CLM - In Our Midst Resource

As the graphic indicates, we are now in a transitional period. The younger a person is, the more he or she will only know or be influenced by postmodern culture. Thus, the Gen-X people (born 1965 to 1983), along with the Millennials (born 1984 to today) will be operating more with postmodern values and perceptions. But these values and perceptions also influence older generations, like the Baby Boomers (born 1946 to 1964) and Builders (born 1925 to 1945). Brian McLaren, author of The Church on the Other Side, shared at the 2001 National Pastors Convention that up to 40 percent of Boomers live by postmodern values. As the older generations die, modernism, as it's known today, will fade away.

WHAT POSTMODERNS ARE LOOKING FOR

One of the longings for postmodern people is to have experiences. They want to experience life, in its many forms, not just hear about it or watch it on television. For example, a restaurant called Rain Forest Café is spreading across the country. Upon entering, you might think it's Disneyland. There are live birds performing tricks, 3-D monkeys, and elephant heads on the walls moving with appropriate sounds and lighting effects. A waterfall flows and sprinklers create "rain" over artificial plants. The main purpose of going there isn't to eat, but to be entertained and experience the atmosphere.

There are many other types of businesses that are trying to feed this postmodern longing, including new theme parks, IMAX, and 3-D theaters.

Another longing is for more choices, conveniences, and customization. Forty years ago, there were two types of hamburgers: with or without cheese. How many different ways can you get a hamburger today? Only one or two movies played at the theater during the same week 40 years ago. How many theaters are there in a single complex today? Fifteen? Twenty-five? Thirty? How many cell phone covers are there to customize the way yours looks? Our culture demands more choices, more conveniences, more customization.

A third longing is for community. Postmodern people highly value being with others. In the '60s, Simon and Garfunkle had a hit song, "I Am a Rock." The lyrics talked about the toughness of an individual to be strong all by oneself. That song was like an anthem for modernism. Modernism taught that individually we should all be strong, to make it "all by myself." To lean upon others was a sign of weakness. But like a rubber band that can't be stretched any farther toward individualism, people today are being pulled back into community. Being with others to learn, decide, and discern, and thereby experience life together, is important for postmodernists.

WHAT POSTMODERNS ENJOY IN CHURCH

To reach postmodernists a nearby church started a service last fall called "Flood." Three weeks after it started 500 people were attending. Six months later, 900 people are attending and they are thinking of holding a second service. The attenders range in age from junior high to mid-30s, with a sprinkling of 40s and even 50s.

As with many other successful postmodern churches, worship is held at night. The sanctuary is mostly dark and cloth is draped on the walls. Candles burn in various locations. Drama and multimedia presentations (including Powerpoint and video clips) are used. Music is provided by a loud band. Dress is very casual. This is one of many churches who are successfully reaching out to postmoderns in their community. Successful churches have learned that their specific ministries need to be birthed from the unique context of their community.

WHAT POSTMODERNS VALUE IN CHURCH

Many values have been discovered by churches who are reaching out to postmodern people. Here is a list adapted from a recent seminar on "Rethinking Church for Postmodern Generations" by Dan Kimball.

Worship

The goal of worship is to help people experience God and understand the theme of the service through multiple participatory experiences. Worship is a place where one expects not only to learn about God, but to meet and experience God's presence.
Services need to be designed to be experiential and spiritual/mystical. Getting people involved and in touch with the "Who" of worship is most important. Some have created worship centers around the room for people to focus on prayer, inspirational readings, or visual displays.
Stained glass, crosses, and other ancient Christian symbols are brought into the service through music videos or slides flashing on a screen. This can promote a sense of reverence.
Tables are sometimes used to promote the feeling of community during worship. Seating is designed to help the participants focus on each other instead of a stage.
Darkness is valued as it displays a sense of spirituality. It also helps participants focus on screens or other lighted areas. Further, it helps to free people to express their emotions during worship without feeling like others might be watching them.

Preaching

The sermon is not the focal point of worship, but one part of the total "experience."
Preaching leans toward being narrative, instead of prepositional. It encourages the listener to experience or try God out by suggesting spiritual exercises.
The emphasis is placed on explaining "Who" is truth, rather than "what" is truth.
Because of the movies and other media, biblical terminology, like angels, gospel, and Armageddon, need to be deconstructed and redefined.
The message is a mix of speaking, visuals, art, testimony, and story.

Spiritual Formation

Discipleship is holistic. Postmodern people want a gospel that touches the whole person—not just the mind, but also the body, soul, and emotions.
Ministries are set in place to help be a guide for the spiritual journey, but not to be the journey itself.
Small groups provide a place of intimacy and stability. Many postmodernists grew up in single-parent families and broken homes.
Rather than being a book to help solve problems, the Bible is seen as a compass and a means to experience God.
Growing in discipleship is a community experience. We learn God's truth by learning together.
Spiritual formation occurs mainly through experiential and participatory learning instead of presentation and teaching.

Leadership

Leaders are participants on the journey and say, "I'll lead as we solve this together," instead of "Look to me, I have a plan."
Power is diffused through many.
Instead of being hierarchal in nature, leadership is interconnected, like a spider web.
Leadership is relationship driven, not goals driven. How the journey is traveled is more important than the destination.
Diversity is valued.
Trust and relationship, rather than position and role, give the right to lead.

IS IT TIME TO THINK DIFFERENTLY?

If the sociologists are right about cultural change, most churches need to rethink the way they carry out ministry and evangelism. The shift from modernism to postmodernism provides tremendous challenges. The change in world views—from looking at life and faith through the lenses of reason, logical progression, and evidential proofs to a more holistic, mystical, and experiential view of Christianity and life—is very exciting. Postmodernism is a wake-up call to leave the old patterns of superficial, intellectual, and linear-thinking Christianity.

Stanley Grenz stated in a web magazine that "The ultimate key (in reaching postmodern people) is 'community.' The best apologetic we have in the postmodern context is the vibrant local community of disciples who are loyal to Christ, that is, a community in which the power of the Spirit is transforming relationships. As many of my friends in the Inter-Varsity Christian Fellowship tell me, postmodern people are converted to the community before they are converted to Christ."

Creating a loving, hospitable community has always been an important value among the Brethren. It is a value that can help us reach this new culture. We need to model real, honest, and caring relationships to help postmodernists experience Christ's love. They want to see the gospel lived out in people through wholesome and genuine relationships. In Christianity Today, Catherine Crouch makes the point: "You might be the only Bible anyone reads, the only Jesus anyone sees."

CONCLUSION

How can we think differently about church and evangelism? Brian McLaren, author of The Church on the Other Side, writes, ". . . if we have a new world (postmodern), we will need a new church. We won't need a new religion per se, but a new framework for our theology. Not a new Spirit, but a new spirituality. Not a new Christ, but a new Christian. Not a new denomination, but a new kind of church in every denomination."

QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION

What changes is God calling forth from us to reach postmodern people now and in the future?
How can you and your congregation think differently about reaching out to others?
What values does your church hold in common with postmodern people?
Which of the values named would you lift up and use to reach postmodern people?
What values would your church be willing to develop?
How is God calling you to reach this new culture?

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Books

Gibbs, Eddie. Church Next, Quantum Changes in How We Do Ministry. InterVarsity Press, 2000.

Grenz, Stanley J. A Primer on Postmodernism. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1996.

McLaren, Brian D. The Church on the Other Side: Doing Ministry in the Postmodern Matrix. Zondervan Press, 2000.

Sweet, Leonard. Post-Modern Pilgrims: First Century Passion for the 21st Century Church. Broadman & Holman, 2000.

Articles/Seminars

Catherine Crouch in a panel interview, Christianity Today, November 13, 2000.

Stanley J. Grenz. "Engaging Our Postmodern Culture." Next Wave (a monthly web magazine for Christian leaders), May 1999. Interviewed by Rogier Bos. www.next-wave.org.

Dan Kimball. "Rethinking Church for Postmodern Generations." National Pastors Convention, February 2001.

Churches

Community of Joy (Church of the Brethren), Salisbury, Md. Pastors Martin and Sharon Hutchison; www.joyfilled.com; 410-548-9930.

Cornerstone Christian Fellowship (Church of the Brethren), Lebanon, Pa. Pastor Robert Krouse; www.cornerstonelebanon.com; 717-279-5683.

Axis@Willowcreek Community Church, South Barrington, Ill. (a life-stage outreach service); www.generationaxis.com.

Flood: College Avenue Baptist Church, San Diego, Calif, (multi-congregational); www.cabc.org and www.bottomlinesd.com/links.htm.

Other Web Resources

Faithmaps: A website that contains tools for navigating theology, leadership discipleship and church life in postmodernity; www.faithmaps.org.

The Ooze: A wonderful site filled with lots of information and articles on postmodern ministry; www.theooze.com.

Next-Wave: A monthly e-zine on postmodern culture and the church; www.next-wave.org.

Carol Yeazell of Orlando, Fla., is a staff member of the General Board's Congregational Life Teams. She has formerly served as a district executive and is heavily involved in ministering to the Hispanic community.

Part Two: Current Cultural Understandings
America's Fabric Is Showing More Patches
by Carol Yeazell

How do we, as the church, view our new neighbors who are different from us? Can we see them as our sisters and brothers? If so, then we can begin to see what we must do to build bridges.

The ethnic landscape in the United States is changing rapidly these days. After the immigration of people from Western Europe, China, and Africa displaced the original Native Americans, the population makeup seemed to settle for some years. However, the cultural landscape is no longer static.

The latest census figures show that the Vietnamese population grew by 83 percent in the last ten years. Additional growth has occurred among Mexicans (53 percent), Puerto Ricans (25 percent), and Cubans (19 percent). In some areas of the country, the Hispanic population now exceeds that of "white" as listed on the US census form. The Asian population also continues to experience tremendous growth.

More and more locations around the country are becoming culturally diverse. William Frey, a demographer with the Milken Institute and think tank in California, introduces the term "melting-pot metro." "The phrase defines an area where the population gains are derived mostly from immigration or minority groups, rather than non-Hispanic whites," he explains. He says that Miami is already considered a melting-pot metro, and Orlando may be on the way to becoming one.

With the influx of diverse groupings, the US faces a continued time of transition. The ethnic patchwork is most obvious in small towns and the rural countryside, in contrast to the cities that have long experienced ethnic diversity. For example, rural communities are finding ever increasing numbers of Hispanics, due to the attraction of seasonal harvesting. Many stay because of the spin-offs from farming, such as meat-packing plants.

TOO CLOSE TO HOME

With the influx of immigrating individuals and families, our human nature tends to build walls of distrust. We might be less suspicious if only one or two new neighbors looked and spoke differently than we do. As their numbers mount, they may establish their own stores and restaurants, their own media, their own sites for carrying on religious traditions.

There is also in human nature a tendency to seek out only people who are "our own kind."

We can place blame on the many changes in society, but not wanting to lose one's identity is certainly high on that list. The loss of much that has been commonplace creates an urgency to cling to what remains. For many, language and family are part of the remaining pieces.

It is not different for people of faith. Everyone wants to be a part of a church where one can be understood, where others hold similar values, and where the style of worship allows one to glorify God in such a manner that is life-giving.

So, the questions arise: How do we, as the church, view our new neighbors who speak different languages, who differ in the cultural values and norms that guide their lives? Can we see them as our sisters and brothers . . . as family? If so, then we can begin to see what we must do to build bridges that connect us as one.

In talking with three Christian brothers, a Korean, a Haitian, and an Hispanic, I gleaned some interesting insights. Each said that worshiping in a native tongue has, and will be, critical to all first-generation believers. It allows a sense of unity to be present when they are a gathered people. Yet, as children are born in the US and become seekers, the church needs to relate to them in English so that they are not lost to the faith community. The mantle of leadership must be relinquished by the first generation or the church will die! Already the Haitian congregations in the Church of the Brethren are worshiping in more than one language.

These brothers further observed that when the existing church of a community, usually represented by "black" or "white," is open and willing to relate to others, unity comes more quickly to that community. Getting to know other people begins to erase barriers that previously existed. In other words, both parties must accept one another for churches to grow!

BUILDING BRIDGES

A key way for people to become acquainted is for them to work together. A serious need for newcomers in our country is to learn English. Teaching or tutoring someone can become the stepping stone not only for language enrichment, but for cultural understanding. Friendships can be built. We can begin to see that our neighbors have the same basic desires and needs that we have. Suddenly, they are no longer the strangers whom we once feared. Similarly, their fears also begin to fade away. Where better than the church for this sharing to take place!

Working in the community in joint mission outreach or service projects not only improves the lives of the broader community, but strengthens the groups who get involved. When we get to know people on a personal level, we may learn about the difficulties they face. Doing projects together allows for friendships to form and grow. Thus, our service becomes a true hands-on expression to another brother and sister of the faith. How joyful it is to reunite with a person with whom you worked a few short weeks ago. The world doesn't seem so large anymore, because the language of love has significantly narrowed it.

For established churches to assist and encourage newer ethnic faith communities, or to reach across racial groupings, is a wonderful way to build bridges. The established church may become the spiritual mother for new work evolving in our communities, but it should take care to foster mutuality, not paternalism.

CONCLUSION

An African-American sister challenges us: "The mistake is trying to maintain an homogeneous state. Never has there been a better opportunity to work at cross-cultural relationships. Clearly if we do not do it, the church is going to die."

It is time we become intentional about reaching out. We cannot stay isolated. We should make every effort to be inclusive. This means finding worship styles that perhaps are different, but still contain the important values of the Brethren. Particularly, blended services containing several cultural understandings of how to worship would be a start. It also means finding common denominators for the "here and now" that bind us together.

The ethnic patchwork is likely to become more checkered in the future because the landscape is no longer static. Reaching out in each of our communities with acts of kindness is a first step to acknowledging, "We want to get to know you and have you become a part of our community life." By giving a cup of cold water in Jesus' name, we can open the church doors and say, "Come, you are welcome here." It is up to the local church to decide in what form or format the cup of cold water is given. With God's Spirit guiding us, we will find the right answers.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Padilla, Maria T. "Central Florida's Ethic Patchwork Grows." Orlando Sentinel Metro, May 15, 2001.

Jim Kinsey of Lake Odessa, Mich., is a former district executive, pastor, and General Board staff member.

Part Two: Current Cultural Understandings
Newness Comes to Brown's Chapel
by Jim Kinsey

I see a new day when Brethren will celebrate the family-sized congregation as the bedrock of the Church of the Brethren, plant additional family-sized congregations, and help them grow.

The members of Brown's Chapel Church of the Brethren on Little Vale Road sing "New earth, heavens new" on page 299 of Hymnal: A Worship Book. They are proud to be in the mainstream of the denomination with both hymnal and organizational structure as Annual Conference has ordained. Some seem excited as they sing. Most sing without a trace of recognition that a "new thing" is already among them. Like it or not, the new, postmodern world is upon them. It is affecting how they think, act, and do congregational business.

Pastor Brumbaugh leads them in thinking about the hymn on page 323, with the refrain "I see a new world coming." Most of the pew-sitters, if not all, seem not to notice that a new world is here, affecting them profoundly, shaping their future and how they feel about themselves. Either they don't know that it is upon them or they are ignoring it for the time being.

The postmodern world and traditional evangelism are on a collision course. The postmodern world is skeptical of all things that claim "certainty." One only has to look in any particular neighborhood to see that it is hard to tell who is "saved" and who is not. There are good people who make a positive difference in our neighborhoods, yet they are nonbelievers. On the other hand, there are people who claim to be Christians but are mean and hard to relate to. Because of the latter, it is difficult to give solid reasons why others should "become new creations" when some Christians may not exhibit hints of being that themselves.

The postmodern world is one that sees everything in context. As Christians, we must deliver what we promise or we are not to be trusted. Morality is an example. One act that would be unthinkable in one place is applauded in another. For Brethren, we cannot understand how murder for the state is given rewards while murder for other reasons is given the death penalty. Issues such as these leave our postmodern world questioning what people are being "saved" for and from.

The postmodern world has a cutting sense of humor about those who take themselves far too seriously. All things religious are seen as "irony" in a world that has no singular context or moral base. Ritual is seen as folly when it does not touch base with the real world as we experience it daily.

The postmodern world highly values "my experience" above all objective thoughts and values. When giving our opinion on most issues, we say things like, "Yes, but my experience is . . . ." We all do this because we see the world from our own backgrounds and personal experiences. In the world where we live, there is a demanding rush to do new and bizarre things. Just look at reality television and see what "survives"! Personal experiences are the focus, but not to be made a universal theory or truth. Without universalized truth, however, traditional evangelism has no base from which to work. We can preach in the streets till the cows come home and not get a hearing.

The postmodern world is also highly individualistic. A sense of community, of togetherness, is rare. Once in a blue moon, we feel it. But it is only there for a moment and then seems to be gone. Any attempts to reproduce past experiences, claim them as "ours," or tame them for future use end in futility. For example, mountaintop experiences like Annual Conference, National Youth Conference, or National Older Adult Conference can never be replicated in local settings, no matter how hard we try. It is unfortunate, however, that we become cynical while on those mountaintops and have no desire to share the good times when we return home.

Brown's Chapel feels all of this while it sings songs of the new! As the members sit for prayer, the rafters seem to shout "failure" to them. Not long ago there were 165 souls in worship. Today, there are only 45 in attendance and a dinner is planned after worship to send the Brendlemeirs off to Arizona for retirement. Fears abound because the Brendlemeirs' financial giving has kept the institution afloat. Not long ago, people at Brown's Chapel had a full-time pastor. Today, they share one with two other like sized fellowships. In the past, their children stayed in the congregation, raising grandchildren and great-grandchildren, but now there are only a few young adults still living in the neighborhood who show up for worship. And most of them don't give anything financially. Not too long ago the church building was new and there was a sense of pride in everyone. Now, much maintenance is needed and the pride has given way to just playing catch-up on anything that needs emergency care.

Brown's Chapel is legion. Deficit thinking is everywhere: "We do not have enough to . . . ." You fill in the blanks. The belief that we would progress from one plateau of church life to another has eroded. Now life is a struggle just to keep even. As the members in their personal life cycles move over the hill toward older age, the thinking goes with it: Who will inherit this mess? How will we keep going? Where is the larger church and why doesn't it care about our plight?

LOOKING TO A NEW DAY—HEAVENS NEW!

What is the postmodern world saying to us that just might be the word of God? It is time to distinguish between real Christianity, the call of God for the church, and the cultural idols we have accepted. Let us take some of the pointed criticism of this present age and look keenly at what is basic to the New Testament's design for the church. Will it be the church of Peter with all its pomp and circumstance, or will it be the church of John, a spiritual entity with little earthly form? We must decide somewhere on that continuum!

Through its humor and rejection of our present religious pomp, the postmodern world is showing us that we need to reestablish humility in a real and positive manner as part of the Christian lifestyle. We also need to understand the present quest for spirituality and aggressively work with it, becoming a body of seekers in a world of seekers, and reaffirm our faith as a real option in an uncertain world.

As an evangelical denomination, Brethren must affirm and claim the following:

As Christ died on the cross for us all, we are given everything we need to be the church in the world. We must repent of any and all deficit thinking. If we do not repent, we will be just as needy as those we hope to rescue. However, if we do, we will have the confidence needed to tackle our common life situations an together find hope and new life.
There is an intense call for each congregation to focus on a mission. The mission is to make a difference in our neighborhoods, not just to keep our institutions alive and going. Each small membership congregation must look outside of itself and fulfill its mission together. The roles of the church board and leadership are to help each member find ways of putting their gifts and talents to work, thus, carrying out the church's mission.

This is a new format for evangelism, but the basic principles go back to the New Testament when Jesus called people to join him in an identifiable mission. This format calls people into an ongoing mission with the rest of the body, rather than calling people into an institution—to do and be an institution. As we call others, we need to train, support, and build community in order to do the work together.
Celebration is central to the new church. Use of the arts, of all the senses, and a style of community life where praises abound for Jesus, the Holy Spirit, and one another is a must. This celebration lifts up the strengths of the body gathered in worship and mission. Never once do we remind ourselves of our weaknesses or what we cannot do. This positive celebration is basic to "New man, woman, too . . . ."
Bible study and spiritual growth take place in the new church right in the midst of training for and reflecting on the mission we are doing. This is valuable for the children, youth, young adults, homebuilders, middle-aged, and senior members of the congregation. The word of God is used to discern what God is calling us to do and to be.
Leadership is discerned, supported, and key to the new church. God anoints individuals to lead well and give support to others in need of training. Godly leaders facilitate, not dictate! They are recognized as people full of the Holy Spirit, people who can model how personal and congregational growth takes place. They must be able to reach their contemporary audience!
Finally, our organization must be framed around what we need to complete our mission, not vice versa. Simplification is the catchword here. Keep the maintenance structures very simple. Liberate people to be in mission, not bound to "endless meeting times." Give people permission to form groups on their own to do the mission as they feel led. Repent of the "control" model of church board work. Rather, use a simplified board structure to give resources to the members so that you can accomplish the mission together.

The church that feels good about itself and its faith focus is evangelistic and growing. As with a garden planted in good soil, given adequate fertilizer, and receiving energizing rains, growth happens, fruits are given, and seeds for a new day come in due season.

I see a new day coming when we will celebrate the family-sized congregation as the bedrock of the Church of the Brethren, I see a new day coming when we will plant additional family-sized congregations and help them grow. I see a new day coming when we will repent and cast off our gloomy deficit thinking. Finally, I see a new day coming when we will focus on ways to serve and bring healing to our neighborhoods, being a powerful force for good, life, and faith among the neighbors we have been given. May the Lord lead us and help us!

Allen Hansell of Elizabethtown, Pa., is the director of ministry, Church of the Brethren General Board. He has formerly served as a pastor and as a district executive.

Part Two: Current Cultural Understandings
Church Sizes and Staffing for Growth
by Allen Hansell

Without strategic planning that opens up the church to change, a congregation has in effect decided to stay as it is. A de facto decision not to grow is as real as an intentional one.

A church of any size is the right size, and any sized church can attract and assimilate new members, Arlin J. Rothauge asserts in Sizing Up a Congregation for New Member Ministry. He proposes, however, that the most effective means of carrying out a new-member ministry varies with the size of the congregation.

How does the Rothauge hypothesis apply to congregations in the Church of the Brethren, especially to our small membership churches with fewer than 100 in weekly worship? Does the size of the congregation determine whether or not it can attract and assimilate new members?

First, let's examine the numbers. The denomination's 1,097 congregations (based on data supplied by district executives in 2000) size up as follows:

329 (30 percent) are Family-sized churches (50 members or less)
472 (43 percent) are Pastoral-sized churches (51 to 150 members)
230 (21 percent) are Program-sized churches (151 to 350 members)
66 (6 percent) are Corporate-sized churches (351 or more members)

The Church of the Brethren has 801 congregations (73 percent) with 150 or fewer members. The average worship attendance for a congregation of 150 members averages approximately 100 per week.

Rothauge believes that all of these churches are capable of growth, but that growth is not occurring in the first two types, family and pastoral churches. Indeed, these churches, especially the pastoral-sized churches, have been declining in membership for the past 40 years.

Why? Church growth does not occur by adopting mission and vision statements, or by verbal commitments to evangelism, no matter how lofty. Church growth involves the hard work of strategic planning, the desire for diversity, and the painful decision to embrace substantive changes in structure, attitudes, and programming, all in an honest effort to meet the needs of the current and potential members.

FAMILY-SIZED CHURCH

This congregation is cherished by its members. It is often characterized by caring, intimacy, and a feeling of belonging. However, it is very difficult to get in if you are an outsider. This small church family is often controlled by a single family, with decisions made by patriarchs and matriarchs. If it has a pastor at all, the role is that of a chaplain. New members are adopted into the family, usually through marriage, or they are born into families of existing members. A church of this size seldom grows. It may stay the same size for many years, but it eventually ceases to exist because age catches up to the members.

Most of these small churches in our denomination are located in rural areas where the population is declining, so there is less opportunity to grow even if there is a desire to grow. As a matter of strategy, however, most of these small churches have decided that they are the "right" size; to grow would change familial relationships and patterns.

The only way this sized church can grow is for it to make an intentional decision to open itself up to new relationships, to welcome change, and to staff for growth. The family-sized church must be willing to limit the power and authority of patriarchs and matriarchs and delegate leadership responsibilities to the pastor. New members must be invited in, assimilated into the family, and not treated with suspicion as outsiders until they "prove their loyalty."

PASTORAL-SIZED CHURCH

Nearly half of our congregations are pastoral-sized. The membership ranges from 51 to 150, with the average worship attendance of 100 weekly. Studies indicate that this church is a single-pastor operation, and the congregation falls into part-time pastoral service if the average attendance falls below 75 This sized church is common among most denominations. It has replaced the familial style with a little more diversity; there is less control by patriarchs and matriarchs; the pastor is often professionally trained; and the church offers a greater amount of programming than the family church. The pastor, who stands at the center of this congregation, is the preacher, administrator, central caregiver, visitor, and the one who officiates at social occasions like funerals and weddings.

Members in this system are usually well cared for, especially if there is a high level of trust between the pastor and the laity. There are, however, a couple of serious weaknesses in this pastor-centered system.

First, this type of congregation frequently has the attitude that it has "hired" a person to do ministry for it, and the members can be quite critical of the pastor if the ministry is not done to their liking. Secondly, studies show that one pastor cannot minister adequately to more than 150 members. And, thirdly, this sized church often cannot provide a well-rounded program that is desired by most people who are looking to join a church. Some Sunday school classes, for example, may not have more than one or two children or youth in their respective age groups.

Without strategic planning, this congregation is not likely to grow beyond its present size. Indeed, this church is destined for decline. The pastor cannot care for any more members, and the lay folks are often unwilling to be in ministry with the pastor. In short, this church is exactly like everyone wants it to be, and it will stay that way regardless of what the creative mission/vision statements say.

In order for this sized church to grow, it has to be willing to break out of the status quo. It will have to staff for growth and begin offering a wider variety of programs that seek to meet the needs of members and the wider community around the church building. Staffing for growth does not necessarily mean calling another professionally trained pastor, although it could mean that. It most certainly means that lay folks must be willing to become part of the pastoral team by becoming equipped to do ministry. Areas might include caregiving, visitation to current members and potential new members, small group ministries, special age-groups, and service ministries in and for the community.

The Apostle Paul writes in Ephesians 4:11 that the primary role of ministerial leaders, such as pastors, is to equip the members to do ministry. A congregation will decline when the members do not want to be in ministry themselves, but rely totally on the one they have "hired" to do it for them.

PROGRAM-SIZED CHURCH

A church has grown to this size because it was willing to change. Approximately 230 (21 percent) of our congregations are in this category. They have multiple pastoral staff, one of whom has to be an able administrator to keep the system functioning smoothly.

This congregation is very strong in programming. Someone has said this church "finds a need and meets it and finds a hurt and heals it." Through strategic planning, the program-sized church learns to know its community and plans programs to meet those needs. It may offer multiple worship services and provide varied programs for families, senior citizens, and single adults. These individual programs may be planned and managed by professional staff or skilled lay members who have a passion for an area of ministry. New members are attracted to the church by programs that meet their needs. Strategic planning involves paying special attention to funding needs, calling and equipping the needed staff (professional and lay), and making sure there is enough space to house the programs. Program-sized churches are growing in our denomination.

CORPORATE-SIZED CHURCH

We do not have very many of these churches. Many Brethren tend to feel uncomfortable in a church of this size (351+ members). Large congregations seem impersonal to us. And yet, a 350- to 600-member church is still quite small in comparison to a family-based Roman Catholic parish of 3,000.

What we don't seem to realize and appreciate is the fact that a corporate-sized church contains within itself a number of pastoral-sized churches that offer a wide variety of programs. Therefore, one can receive excellent pastoral care and feel very close to a large number of people. We do not need to know and be intimate with everyone in the church, as Brethren often think. As a matter of fact, we cannot manage close friendships with very many people. Even in a small pastoral-sized church, most people are good friends with fewer than 20 percent of the members. Corporate-sized churches get to be that size because they appreciate diversity, change, and creative new ministries. They operate on the assumption that new members are expected, wanted, and needed. Our corporate-sized churches are growing and tend to be very healthy.

Based on a membership of approximately 140,000 people, 76,000 of those members are in program and corporate-sized churches. That is to say, 54 percent of our members are in 27 percent (296) of our congregations.

CONCLUSION

Without strategic planning that opens up the church to change and the willingness to move toward the next level of growth, a congregation, regardless of its rhetoric, has in effect decided to stay as it is. A de facto decision not to grow is as real as an intentional one.

BIBLICAL TEXTS TO EXPLORE

Matthew 28:16-20
	The Great Commission
1 Corinthians 12
	The church is the body of Christ.
Ephesians 4:1-7,11-16
	We are all called to be ministers; some ministers are called out to be leaders and to equip others.
Galatians 3:23-29
	All are one in Christ.

QUESTIONS TO EXPLORE

Which size is your congregation: Family, Pastoral, Program, or Corporate?
What size church do you prefer?
Has the size of your congregation changed over the past 10 years? 15? 25? If so, up or down?
Does your congregation have a strategic plan for change and growth? If yes, are you familiar with it? Is it accepted by the whole church? If no, why not?
What does the Great Commission in Matthew 28 mean to you? to your congregation?
How do you define church growth and evangelism? How are the two terms different? How are the two terms similar?
What will you do with what you have learned in this class?

BIBLIOGRAPHY

To reach people of all generations, we need to make ministry decisions based on an understanding of the needs and attitudes of the various age groupings.

Remember the term "generation gap"? I first heard it in the late 1960s. It originally referred to the differences and conflicts between baby boomers, like me, and our parents. When a family conflict arose, our parents might have said, "Why can't you think like me? Why must we have a generation gap?" They were not the last to wonder about generational differences.

Sociological research has delineated the attitudes, values, and lifestyle differences between five different generations living in our nation today. That research provides us with helpful clues about why some churches are failing to reach certain age groups.

Many congregations have more gray-haired people attending than those with other "natural" colors. In other congregations, there might be multiple generations of people participating, but one or more is missing. For example, you might have several people 50 years of age and older, and some 25 years of age and lower. But, there are only a few in their 30s and 40s.

The time of "one-size-fits-all" mentality does not apply well to church life today, if we expect to reach a variety of people outside our fellowships. To reach people of all generations, we need to make ministry decisions based on an understanding of the needs and attitudes of the various age groupings.

The following is a summary of the generational differences of people in our nation today. As with all summaries, it must be understood that these are stereotypes. There will always be differences within the generation groupings. But, the information describes the attitudes and values that are held in common by a majority of people within each group.

This generation has seen more changes than any previous ones. They went from the horse and buggy to witnessing people living in space and landing on the moon. They experienced the Great Depression, two World Wars, and other regional conflicts where US citizens died. Most families had only one income.

People of this generation display the characteristics of self-sufficiency, strong moral values, and a powerful work ethic. They have confidence in institutions, hold strong denominational ties, and resist change.

These people also went through some of the most traumatic times of our history (the Great Depression and World War II). Despite those difficult experiences, they have displayed a sacrificial commitment to building and helping their nation, communities, and churches. Their hard work and commitment resulted in great prosperity.

Builders also exhibit many characteristics of the previous generation. Because they worked so hard at rebuilding, they generally place a great value on tradition.

Unlike their parents, most Baby Boomers grew up in the midst of prosperity. That helped to create a "me generation" motivated by self-interest. They are also highly goal-oriented, organizational, and focused on the end results. They comprise the largest segment of the population, approximately 72 million.

The stable home-life experience of previous generations has not been true of many Boomers. Their generation is noted for a 3-D lifestyle: delayed marriage, deferred childbearing, and divorce.

This generation acquired its name from its low birth rate in comparison to the Boomer generation. Busters comprise the second-largest age group in America (over 50 million).

This generation witnessed many "bust" moments in American history: the Iran hostage crisis, the Challenger explosion, the '70s recession, the '80s evangelical religious wars (Swaggart, PTL Club, Falwell, etc.), and '90s downsizing. The majority of this generation spent all or part of their childhood in single-parent homes (55 percent have divorced parents). In many ways, it seems like they grew up in a world "busting" apart.

Busters are the first post-Christian generation in America. While Builders and Boomers grew up going to Sunday school, most of the Busters never even made it to worship services. Many of their parents dropped out of church. Thus, many Busters have little knowledge of Christianity.

More than any other generation, Millennials will be shaped by post-modernism. Postmodernism rejects the idea that the results of science and technology have improved the quality of life—that all knowledge gained is helpful and inherently good. Postmoderns believe that knowledge can sometimes be destructive and evil.

This generation can survive on its own, but desires to be in community and build relationships with others. Learning with others, deciding with others, discerning with others, being with others, and experiencing life with others is important. Because of this, they make very different decisions about lifestyle, attitudes, and values than previous generations. To further understand present cultural changes, refer to the Postmodern article on pages 17-22.

Because of the young age of Millennials, not much sociological data has been gathered on them and their relationship to the church. However, the following information gives a glimpse of the other generations, their attitudes, and church involvement. It is adapted from the work of Gary L. McIntosh, author of Make Room for the Boom or Bust, and Delia Halverson, author of 32 Ways to Be a Great Sunday School Teacher.

The average individual of every age grouping desires that "my needs" be met by the church. However, the needs between generations are quite different. Tim Celek and Dieter Zander, co-authors of Inside the Soul of a New Generation, write that when members of different generations interact, ". . . the result often tends to be like combining oil and water. That's because they have different agendas, values, and ways of operating as they pursue those varying goals. It doesn't make . . . one generation right and the other wrong; it merely means that they're on different wavelengths." Congregations need to offer multiple choices for participation. These choices need to reflect the various generational needs.

Ministry to a new group of people can be exciting! It takes careful research and planning. It requires providing multiple options with focus on the specific needs of the generation you desire to reach.

The Apostle Paul knew the value of trying to reach people where they are. In I Corinthians 9:19-23, he writes, "To the Jews I became as a Jew. . . . To those outside the law, I became as one outside the law. . . . I have become all things to all people, that I might by all means save some."

Though we cannot change our age to become like someone of another generation, we can change our models for ministry and evangelism. Changing the way we're doing ministry can make room for new people who have not yet found a place in church.

The need for imaginative, caring ministries right at your church's doorstep may be greater than ever. Be clear about the needs of people living close to your church.

Many congregations are discovering that the demographic landscape on which they were built has changed significantly, over the last 25 years. While a congregation's identity used to correlate closely with the ethnicity and culture of those in the surrounding community, we are now finding that congregations located in changing neighborhoods sometimes struggle to be faithful in their understanding of God's purpose for their present ministry. In more cases than not, the active members of our congregations are no longer those people who live closest to the church. So, who are the neighbors closest to your church and why is it important to know?

Loren Mead, in The Once and Future Church, has written that the new primary missionary frontier is located at the doorstep of our existing churches. He states, "Every congregation is faced with increasing needs for ministry on its doorstep. The need for imaginative, caring ministries that reach out to the community is greater than ever." Additionally, current demographic statistics show that 36 percent of the US population is unchurched, some 95 to 100 million people. In a small community of 5,000 people, it is possible that 1,800 of them are not affiliated with a religious community. Most congregations have opportunity for ministry and church growth in their immediate geographic setting. It is important then for congregations to be clear about the needs of those living in close proximity to the church as it seeks to be faithful to new mission opportunities.

There are several ways for congregations to gather demographic information pertaining to the immediate neighborhood. It is helpful for the church board to appoint a short-term task team with the assignment of discovering the needs and ministry opportunities of the surrounding neighborhood. It is equally as important for the task team to help congregations discover, name, and celebrate the specific values and traditions that the congregation has upheld in the past. In seeking new opportunities for growing the local church, working out of the congregation's strengths is a real advantage. Listed below are several ideas for helping a congregation understand its own DNA and for exploring the surrounding community.

In understanding where a congregation is headed in ministry, it is important to understand where it has been. An energizing and inclusive way of recalling background information is to gather folks of all ages (following a Sunday potluck meal) to construct the church's timeline. A timeline could be drawn on table paper or connecting pages of newsprint, marking five-year intervals. Decide beforehand the beginning date for the timeline. If the earliest date on the timeline predates the oldest members of your congregation, it's important to have a church historian present to help fill in some of the major events prior to the collective memory.

Participants may be grouped according to age, by random count, or by the corresponding time period that each person joined the church or began attending. Each group is assigned a specific time period (e.g., 1980 to 1985) to identify important events in the life of the church and the larger community. To mark the events, each group is given three colors of self-adhering notepads, each designating a particular category. For example, yellow may indicate a specific happening in the life of the congregation, green represents national or world events that occurred during that time, and pink indicates events that caused conflict within the life of the congregation. The object is to recall as many events as possible for the assigned time period, but only one item should be listed per sheet.

In highlighting the most significant happenings, each group will have a limited memory of the assigned five-year time period. As groups report back, it's important to open the discussion for others to recall events and stories to be added in building an accurate timeline. As the story printed on each individual note is shared, it is placed at the appropriate place along the timeline. Keeping this process fluid and moving will give each group an opportunity to share and hear all the stories. At the close of the storytelling session, the notepads are handed off to a preassigned group of youth or adults to finalize the timeline with permanent ink. The timeline can be displayed in the fellowship hall or hung on a long wall in the church sanctuary. Several pastors have used some of the events on the timeline as thematic sermon topics.

As the task team and church board take a step back from the timeline and work with it several weeks later, specific values, beliefs, and traditions will become fairly obvious from the rich historical story. By naming these values and beliefs, the task team will begin to identify the fabric on which future ministry can be built.

Conducting a walking or driving tour around the church neighborhood(s) can help congregations "see with new eyes" how the community has become "too" familiar in many ways. Particularly, this event helps redefine the time and place of the biblical image, "widows and orphans." Participants are encouraged to note the "invisible people" and "the marginalized" as they explore an assigned geographic neighborhood. In short, the congregation is asking the question "Who is my neighbor?"

Prior to going out, the task team should map out the specific geographical areas to be explored and appoint a leader/tour guide for each intergenerational group (6 to 8 people). The participants are invited to meet at the church at a designated date and time (spring and fall are good seasons of the year to be outdoors). A notekeeper should be selected by each group.

Setting a reasonable amount of time, participants are invited to notice sights, sounds, business establishments, places of worship, means of transportation, areas for play and work, shopping districts, and general discoveries of "what is new." It's especially important to look for things somewhat "hidden" from view. For example, is there evidence of a changing neighborhood or regeneration of an old neighborhood? Where is the nearest laundromat and "who" is there? Where do the teens hang out? Whom do you find in the alleys? Where do the homeless sleep? Are businesses and large shopping complexes opening or closing? Where do people work? Explore the side streets (or outlying rural areas) as well as the busy thoroughfares. Are there safe and not so safe places? What services are available for the elderly?

Upon returning to the church at the designated time, each group is asked to report back and share their major observations and discoveries. The notes from each group should be given to the task team for compilation and reference.

Discovering firsthand "who" lives in the neighborhood(s) surrounding the church is an invaluable resource for identifying immediate needs for future ministry. This hands-on approach helps the congregation "own" mutual decisions based on actual experiences.

Personal interviews with key community leaders and informed citizens provide another tool for discovering the cultural complexity and challenges of your congregation's neighborhood. Police officers, school administrators, day care directors, nursing home administrators, local politicians, zoning board members, local merchants, real estate agents, social service agency directors, and other civic leaders can help identify "who" lives in the targeted neighborhood(s). They can help determine what the most pressing needs are at the present time.

A format for each interview, including the questions to be asked, should be designated in advance by the task team to help facilitate the conversation. Specifically, the questions should inquire about recent and anticipated changes in demographics, economic factors, potential concerns for the community, obvious and not-so-obvious needs, and long-term plans for housing, schools, retirement communities, etc.

Setting each appointment in advance and carefully explaining the reason for conducting the interview helps the interviewee prepare for the visit. The information from these interviews should be discussed, noted, and compiled by the task team.

The 2000 US Census is a helpful tool for accessing information that counts all people and helps identify numbers of people in specific population categories.

On the Internet, go to http://www.census.gov. From the Census Bureau home page, there will be a variety of choices for information. You may select "demographic" for information on a particular county. In some instances, under the subheading "American FactFinder," you can locate specific demographic information for particular street addresses. The current census information provides an overview of the people who compose a specific area including median income, ethnicity, household type, presence, ages of children, and much more. This information is helpful as a cross-check for the information the congregation has collected firsthand.

There is a very practical notion that ministry opportunities are somewhere within walking distance and/or easy driving distance of your church doors. Congregations are considered to be "ecologically healthy" when they are able to adapt and thrive with changes in their environment.

After the task team has compiled all information and reported back to the church board the significant findings of community needs and congregational strengths, a period of prayerful discernment and informed conversation should follow in various settings throughout the congregation. Working within your congregational structure, prepare and adopt a plan for ministry that detail short- and long-term goals.

In Luke 10:27, Jesus says, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself." Who is your neighbor and why do you need to know?

God loves the city because the city is made of people. Every person in the earth is a part of God's creation, and we are called to make disciples—even in the city.

The continuing influx of immigrants causes our urban centers to become more ethnically and culturally diverse. Many new residents are drawn to well-established ethnic communities, whereas second and third generation immigrants are moving out into transitional communities. A transitional community is one where the demographics are shifting between groups. Many Church of the Brethren congregations located in these areas are faced with the question whether to fold, flee, or flourish.

Studying the history of the Brethren shows that the images and experiences of the city have seldom been held in a positive view. Nevertheless, we find ourselves in an age when urban issues are no longer limited to the urban center. Crime, drugs, joblessness, fractured families, and hopelessness have found their way into the suburbs and rural areas of our nation.

Cities are relentless pursuers, overtaking and shaping the suburbs, which were created as a form of escape from urban problems. Vast megalopolises are expanding all around the globe at an amazing rate, creating an urban world that touches every human.

Some Brethren view the city as too edgy, too congested, full of crime and greed, impoverished. Unfortunately, we forget that behind all of those images lies the reality that cities are made of real people.

Some of us have long held that the cities are the concentration of human sin and the center for defiant rebellion against God. However, in the Bible we find the opposite; cities are also a sign of God's grace. God adopted the city of Jerusalem as the holy city, the locus of his presence and grace. Although the inhabitants of Jerusalem crucified the Christ, God continues to be there and longs to redeem its people.

Ever since the first US census was taken in 1790, there has been a continuing population shift to the cities. Currently, nearly 85 percent of the nation's population makes its home in urban areas. This has led to an all-time high in ethnic and cultural diversity. Many neighborhoods in our urban centers resemble Third World countries. In the financial centers, the rich and the poor reside next to one another, but often pass by each other like two ships in the night. Cities are worth saving! The church must decide to be present, dynamically and effectively. The alternative to such a decision is for the church to be relegated to the back eddies of our swiftly changing society, that is, to stagnation, irrelevance, and death.

It's time for us to stop being selective about whom we will serve; we must resolve to be present. We need to acknowledge the secularization of the postmodern era and be prepared to develop strategies that emphasize the prophetic and servant roles of the church. This acknowledgment must be done with recognition of the diversity and complexity of today's metropolis. It is important for us to honor differences and dispel the notion that we are all alike. It is equally important for us to strive for unity in diversity, which is what Christ calls us to do.

We must also be willing to go beyond our comfort zone. We must learn to cope with the inconvenience of mishap and stop viewing every intrusion and departure from the norm as unwelcome. Urban spirituality requires spontaneity. Changes must be implemented on a consistent basis to break down the barriers of age, gender, ethnicity, and class. Consistent vigilance and unrelenting education are required to enable an ongoing conversation on becoming a community of faith, a people truly engaged in its environs.

Urban culture requires a willingness to participate in radical engagement with the stranger—the kind of engagement that says "God loves you and I'm trying to do the same." We must boldly affirm that everyone is unique and worthy of respect. We must be willing to deal with concerns about power and powerlessness, as well as recognize and accept that struggles are a constant companion in urban ministries. Through our struggles, we can begin to learn how to live out of our new friendships that cross lines of color and ethnicity. Congregations can become places where people in the community are welcomed and encouraged to become full participants in ministry. Tolerance and adaptability will be needed. White folks will have to learn to follow the leadership of blacks; black folks will have to learn to follow the leadership of people of other races. We will also need to learn how to follow the leadership of people of different social classes, including the poor. Whatever the circumstances, we must all learn to listen to the Spirit moving within us and not assume that one group has the best and only strategic plan for shaping the mission and life of the congregation.

Further, we must never forget that the liberating power of Christ can transform and humanize life in the city. Worship style is a key element in experiencing this liberating power. Spontaneous and emotion-filled worship nurtures the souls of urban parishioners who often labor long hours in restrictive work environments. Many live daily with the realities of marginalization and a perilous existence. The celebration worship experience that acknowledges a God of power and grace is the expectation of many urban worshipers. Church is viewed as a refuge, a refueling station, a haven of hospitality, and an affirmation of "somebodyness."

Because members of urban churches need a lot of nourishment to be sustained in their communities, we need a new paradigm for pastoral ministry. Urban churches need pastors who are trained in community-building, skilled in organizing, and attuned to cultural development. "Urban pastors must retain a vision of what can be while living in the 'not yet.'" This means that our seminaries must shape curriculum to meet emerging needs. Provision must be made for seminary students to have cross-cultural educational experiences in the context of the urban church. Local churches should be encouraged to seek ecumenical relationships across cultural lines. The denomination should continue to seek ways to be in relationship with other denominations that have demonstrated some success in sustaining vibrant, relevant urban ministries.

In the face of a changing community, the choice remains to fold, flee, or flourish. With God's help, we can flourish and become a model for relevant, effective urban ministry. We, as Brethren, have a wonderful witness to share. Our faith perspectives on issues like peace and justice are sorely needed in this nation's cities.

Our commitment to the community is a model for healthy and productive life in any environment, especially the city.

God loves the city because the city is made of people. Every person on the earth is a part of God's creation, and we are called to make disciples—even in the city.