Emerging Clues to the Future

Source: Bill Easum, ASCG, November 10, 2000

Leadership on the OtherSide, Abingdon, 2000

In the Wormhole

“Liberal/conservative” doesn’t matter any more

What denomination you’re a part of doesn’t matter anymore

All that matters is that one is revolutionary in the way mission is carried out

Questions:

What will ministry look like on the other side?

We’ll have lots of questions once we understand that America is a mission field, such as:

What is the difference between “being missional” (postmodern) and “doing evangelism” (modern)?

What’s the difference between being a pastor and a cross cultural missionary?

More questions for ministry in an organic worldview:

How will we communicate the Gospel when salvation means far more than transformation of “my” soul?

What will church look like without programs and committees?

What will authority look like in a non-institutional, deconstructed world?

More questions …

What does it mean to live in a world where spirituality is more important than credentials?

Can we imagine evangelism that is not carried out in the context of “conquest?” Where Christianity is no longer in the center of the world

but on the fringe

How do leaders lead without control?

More questions …

What will Christianity look like when no longer defined by the book?

Members know more about the Bible than about Jesus

“The Bible says” no longer carries weight with non-members

How do we help people embody spirituality instead of just getting more Bible info?

How do we transition from handing out data that informs to offering an experience that transforms?

The Key to it All

What is it about our relationship with Jesus that the world cannot live without knowing?

15 Mega Clues to What’s Coming in our Culture

1. In an organic world, the growth of people replaces the management of institutions.

15 Mega Clues

2. Ultimate truth is being replaced by multiple forms of truth.

My claims of a “Truth monopoly” on faith is laughed away as tribal

15 Mega Clues

3. Anti-institutional sentiment continues to grow.

Churches will become smaller and more varied in character

But not like the dysfunctional small church of today

15 Mega Clues

4. We are witnessing the interaction of the sciences and theology.

It is no longer enough to read just theology

15 Mega Clues

5. The internet will continue to grow and become the primary form of info, commerce, and networking.

Teaching, worship, communication in church will also morph

15 Mega Clues

6. Communication and education are entering the visual, experiential, and interactive world of reality.

“Experience” now the foundation of learning

Not “content”

Not literal but metaphorical

15 Mega Clues

7. Authority now must be earned by the individual.

How one lives before others determines authority

• Not educational credentials, political chips, etc.

15 Mega Clues

8. The people are moving to the cities.

Church planting in metro areas

15 Mega Clues

9. The boats are no longer coming from Europe.

In such a world, “multi-culti” ministry is essential

15 Mega Clues

10. Intuitive, paradoxical, “fuzzy” and emotional awareness of the tribal-think are replacing rational, linear thought.

15 Mega Clues

11. Biogenetics will replace gay rights, abortion, and gender issues.

Which clone has the soul?

Which clone is the real person?

In such a world, “My genes made me do it”

15 Mega Clues

12. Society will become more hostile to local congregations and more open to spirituality.

Only high-commitment churches will do well in this squeeze

Not churches that focus on “membership”

15 Mega Clues

13. Anti-institutionalism will affect affiliation.

Community, not membership

Empowerment, not delegation

15 Mega Clues

14. The world is running out of world-class leaders.

15 Mega Clues

15. Consumerism continues to grow unabated.

How do we reach out without selling out?

26 Leadership Implications for the Church in this Emerging Culture

1. Our greatest needs are for leaders who can provide an atmosphere in which other people are transformed and empowered to follow Jesus and become leaders.

In a world of speed, blur, and flux

Becoming a “leader of leaders” Not a “leader of followers”

26 Leadership Implications

2. “Who will I mentor today?” instead of “What will I do today?”

“To be” is postmodern; “to do” is modern

“Who will I discover?” instead of “what is my job description?”

DNA embedding rather than “to do” list

How many others can I equip?

26 Leadership Implications

3. The clash between the Old and the New will continue for at least two more decades.

Those who worship the church vs. those who worship Jesus

1 Corinthians 9:22 methodology

26 Leadership Implications

4. Churches that know where they’re going and why will do best.

Culturally relevant and biblically sound

Issues of values, identity, security, relationships, and purpose will be paramount

26 Leadership Implications

5. Growing segments of Christianity will rediscover first-century Christianity.

Retro-future

26 Leadership Implications

6. Talking about God isn’t enough in a pagan society; one must be passionately committed to Jesus.

26 Leadership Implications

7. Indigenous worship and lay ministries must grow.

Language and technology of the people

Are you stealing ministry from people?

26 Leadership Implications

8. Church planting will be the primary mission of the church, and behavior modification will be the main focus of preaching and teaching.

26 Leadership Implications

9. All leaders will be equipped to be “fractal.”

Embedding DNA, self-replicating

First group for church plants key

26 Leadership Implications

10. Permission-giving will make it all flow and go.

Living out spiritual gifts without having to ask permission from a centralized authority

Democracy, voting, and representation are being replaced by leadership, prayer, and a demonstrated life

“Doers” & “deciders” are the same people

26 Leadership Implications

11. Everything is measured by the Prime Directive.

If it doesn’t further The Mission, then quit doing it

Innovation and risk-taking thus a normal part of life

26 Leadership Implications

12. Reaching an area or people-group is replacing the present focus on growing local churches.

26 Leadership Implications

13. Trans-denominational efforts to reach large metro areas will replace an emphasis on growing local institutions.

The goal is to transform the city spiritually and socially

Measurements move from “church size” to “percentage of penetration of a city”

26 Leadership Implications

14. The number of deeply committed Christians will increase, while % of nominal/cultural church members will decrease.

“Covenant” will be the gateway to affiliation and leadership

26 Leadership Implications

15. “Succession issues” will plague the megachurch and modern church for the next couple of decades.

26 Leadership Implications

16. Multi-site churches will become the norm.

Death of “place” as “mission” becomes more important

26 Leadership Implications

17. Multi-track churches will become the norm among established, healthy churches.

Multiple tracks for modern, boomer, and postmodern worshippers

Also education, pastoral care, nurture

“Niche” churches among church plants

Beyond h.u.p. to congealed salads

26 Leadership Implications

18. Established denominations will continue to decline while loosely associated groups will emerge.

Market share is shrinking and an “age-mesa” is approaching

When 60% of your people are over 60, you have 3 decades till death

Parachurches will put denominations out of the curriculum resourcing business

And into the “planting” business

26 Leadership Implications

19. Thriving churches will remain in denominations only if seen as “teaching churches.”

26 Leadership Implications 20. Worship will no

longer be “traditional” vs. “contemporary,” but Eastern and Western

“Mystical” & “high-tech”

Images and the arts as important as music

Sensory

26 Leadership Implications

21. Preaching will be more Q/A and conversational.

Beyond the “information dump” and monologue

26 Leadership Implications

22. Food, drink, and conversation are in.

The New Architecture: enormous foyers

Coffee-house or tea-room discussion

26 Leadership Implications

23. Many (or most?) of the pastors will be women.

Who understand and navigate this new world intuitively

26 Leadership Implications

24. Cyber-churches may be a new form of mega-church.

Key question: can you find authentic community online?

Just because I am “in your face” doesn’t mean we’re in community

26 Leadership Implications

25. Social ministries will flourish as the government abandons (including social security).

If you can’t count votes ….

Congregations again have social opportunities

26 Leadership Implications

26. Teams will replace committees.

Co-pastors emerging as a prime form of leadership

Logical result of permission-giving church

Churches will compensate entire teams rather than individuals

• And let the team decide how to distribute

Conclusion

The future belongs to those who can change the fastest and easiest for the purpose of growing disciples who can reach disciples.

Emerging Clues to the Future

Dr. John P. Chandler

The Ray and Ann Spence Network for Congregational Leadership

www.rasnet.org Copy Right John P. Chandler, 2001