THE CHANGING FACE OF CHURCH PLANTING

 

Around the turn of this century, most American church planters were men.  This is probably still true in terms of all church plants, since these projects are disproportionately sponsored by evangelical groups.  But in the mainline denominations, the planters are diversifying.  I asked a colleague who resources planters in the Anglican Church in the UK, “What are some common traits which come to mind as you think about the really gifted church planters you work with?”  He thought for a minute, and the first response, “They’re mostly women.”

THE DISRUPTION IS JUST WARMING UP

One thing that liberals and conservatives, Americans and Pakistanis, privileged and marginalized folks can all agree upon: we are dealing with unprecedented disruptions in the world.

PROCLAIMING JUBILEE AND MAKING GRANDMA BLUSH

In my routine re-reading of Scripture, I recently came across the passage where Jesus states his core mission in terms of proclaiming release to the captives.  We have all studied the text.  It dawned on me that this looks different by context.  The spiritual liberation of people who are living under grave political injustice is going to be different from the liberation of people who are addicted to their own social privilege.

WHAT TO DO AFTER A CHURCH COLLAPSE?

Quite a few churches are dealing with a double-whammy of a church split (over something), followed by the Covid crisis – with the pandemic hitting the church while it was in a greatly weakened and disoriented state.  The split may have been over theology, politics, worship – the list is endless – but typically we hear that a significant exodus occurred, often taking the few younger members with it.

THE CONTOURS OF LAND APPEARING THROUGH THE FOG

A few weeks ago, I was interviewing Elaine Heath, a good ministry friend across the years, as she described her current ministry focus. (Click HERE for the episode)  As we chatted, it hit me that we may be coming out of the fog of transition between eras, between Christendom and the What Next.  The What Next is taking on shape and texture.  I would like to take a moment in this year-end reflection to describe the land that is coming into focus - the Church that is Rising.

GO TO BALL GAMES

 

These days, churches are more sidelined than ever in terms of being at the center of community life. Our children’s Sunday school rooms from the 1970s are mostly empty.  Post-2020, the few families with children who regularly attend on Sundays became fewer still. Even some of our died-in-the-wool folks have given up regular engagement. It is a very different world than that in which I graduated seminary 36 years ago.

THE END OF THE EVANGELICAL MOVEMENT

I was raised in a white evangelical home in America.  My family remembered early twentieth century poverty quite personally and were oriented toward social justice in our worldview.  Unionization lifted my paternal grandparents into the middle class.   In recent years, lots of almost ex-vangelicals, much younger than I am, have redefined themselves as progressive evangelical or liberal evangelical.  This has made sense to people who had robust and formative encounters with God in their youth, but whose own education and widening experience of the world beyond their childhood church has pushed them to try to re-frame their faith identity.