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Will New Generations become Belief-filled Disciples? NCA Workshop Elmhurst College- May 19, 2008 David Schoen UCC Evangelism Ministry Team Including material used with permission from Rick Morse, V.P. New Church Ministry, Christian Church (DOC) Church Extension © 2007 All rights reserved the world has changed 60 – 80 % unchurched 80 % of baby boomers left 80 % of youth have negative view of church Culture does not support church More generations today than ever… Gen Z (0-5) Millennials (6-24) Survivors (25-43) Boomers (44-61) Silents (62-79) Builders (80+) Each generation has unique events that formed it, and a different view of life. In the church we tend to think of two age groups: Boomer + The rest of those youngsters… Churches didn’t use to worry about generations… A few transplants Founders Their children Grandchildren & families 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 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 There is 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 1990, 2000 & 2004 Percentage of the Population Attending a Christian Church on Any Given Weekend 25.0% 20.4% 18.7% 17.7% 20.0% 15.0% 1990 10.0% 2000 2004 9.2% 9.1% 9.0% 7.2% 6.2% 3.9% 5.0% 5.5% 3.4% 3.1% 0.0% Evangelical Mainline Catholic Total Unchurched USA •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”. New Generations – Outsiders to Christian Faith Age % Outsiders to Christianity 18-41 37% 16-29 40% 42-60 27% 61+ 23% Population 34 Million 24 Million 21 Million 12 Million 44 percent -- agreed that "Christians get on my nerves.“ Vast majority of young non-Christians view Christianity as anti-gay, judgmental hypocritical, 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. 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 & Objectivity Post-moderns are not so sure that salvation is around the corner or that ‘objective’ science and technology are our saviors. What some call ‘objective truth,’ is the interest of the powerful and privileged.” 21st Century Culture and Church Post-Modern - Modern World is crumbling Universality & The Grand Story Post-moderns revel in the local, indigenous and the particular. Post-moderns tend to be skeptics about this big story. Small stories, particular stories, and different versions of reality appeal to the postmodern mind. 21st Century Culture and Church 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 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 Discipleship Formation and New Generations Discipleship Formation with New Generations in the 21st Century is: Relational in outreach Conversational in witness Relational Outreach Discipleship Formation in 21st Century is Relational Build community with those outside the church Get to know new generations and culture Relational Outreach Bridge the gap by building relationships The days of waiting to welcome new generations when they come back to church are over. Instead of waiting inside, we go outside Relational Outreach “I stopped wondering about how to draw younger folks into my church and started focusing on how to draw my congregation out of its building and into relationship with the world outside its doors.” Relational Outreach “No Matter who you are, or where you are on life’s journey, You are welcome here!” makes the theological statement that belonging, being in relationship, is the first step of believing. Relational Outreach is about helping people belong so that they can believe. Conversational in Witness The postmodern world calls us to be conversational in witness and invitation. “let your conversation be gracious and effective” Colossians 4:5-6 Count conversations, ……….not conversions. More Ready than You Think, Brian McLaren Conversation and Faith Formation The postmodern world calls for disciples who reach out to a world that is hungering for good conversation about faith, values, hope, meaning, purpose, goodness, beauty, truth, life after death, life before death and God. Engaging in everyday faith conversations will not only help others become Christians, it will help us become better Christians, who know and love the still speaking God more than ever. Brian McClaren Conversational Ministry New Generations want to talk. We are the ones who are not talking New Generations are curious and want information not on “what” we believe, but “why” we believe. 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. Witness and Invitation UCC-Style What do you say when someone asks you about your comma? “For us it means God’s not stuck. God still has more light and truth for us today.” “My church believes that God is still speaking to us today.” “It means that no matter how bad things are in my life or in the world, God is in the midst of it.” V ITALITY Go Forth… into the Virtual World We seek to build Christian community online because that’s where we can encounter members and potential members of our church: 1.1 billion Internet users worldwide 100 million on MySpace 70 million bloggers 34 million students on Facebook 4-8 million on SecondLife i.UCC On Line Ministry and Community V ITALITY The College and the Church and Discipleship Formation College Chaplain – relational and conversational ministry. Reaching new generations of Belief-filled Disciples.