By Chuck Warnock (Original article here)
1. The shift from observation to participation. A 23-year old graphic designer recently said about her generation, “We’re creators.” We are in the age of the prosumer that Alvin Toffler predicted in Future Shock – those who create and participate in their creation. Content on the internet is the prime example. The age of the spectator in worship, learning, and service is over. People want to creat worship and participate in ministry, not just watch someone else.
2. The shift from religious education to spiritual formation. During the 1940s, 50s, and 60s, the education model drove church programs. Church buildings were designed with small classrooms. Churches enlisted “teachers” and planned curriculum. Now the shift is to spiritual formation. Willow Creek has just discovered that church programs, based only on an educational model, don’t make better disciples. Spiritual formation — building in the practices of faith in everyday life — produces “self-feeders” that Bill Hybels now says he wants to produce.
3. The shift from “what does it mean” to “what does it say to me” in Scripture reading. Ancient practices like lectio divina make followers of Christ aware of what Scripture is saying to them, not just what it means in its historical setting. Paul wrote, “All Scripture God-breathed.” The old view interpreted that text as the explanation for how scripture was inspired. The new view interprets that passage as meaning God is present today in the pages of Scripture speaking to us now.
4. The shift from “hereafter” to the “here-and-now.” Following Christ is no longer just about going to heaven when you die. Rick Warren’s PEACE plan for aid to developing countries, and his ministry to those with AIDS has broadened awareness of God’s work now, not just in eternity. Care for creation, service to community, and engagement with culture are examples of good news in this life, too.
5. The shift from the individual to the community. For the past 100+ years, we’ve focused on the individual in personal salvation and spiritual growth. We now realize community is both the incubator and facilitator of our spiritual lives. New expressions of community are helping people find their calling, their passions, and a new relationship with God.
6. The shift from belief to practice. People want to actively express their spiritual life, not just agree to a set of beliefs. More church groups are now focused on “doing” rather than “talking.” In pre-industrial society, the apprentice learned by doing, not just listening or watching. The spiritual director of the ancient abbeys provided guidance in how to live, not just what to believe.
Think About This:
So what shift is your church currently making, recently made, or is in need of? Do you go to church now based on certain shifts? Would you stop going to a church if they were missing one of the shifts? In your opinion, which one of these shifts would be most difficult for you and/or others?
Way of the Pastor,
Joe Drew
I noticed that each of these points went from inward to outward. It just goes to show what happens when we "Go into the world...".
ReplyDeleteDid you follow the Willow Creek link to hear Bill Hybels talk. I would love to hear your thoughts.
ReplyDeleteDo you have a particular one you want me to hear? I would love to...
ReplyDeleteFollow the link about Willow Creek in point 2. Then, look down where it mentions Greg Hawkins and Bill Hybels and watch both clips.
ReplyDeleteMark
I think in this pop tart/microwave society, we expect everything to be easy and fast and “all about me”. We want it now and have no time for anything, except multitasking. One of the first questions we ask is “what does it do for me?” We look to quantify our ministry by preaching sermons on “if we bring in new members to the church, by year XXX then we can have YYY number of people here”.
ReplyDeleteThis is a question that came to mind in Greg Hawkins first portion of his presentation: Can we make someone become a disciple or do we have to be called to be a disciple? Jesus called his disciples, they didn’t just happen. Where in the bible does it say that we make disciples by programs or if we participate in certain church-ordained activities? If we did it that way, wouldn’t we be producing disciples like a cookie factory would great chocolate chip cookies? That is just the church promoting busyness. What happened to “be still and know…”?
In his 5 circle, people stated they were “God Centered”. Do you think it is possible that they are so “God Centered” they become self-centered out of self-preservation? They feel they are so much better than anyone that they must leave the church so they don’t get “contaminated” by the others, “…the least of these”. If they can’t get help within the church (Basileios Stoa), then who can they get help from? God can help, but they miss the point of community of believers (This concept in Christian terms has its direct antecedent in the Koine Greek translation of the Old Testament, where the noun ekklesia has been employed 96 times to denote the congregation of the Children of Israel, which Christians regard as a Type of the "Body of Christ", as they also call the Christian Church of Jesus Christ.)
I wonder if Greg Hawkins asked the same questions to the non-churched people, would they come up with relatively the same outcome. I would take an educated guess and say….yes. This is based on the fact that the church is so much mirroring society that society reflects the church. The salt has now taken on the flavor of the food, not bring out the flavor. If the church can have the same divorce rate as the non-churched, why do we think it would be any different in any other area?
I do agree with Bill Hybles view on the point of leading our people to the point where they become “self feeders”. I just don’t like the term “self feeders”. It could take on the misconceptions of becoming self-reliant. “Then he said to them all: "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.” Luke 9:23. We can’t be a follower of Bill Hybles or of our local pastor (happened in our church) or we will be severely disappointed. We need to look to God and “take up his cross daily” and “die to self”.
I agree. I think the overall point is that somewhere along the line we've lost the 'personal' of our relationship with the Lord. So, 'self feeders' didn't bother me in that sense because we are responsible to put effort into bible reading, prayer and all other spiritual practices. And for too long, the so called seasoned believers have been conditioned to just show up and get fed and that's where it ends. I'm rambling, but it puts the work of ministry in a new light for me.
ReplyDeleteWhat I got was... should we know the effectiveness of what we are doing in our church? I think that is a great idea, but I want to be careful to think that what God would be effective and what I would think would be effective. In other words, I'm not the God who created the universe, therefore... I don't liken myself to be as effective as Jesus... after all he was God and man in one.
ReplyDeleteI guess as a pastor you probably think differently than the average joe sitting in the seat. We are there to be fed in some sense, and that doesn't mean that I want it to be about me. By that I mean... I want it to be ... "What can I learn from God this day?" Of course that's not the only thing I'm thinking when I'm there. I'm also thinking... "What can I give God today?"
Let me agree with Kirby on one point... We can't follow pastors. We might become great friends with them. You are the facilitators no doubt. But again, this story that God is working on is not about you. It's not about me either. It's about the trinity, and letting them have their way with us. (The trinity that is)
Hybels is a great speaker no doubt... But it's not about him. I can see where we definitely get caught up in following the pastor, and not following Christ.
I Corinthians 3:5-15 says,
"For when one says, "I am of Paul," and another, "I am of Apollos," are you not mere men ?
3:5
What then is Apollos ? And what is Paul ? Servants through whom you believed, even as the Lord gave opportunity to each one.
3:6
I planted, Apollos watered, but God was causing the growth.
3:7
So then neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but God who causes the growth.
3:8
Now he who plants and he who waters are one; but each will receive his own reward according to his own labor.
3:9
For we are God's fellow workers; you are God's field, God's building.
3:10
According to the grace of God which was given to me, like a wise master builder I laid a foundation , and another is building on it. But each man must be careful how he builds on it.
3:11
For no man can lay a foundation other than the one which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.
3:12
Now if any man builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw,
3:13
each man's work will become evident; for the day will show it because it is to be revealed with fire, and the fire itself will test the quality of each man's work.
3:14
If any man's work which he has built on it remains, he will receive a reward.
3:15
If any man's work is burned up, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire."
I think we should be very careful how we attach ourselves to people who are in leadership. Should we love them like anyone else?... Of course we should! I'll come back to this... I need a little more time to think.