The Day After Yesterday November 13, 2010
Posted by Dan R. Dick in Christian discipleship, Christian witness, Core Values, Mission of the Church, Personal Reflection.Tags: Christian Community, Church Leadership, Mission & Purpose, Vision
18 comments
I will say it again: our future does not lie in our past. Trying to “become” what we once were is like trying to put the toothpaste back in the tube (a lot more trouble than it is worth). Why can’t we be the church we were in the 50s or 70s? Well, a lot of reasons. We are no longer a big duck in a small pond — there are hundreds of alternative “churches” we weren’t in competition with back then. We have a much greater social conscience than we did in the 50s — look at our Social Principles. We are no longer defined by missional service and evangelism — we’ve gotten complacent in our old age. We were assimilated into the “Church Growth” collective mindset of the late 20th century and have never recovered. Our culture and Western world has evolved and isn’t looking for the same things from us. We stopped having as many kids, so our Sunday schools dwindled (still the best way to have a booming Sunday school — grow your own! Just add water…). Competition for time, energy, and entertainment value has shifted. Sunday school or soccer? Tae Kwon Do or choir? American Idol or Church Council?
