Culture, Community and Church

David SchoenEvangelism Ministry Team

Local Church MinistriesUnited Church of Christ

Including material used with permission from Rick Morse, V.P. New Church Ministry, Christian Church (DOC)Church Extension © 2007All rights reserved

IT‘S A WHOLE NEW WORLDTaxes done in India

McDonalds order taken 2 states away

Hundreds of marketing choices in any area

Instant communication

44% of Christians change traditions/denominations

60-80% Unchurched

Congregational life has changed too:

Mimeograph Yellow pages Volunteers Hospital visits Organ Stairs Committees Budgets

Churches are stressed today:

Sustainability levels Generational

Challenges Population shift Birth rates Numerous cultural

factors

Sustainability Levels

1930: 30 AWA 2000: 130 AWA

Factors leading to growing sustainability factor: Health Insurance & other

benefits Higher cost of construction Utility costs Lack of volunteers BASICALLY

EVERYTHING

More generations today than ever…

Gen Z (0-6) Millennials (7-26) Survivors (27-43) Boomers (44-62) Silents (63-80) Builders (81+)

Each generation has unique events that formed it, and a different view of life.

For church development purposes we tend to think of two main cohorts:

Boomer + The rest of those youngsters…

Dominant values and behaviors of older boomers and older groups

Whatever is right for the group is right for me Appreciate sameness (i.e. Traditional liturgy) Committee structures that are tried and true Deferred pleasure until you have what you need

to make the purchase Spirituality of place Organize as a group to form a block (tenacious

about position) Circle the wagons; get people on your team to

protect what’s important Get it done! 35% of the US

Population

Dominant behaviors of young boomers and younger groups:

Ask first, what is good for the individual Individualized style and differentiation Appreciate Difference/multiple choices Trained to look for segments of population so that

one size never fits all See themselves as the correctors of the previous

generations Spirituality of journey…find spiritual insight

wherever they are and in relationship, not primarily place

Tribal65% of the US Population

Churches didn’t use to worry about generations…

Founders

Their children

Grandchildren & families

A few transplants

Stephen Compton

Many Churches have Lost a generation or 2:

Churches do not anticipate loosing youth…(even though that has been the pattern for 40 years)

Young adults report: Relocation after college or school Difficulty in assimilation because

church style IF they visit—little generational

affinity Most mainline youth become

unchurched

Roof and McKinney

Another part of the issue is “membership orientation”

Pay dues…sign line EXPECT care, access, privilege,

control, service by staff…etc. Loses vision for a mission that

can be characterized by God’s love in Christ for the world.

It is Exclusive The post-modern world has little

interest in membership organizations

POWER SURGE, Michael Foss

The result is aging congregations

While the younger cohort equals 65% of the population, they are only on average about 30% of existing congregations

Growing Gaps in understanding

Age of Protestant Populations 18-29 30–49 50-64 65+

Total Population 20 39 25 16Total Protestants 17 38 26 20Nondenom Charismatic Churches 18 54 22 6Nondenom Evangelical Churches 19 51 22 8 Church of God in Christ 29 33 28 10Assemblies of God 14 41 33 12 American Baptist Churches 18 36 23 23 Southern Baptist Convention 13 37 27 22 African Methodist Episcopal 14 31 30 25 United Methodist Church 11 34 29 26 Ev. Lutheran Church of America 8 36 29 27 Disciples of Christ 10 33 21 35 Lutheran Church, Missouri Synod 11 32 31 26 Presbyterian Church in America 12 29 32 27 Episcopal Church in the USA 11 29 34 25 Presbyterian Church USA 8 31 30 32 United Church of Christ 11 27 34 28 Anglican Church 7 26 33 35

Beloit Mindset: Typical 28 year old…

They can never think of a time without computers in the home They have no meaningful recollection of the Reagan era, and did not know he

had ever been shot. They were 11 when the Soviet Union broke apart, and do not remember the

Cold War. They have never feared a nuclear war. "The Day After" is a pill to them—not a

movie. Their lifetime has always included AIDS. Bottle caps have not always been screw off, but have always been plastic.

They have no idea what a pull top can looks like. The expression "you sound like a broken record" means nothing to them. Star Wars looks very fake to them, and the special effects are pathetic. They may never have heard of an 8-track, and chances are they've never heard

or seen one. They have always had an answering machine. Most have never seen a TV set with only 13 channels, nor have they seen a

black & white TV or a TV without a remote! There have always been VCRs, but they have no idea what Beta is.

They were born the year Walkmen were introduced by Sony. Roller-skating has always meant in-line for them. "The Tonight Show" has always been with Jay Leno. Popcorn has always been cooked in the microwave. The Vietnam War is as ancient history to them as WWI and WWII

or even the Civil War. They have no idea that Americans were ever held hostage in Iran. They can't imagine what hard contact lenses are. They don't know who Mork was, or where he was from. They never heard the terms "Where's the Beef?", "I'd walk a mile

for a Camel" or "De plane, de plane!" They do not care who shot J.R. and have no idea who J.R. is. The Titanic was found? I thought we always knew where it was. Michael Jackson has always been white. McDonald's never came in Styrofoam containers. There has always been MTV, and it has always included non-

musical shows.

Another cultural factor is Population Shift:

The majority of housing in the US was built since 1970.

Population has moved to metropolitan areas

Migration to South and coasts

Population has moved away from existing congregations!

Birth Rates:

Since “the pill” Anglo birth rates dropping 1960 24/1000 2000 13/1000 2002 11.7

Mainline Anglos have a very low birth-rate due to aging populations VERY Little Biological Growth!

There has been significant change in our racial-ethnic population

Racial ethnic composition of most neighborhoods has changed since 1960

Many congregations have little or no affinity with their neighbors

Racial ethnic growth must be recognized

Ethnic growth: In the next 50 years the

US Pop. Will grow by 50%. 90% of that growth will be people of color

In 2000, Hispanics became the largest racial ethnic minority

The US has the 3rd largest Spanish speaking population

By 2050 there will be no majority racial group

By 2100 Hispanics will be the largest group

Did you know?

More people of African descent live in America than any country except Nigeria

More Cubans live in Miami except than in Havana

In the 90’s the Asian population grew by 107%, Hispanics by 38%, Native Americans by 38% while the general population grew by just 6%!

Racial Ethnic Birth Rates:

African Am. 16.1 Native Am. 13.8 Asian Pac. I. 16.5 Hispanic 22.6 (Anglo 11.7)

Per 1000

Most future growth will be in Racial Ethnic congregations

There is also a shifting attitude towards “organized” religion

65% of the US population cannot remember a time when clergy were respected.

Denominational loyalty means nothing to most people.

The average person believes that no particular religion has claim to truth.

Shifting attitudes towards faith

9.2% 9.1% 9.0%

3.9%3.4% 3.1%

7.2%6.2%

5.5%

20.4%

18.7%17.7%

0.0%

5.0%

10.0%

15.0%

20.0%

25.0%

Evangelical Mainline Catholic Total

1990, 2000 & 2004 Percentage of the Population Attending a Christian Church on Any Given Weekend

1990

2000

2004

•Since 1991 adult population in the US grew by 15%.•During that same period the unchurched population grew by 92%! 75 million US adults do not attend church 'Unchurched' Americans say church is 'full of hypocrites'  consider Christianity to be more about organized religion than about loving God and people, …“unchristian”.

Unchurched USA

New Generations – Outsiders to Christian Faith

Age % Outsiders Populationto Christianity

18-41 37% 34 Million 16-29 40% 24 Million 42-60 27% 21 Million 61+ 23% 12 Million

Mr. Bean Goes to Churchhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i3b2WdZq17M

44 percent -- agreed that "Christians get on my nerves.“

Vast majority of young non-Christians view Christianity as anti-gay, judgmental hypocritical, unwelcoming, too political, out of touch.

But 78 percent said they would be willing to listen to someone who wanted to tell them about his or her Christian beliefs.Almost three-quarters -- 72 percent -- agreed that God "actually exists“ and an even larger percentage -- 86 percent -- said they believed they could have a good relationship with God without church involvement.

It’s a Whole New WorldUCCvitality.org

21st Century Culture and Church Post-Modern – It’s a Whole New World

“Big Five” of hallmark modern values: Anthony Robertson

Reason

Optimism & Objectivity Universality & “The Grand Story”

21st Century Culture and Church

Post-Modern - Modern World is crumbling Reason

Where moderns wanted their preachers to explain mystery, post-moderns want to experience mystery.

Optimism Post-moderns are not so sure that salvation is

around the corner or that science and technology are our saviors.

Universality Post-moderns revel in the local and the particular.

21st Century Culture and Church

Post-Modern - Modern World is crumbling Objectivity

“Everybody is coming from somewhere,” say post-moderns. “What you call ‘objective truth,’ we call the interests of the powerful and privileged.”

“the grand story” Post-moderns tend to be skeptics about this big

story. Small stories, particular stories, and different versions of reality appeal to the post-modern mind.

21st Century Culture and Church

Post-Modern – It’s a Whole New World While modernity was liberating and

powerful in many ways, it was also and especially for Christianity, reductive. highly moral, but not especially spiritual modern Christianity explained miracle and

mystery (away) and proposed moral values and lessons as universal truth.

What was missing was spiritual connection and experience, the experience of a sacred, numinous, transcendent Other.

21st Century Culture and Church

Post-Modern - Modern World is crumbling In the last thirty years while interest in

“spirituality” has been huge

People felt yet church was not the best place to pursue their “spiritual” interests.

Transformation was lacking

We are all at a threshold, a ‘kairos’ moment:

God is Still Speaking has shown that the harvest is ready. There has been a great response of people looking for a church like the

United Church of Christ.

Vital churches know the culture and engage in their community

God is still speaking to us in culture and community. God’s purpose is that our communities are not forsaken or the land desolate.Church no longer center of community, but it can be good neighbor.Church can accompany community to be all that God’s realm would want the community to be.

Location, Location, Location? Congregational Life Survey points to the relative

unimportance of location in predicting either congregational strength or numerical growth. Congregational location plays a minimal role in the

numerical growth that congregations experience. Few measures of location had an impact on strength

or growth. Vital growing congregations, as well as non-vital

declining congregations can be found in any location. Places of Promise: Finding Strength in Your Congregation’s Location: US

Congregation Survey 2008

Places of PromiseFinding Strength in Your Congregation’s Locationwww.uscongregations.org

Traditionally we think about context as location.  In this view:

Community context determines who we were, what we are, and what our future holds.

Congregations are passive—location has the upper hand!

Leaders use contractual language about location—our location is a piece of real estate with a specific land value, appraised as a retail outlet might appraise a location.  It’s a commodity.

Places of PromiseFinding Strength in Your Congregation’s Locationwww.uscongregations.org

Instead—Think about context as place.  Location is God’s gift to us.  The congregation

is in this place at this time for a reason—God’s reason.

Congregations can achieve strength and effectiveness in their present location.

God claimed this place for us; the place claims us as people of faith.  We have inherited this place from those who first worshiped here, and we have an obligation to use it wisely and care for it.

Places of PromiseFinding Strength in Your Congregation’s Locationwww.uscongregations.org

Questions to be asked: How did our congregation come to be in this

location? What is our birth story?  Why has God planted us here? What significant things have happened in this

location that continue to shape our ministry? What do we believe are the strengths of our location? What steps can we take to build on the strengths of

our location? Who is in our community that we can reach out to?

Vital churches are engaged in community where they are located

No congregation can afford to ignore its context or those in the surrounding community.

“Congregations that live only for themselves are ‘starting a trip toward extinction’.” Herb Miller, How to Build a Magnetic Church

“Vital congregations are vital on the corner of God’s realm where they are planted.”Gil Rendle

Community Involvement = Growth? Involvement or focus on the community does not

necessarily lead to growth Congregations scoring high on focusing on the

community place considerable emphasis on serving the needs of those outside the congregation.

They may de-emphasize or overlook the importance of inviting people to become part of the congregation and welcoming them warmly when they visit.

Focusing on the community must be one of the other aspects of vitality, including welcoming new people, meaningful worship, caring for children and youth, engagement in the congregation and a sense of belonging. Places of Promise

The One important factor

The one location factor that does play a role in congregational vitality is the match between a congregation’s worshipers and the people in the community who are between 18 and 44 years of age. This critical age group must be recruited and openly welcomed in our congregations and we need to ensure our worship and activities meet their needs.

Know your neighborhoodKnow your mission field

Demographic Information Uccvitality.org (ucc.org/vitality) Percept Mission Insite

Using Demographic Information Community knowledge Missional outreach and program

Ready, Set, Grow

V I T A L I T Y

Online Demographics Report

Knowing Your Neighborhood

Project: Work on your target neighborhoods

What did you learn?Did the data confirm something you suspected?Did you consider that a target neighborhood may not be immediately surrounding your church?How do you use this demographic information?V I T A L I T Y

And in Conclusion……Seven Vital Lessons

The Stillspeaking God is calling the Church to reach out to an unchurched world as a sign and instrument of God’s realm in its community.

Vital congregation listens for and seeks out the still speaking God in culture and its community.

Vital congregation finds transformation and vitality in its location.

Vital congregation is driven to discern, articulate and live God’s calling and purpose for church and community.

Vital congregation is relational and conversational in outreach.

Vital congregation engages culture’s tools, especially the web to reach out to world of seekers.

And in Conclusion……Seven Missional Lessons

V I T A L I T Y