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Topic of the Week: Changes
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Jimmy Long of InterVarsity outlined these nine elements to the Young Leader Network of Leadership Network.
A welcoming environment because people are looking for a place to belong.
A place of intimate community where people find God and each other.
Narrative evangelism that listens to their story and connects them with God’s story
An embodied apologetic that begins with preference, not proclamation
Self disclosing relationships that allow people to unpack the painful hurts of their lives.
Kingly worship centered on Christ that begins with the heart and experience, not rational proclamation.
Interactive learning because its how younger populations have been taught to learn.
Nurturing leadership focused on mentoring and raising new leaders.
A saving hope for the future that looks at life in the present from a future perspective. (NetFax 10/23/98)
New American Values: Since the attacks on the nation Americans say they are more inclined to spend more time at home with loved ones (46%); watch TV with family and friends, as opposed to alone (30%); cook meals at home (25%); and read books (22%). Activities that were found to be less appealing to Americans include: planning vacations (39%); shopping for items you don’t need, but desire (36%); and going to the movies or eating out, (both 22%). Wirthlin Worldwide says consumers are looking to the familiar, such as well-known brands “that reconnect with times of earlier innocence.” The firm also says customer service is very important, as shoppers are more likely to appreciate anything that will make them feel welcome and comfortable. Lastly, for marketers, consumers will be less receptive to ad pitches that are edgy, ironic or “in your face.” (CSA Weekly Retail Recap 11/9/01)
Children Whose Parents Read to them become better readers and perform better in school. Other family activities, such as telling stories and singing songs, also encourage children’s acquisition of literacy skills. (The Welcome Mat 3/05)
Ever heard of the "bowling alone syndrome" or "refrigerator rights?" If not, that makes you an average out-of-touch-with-pop-culture American. Society is changing and every ministry and marketer needs to adapt or die. Here are three vital new sociological labels C. Jeff Woods, author of Congregational Megatrends, (Alban Institute) says are impacting the church. The "bowling alone syndrome" describes the break-up of civil society and the retreat from participation in voluntary associations. The American Bowling Congress reports more people are bowling than ever, but they are bowling alone. The number of bowling leagues is down because people will bowl when they feel like it, when the mood strikes, not when they are scheduled to be there. It’s a Lone Ranger mentality overriding a team mentality. Where are you when the mood strikes your market? Woods explains another phenomenon, "refrigerator rights," as "how many people do you know who feel welcome to come into your home, go to the refrigerator and get a glass of cold water without asking?" Probably not many in our isolated and lonely culture. Helping people feel more connected to you is ...
Michael McCartney
1. George Barna notes, “In the 1970’s “seeker churches’ made a strong theoretical argument for the importance of encouraging people to feel no obligation to toe a Bible to church. Their goal was to make visitors feel welcome and comfortable by alleviating the need to locate a Bible, by diminishing the stressful expectation that they will have to use that Bible during the church service, and by softening the negative image that may be associated with a Bible-toting congregation. Two decades later, it is clear that this experiment had a more sinister consequence; people don’t even know where their Bibles are anymore! In many churches, the core membership-not just the visitors for whom the tactic was originally embraced-began to lose its familiarity with the Bible. There has been a trade off; changing the rules to help some has impaired the spiritual health of others. Sadly, the shift away from promoting the personal responsibility to bring along a Bible has sent a signal to many people that the Bible is not important. As the church has abandoned the Bible, knowledge of scriptural content has declined, personal Bible reading has declined, the image of the Bible as sacred literature has declined, and the ability of people to comprehend biblical principles has declined. In fact, when it comes time to discuss what the church ought to be, biblical exhortations do not even enter the discussion” (The Second Coming of the Church, 26, 27).
Churchshoppers.com claims it is the largest on-line U.S. church directory with 103,473 churches and adding more daily. It allows searchers to enter criterion based on a variety of preferences. Search results provide profiles of the churches, web addresses, photo images, and for some, even a video welcome from the Pastor. (Foster Network)
Kids Are Buying Books in quantities we've never seen before reports Booklist magazine. Credit a bulging teen population (30 million plus), a surge of global talent and perhaps a bit of Harry Potter afterglow. Teen book sales rose 25% between '99 and '05. Fantasy and graphic novels are especially hot, and adventure, romance, humor and gritty coming-of-age tales remain perennial favorites. Yet the National Assessment of Educational Progress reports 12th-graders' reading scores are virtually unchanged since '02. The teens who are reading welcome the growing sophistication of young adult literature. Teens have a lot of disposable income, and they're willing to spend it on books. (Seattlepi.com 3/8/07)
An old missionary couple had been working in Africa for years and were returning home to retire. They had no pension; their health was broken.
On the same ship was President Teddy Roosevelt, who was returning from a hunting expedition. As the passengers disembarked there was a crowd of admirers waiting to greet the President. A band was playing, and the cheers of the crowd were deafening.
But when it was time for the missionary couple to step ashore, there was not a single soul to meet them. So eventually they found a cheap flat, hoping the next day to see what they could do to make a living. (The welcoming committee had become confused about the date on which they were ...
HOMESCHOOLERS WELCOME
In '00, 52% of all U.S. colleges had a formal evaluation policy for homeschooled applicants. In '04 that number had risen to 83% and during that time, 45% of colleges received more applications from homeschoolers. (The Christian Post 3/18/07)
AMERICANS IN PAIN
Americans in households making less than $30,000 a year spend nearly 20% of their lives in moderate to severe pain vs. less than 8% of those in households earning above $100,000, finds a study by Princeton economist Alan Krueger and Stony Brook Univ. professor Arthur Stone. The type of pain people reported typically fell on either side of the rich-poor divide. Those with higher incomes welcome pain almost by choice, usually through exercise. At lower incomes, pain comes as the result of work. People with chronic pain also work less, costing U.S. businesses up to $60 billion annually. Although interacting with a spouse or friend lowered pain, those suffering chronic pain tended to socialize much less. They also spent more time watching TV (25% of their day vs. 16% for the average person).
(Time 5/2/08)
