George Bullard's Journey

Ten Global Trends Impacting the Future of Congregations

What are some of the top global trends impacting the future of congregations? What are the implications of these trends for your congregation? What actions does your congregation need to take to respond to these trends and implications?

For the past four months I have been doing some reading on top global trends impacting the future of congregations. Last month I conducted four webinars that included 35 ministry leaders. We talked about these trends, and the implications and actions for congregations.

I invite you to join the dialogue and share your insights into additional trends, and other implications and actions we missed. Send your contribution to GBullard@TheColumbiaPartnership.org. Perhaps out of this we can develop additional trends to share at a future date.

A key request as you read these trends: Don’t shoot the messenger. I am reporting trends, sharing ideas about their implications for congregations, and suggesting actions congregations might need to take. I did not create the trends. In some cases I might not be promoting the trends. I am only saying these are trends we cannot ignore. I also realize several of these trends will challenge theological and ecclesiastical positions held by some North American congregations.

Global Trend One: Within 50 years the world population will surpass 10 billion.

Currently the world population is 6.6 billion. A significant pace of population growth will continue for the foreseeable future. Underneath this macro trend are thousands of specific trends.

One that stands out is the aging of world population. The senior adult population is increasing dramatically throughout the world. Especially in the developed or first world people are living much longer. This fact alone greatly increases world population. The traditional age of retirement is losing its significance. Second and third careers are becoming common as more people make mid-life changes in occupation.

In the developing or two-thirds world the birth rates have not slowed down as much as predicted. This drives the younger end of population growth, and is the part of population growth most often publicized.

A second specific trend revolves around the number of different active birth generations. Employers are seeing up to four birth generations represented in their employees. This presents challenges because of differing work ethics and value systems characteristic of each birth generation.

Welcome, Connect, and Network

An increasing number of congregations have a Welcome Center. This is great if it is an open, truly welcoming place where first-time guests can get the warm greeting they deserve, accurate directions or a personal guide to their destination, and helpful information about the congregation. It is also beneficial to the congregation as they gently harvest reasonable amounts of data they can they use to contact these guests, and begin a caring relationship with them that ought to characterize a loving and inviting congregation.

In recent years I have noticed a Welcome Center is not enough. Now congregations need a Connections Center, as distinguished from a Welcome Center, where members, regular attendees, and persons new to the congregation can connect with those programs, ministries and activities of greatest interest to them.

But, is this enough? Perhaps not. There may be one more center needed.

This week I was walking around the atrium of the church I attend. It is too small for all that needs to happen in the space. It does, however, allow for people to gather for conversation on two levels of the church facilities. On the upper level it has a well-placed Welcome Center for visitors. Currently our lack of space causes us to use the nearby Media Center as the Connections Center. This out-of-the-way place for the Connections Center--a recent move--will catch on as members and regular attendees seek out the services they want.

However, something is still missing; at least in a formal sense. Congregations now need a third-place.

This is the Networking Center. Just as the world is going flat. Just as social networking is on schedule to overtake e-mail and instant messaging as the way people network in their personal lives. Just as the ministries in which individual people and small groups in congregations are involved are increasingly not the formal ones sponsored by the church or its denomination. A Networking Center could become the most popular of the three places in the gathering area of a congregation.

The Networking Center is where people interact around the personal and small group ministries about which they are passionate. It is where people go to discover the stories of deep, meaningful ministry being engaged in by their fellow spiritual travelers. It is where open doors of opportunity to engage in Great Commission and Great Commandment ministry are shared. It is not run by the staff, board, or a committee of the congregation. It is grassroots in nature. It is self-organizing. It deals with ministries the congregation as a whole is not ready to embrace. These are, however, ministries consistent with the values of the congregation.

Isn't this a redundant place to the Connections Center? No. The Networking Center is owned by the congregational attendees. It networks people around old ideas whose time has generally passed for the congregation, but for which there are a few people who have great passion. It also networks people around new ideas the congregation is not yet ready to embrace, but that it may embrace as it seeks to live into its future. It is further a place for ministries that are a low priority for which the congregation cannot provide budget, staff, and focus, but still need a few people who will enable them to happen.

While many congregations may not need three separate places, they do need three approaches to engaging people in intentional conversation. Does you congregation address all three of these?

Is The Emerging Church Compromising Biblical Truth for the Sake of Being Hip?

That is the question Tom Krattenmaker asked in his Monday, November 12, 2007 article on "The Forum" page of the USA TODAY newspaper. In an article entitled A Force for Good, Tom shares his insights into his encounter with Portland, Oregon's Imago Dei Community, a postmodern emerging congregation.

The essence of Tom's answer to the question in the title of this note is in the last paragraph of his article: "For those hoping religion can more consistently serve as a force for kindness, unity and society's renewal--and not so much as an argument-starter--the verdict seems simple: Let the emerging church, and its larger ideals, continue to emerge."

Connect with the article by clicking here. Connect with Imago Dei Community by clicking here.

What do I think?

I believe many manifestations of the emerging postmodern church are not all that different than the emergence of the contemporary church of 30 years ago. The contemporary church movement has resulted in great transformation in the North American church.

I think we need to take Gamaliel's counsel found in Acts 5:33-39:

"But when they heard this, they were cut to the quick and intended to kill them. But a Pharisee named Gamaliel, a teacher of the Law, respected by all the people, stood up in the Council and gave orders to put the men outside for a short time. And he said to them, 'Men of Israel, take care what you propose to do with these men. For some time ago Theudas rose up, claiming to be somebody, and a group of about four hundred men joined up with him. But he was killed, and all who followed him were dispersed and came to nothing. After this man, Judas of Galilee rose up in the days of the census and drew away some people after him; he too perished, and all those who followed him were scattered. So in the present case, I say to you, stay away from these men and let them alone, for if this plan or action is of men, it will be overthrown; but if it is of God, you will not be able to overthrow them; or else you may even be found fighting against God.'" [New American Standard Version]

I also suspect the emerging postmodern church can stand the pressure of examination. I would examine it with three "S" questions inspired by George Webber. These questions need to be asked and answered by the emerging postmodern church in the order in which they are offered.

First, what is the substance of the emerging postmodern church? What is the evidence of the presence of the core Gospel in the message of this church form?

Second, what is the strategy or structure of the emerging postmodern church? Is it positioned strategically and structurally to help people grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, in the spirit of the words of 2 Peter 3:18?

Third, does the style or methodologies of the emerging postmodern church effectively connect, from a missional perspective, with the target groups of people to whom God is sending them? Are they effective?

What do you think? What is your answer to the question posed in the title of this post? Click on the "Comments" link below and suggest your answer.

The People of Potential

Who are the People of Potential in your congregation? What can you do to cultivate these people? As a pastoral leader, what can you do to rebalance your ministry time commitment to spend more time cultivating People of Passion and People of Potential and less time with People of Passivity and People of Perpetual Care?

People of Potential  are people in your congregation who may be new, may have been around for a while, or may be people who recently were captivated by a new sense of personal Christian mission. Whatever the source, they are people with great potential who are looking for a focus, a cause, a calling, or a place to carry out the Great Commission in the spirit of the Great Commandment.

They can easily and often bring new excitement and energy to the work and ministry of the congregation. They may represent the vision and relationship work force to take on new transformational initiatives in the congregation's spiritual and strategic journey. As such, they are deserving of greater focus by the pastor and other key leaders. Energy and effort focused on them will yield results many times more significant than those spent on People of Passivity or People of Perpetual Care. At the same time these latter groups may openly demand a lot of attention from the pastor, staff, and key lay leaders.

How do you adjust and focus your ministry to place emphasis on the people who show evidence of being actively called by God to help move God's kingdom forward in and through your congregation?