) and those who have come after. Although Boomers (born 1946-1964) and Xers (born 1965-1979) differ in some respects, they are much more like each other than like Pre-boomers.” Jackson Caroll, Circuit Rider, 22:5 Church and Sacraments 1

  11. GENERATIONAL VALUE SYSTEMS • G.I. Generation Value Cohort (pre-1946) • Consumer Generation Value Cohort (post 1946) • Deferred Pleasure vs. Instant Gratification • Group vs. Individual Orientation • Assumptions of Sameness vs. Difference • Spirituality of Place vs. Spirituality of Pilgrimage • Results: Bimodal Congregations, Gil Rendle, The Multigenerational Congregation Church and Sacraments 1

  12. CHANGING DEMOGRAPHICS • Currently, 75% of Americans are Caucasian • By 2050, only 50% of Americans will be Caucasian • The Hispanic population has overtaken African-Americans as the largest “minority” population • In some areas of the country (e.g., parts of California), there is no longer a majority population • Racial and Ethnic diversity- a fact of life • 15-20% of population moves every year Church and Sacraments 1

  13. CHANGING DEMOGRAPHICS Church and Sacraments 1

  14. CHANGING DEMOGRAPHICS • Contemporary American Beliefs: • God helps those who help themselves, 81% • All religions teach equally valid truths, 40% • All people pray to the same G/god, 53% • If you do enough good, you will go to heaven, 55% • Jesus was not resurrected physically, 40% • The Bible is not completely true in all it teaches, 34% • The primary purpose of life is enjoyment, 58% • Satan is not real, only a symbol of evil, 60% • Whatever works is the only truth you can know, 32%> Church and Sacraments 1

  15. THE CHURCH FROM BELOW • A community of common language: meanings, priorities, and values. This becomes conventional for the “In-Group” • A community of Interpretation: • Common meanings • The difficulty of translation • A community of memory and understanding: • Characterized by an inner continuity and empathy among persons who have understood and relived the same events. It has a shared story. Church and Sacraments 1

  16. THE CHURCH FROM BELOW • The Church is a community of action and belief: it espouses a mission or a purpose which can be expressed in many forms of action • Evangelism • Education • Edification • Worship Church and Sacraments 1

  17. THE CHURCH FROM BELOW • A sociological description of church:the church is a body of persons who share some measure of common life, values, meaning, and loyalty. It has an historical continuity, identifiable by certain beliefs, ways of work, rites, outlooks, and feelings. It may be more; But it is at least the above. Church and Sacraments 1

  18. THE CHURCH IN THE WORLD • The First Church: Orthodox Churches, the Roman Catholic Church; Protestant churches in Eastern Europe, Greece, Middle East, Ethiopia, South India • The culture tolerates Christianity at best; in some instances, governments are openly antagonistic • There is a certain reliance on the spiritual legacy of what has gone before. In some instances, this substitutes for vital Christianity • There are examples (e.g., Poland, Russia) of a renewal of traditional Christian churches. Church and Sacraments 1

  19. THE CHURCH IN THE WORLD • The Second Church: Western Europe, USA, Canada, Australia • The “second church” is undergoing a time of serious crisis • Malaise and apathy • Ground for renewal (Pentecostalism, evangelical churches) • The effect of materialism • Breakdown in commitment • Yet, a renewed interest in spirituality among young people Church and Sacraments 1

  20. THE CHURCH IN THE WORLD • The Third Church: Central and South America, Africa, Asia • A developing church, characterized by youth and activity • In the stage of “early” commitment • A simplicity and integrity to it • A church of the poor • Many forms of lay leadership prominent • New relationships with the “second church” • Legacy of Liberation Theology remains • Pentecostalism is quite prominent Church and Sacraments 1

  21. THE CHURCH & CULTURE • Christ Against Culture • Christ opposed to culture, either-or (Tertullian) • The Christ of Culture • Agreement, guiding civilization (Lib. Protestants) • Christ Above Culture • Synthetic (Aquinas)- affirming, transcending • Christ and Culture in Paradox • Duality, both obeyed (Luther) • Christ Transforming Culture • Antithesis, yes, but Christ converts men and cultures (Calvin) Church and Sacraments 1

  22. THE CHURCH

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