Finding the Modern Triggers of Faith

Every thousand years or so the Church should reexamine the way it works. Something might have changed that might influence our methodology and our success in mission.

The Church has survived the early days of Greek democracy, Roman Imperialism, feudal governments, monarchies, papist states, the re-emergence of democracy in a New World, and Western Colonization. That’s just a sampling.

You’d think the experience would have made us flexible.

So here we are at the dawn of a new age—the Information Age or the Connection Age.

The Churches of the Western World are largely spectators in our changing society. A new era arrived while our lamps were unlit.

Part of our thinking is skewed toward the habit of culturally dividing the world into Eastern and Western Hemispheres. Today’s world is more culturally divided by Northern and Southern Hemispheres.

The dividing line is actually slightly north of the Equator. The Northern Church is fading. The Southern Church is growing.

The Northern Church is used to being in charge—the leaders. Ultimately the Northern Church will follow the Southern Church. Where is the latest pope from?

What’s the difference between the two hemispheres? The Southern Hemisphere carries less baggage. Christianity is new and refreshing. The language, music, and customs of the North didn’t relate. There was little expectation that they would.

The Northern Church carries a ton of baggage. We don’t know where to begin in unloading it!

The current methodology for reviving mission is to concentrate on individual congregations. Dealing with the baggage of the past is one of the first steps church leaders take when working with congregations in transition. This can come in the form of discussion, or it can come from strong-arming congregations—even evicting them and taking property with the excuse that a new foundation for mission with no baggage is needed. Out with the faithful. In with . . . . who knows?

Either way, we avoid the reality that where change is most needed is in broader church structure. Talk about baggage! Most of the baggage in the church is in the overhead compartments!

Being the target for mandated change is a frustrating process for congregations.  We are  asked to perform the same old way, a lot better and faster, and with less encouragement and fewer resources. Meanwhile, Church leaders do nothing to change.

Truth be told, change is even more frustrating for regional bodies. They are desperate for success they can control and measure and that will sustain them. At the same time, they feel they must maintain the image of leadership—even as the economic foundation for their existence is eroding.

Congregations can exist without hierarchies.
Hierarchies cannot exist without congregations.

Sadly, the latest methodology is a symbol of desperation. The Church actually kicks people out, announcing that they will start churches over under their superior management. This hasn’t been working. The show of superiority and force is a turn-off in today’s world.  . Promising starts have faded within a decade. Mission churches fail at an alarming rate!

How do we change 2000-year-old thinking?

We have to be mindful that church involvement is a habit. The Church cannot survive without the cultural habit of weekly attendance and offerings. It’s these figures that we use to measure success.

We have relied largely on tradition to reinforce attendance and giving habits. Unfortunately, new traditions have replaced them. The Church probably has to concentrate on developing new opportunities for spiritual habits.

Habits are triggered by need. The Church has to identify the needs of modern society.

Why do people go to church? Why do they stay home?

• People don’t go to church to be counted or to fill offering plates.
• People don’t go to church to be loyal servants of clergy.

Habits are based on some trigger—some personal need.

Triggers might be:

• Tradition
• Personal Need
• Imperative of Faith
• Curiosity of Faith
• Social
• Compelling Emotion

Too often, we concentrate on triggers that no longer exist.

• Love of organ music and 18th and 19th century music.
• A desire to listen to one person’s interpretation of the Word.
• A love of ritual.
• Maintenance of property.

90% of most church resources are devoted to sustaining things that people no longer relate to.

The first step in reviving ministry is to identify the current triggers in your community. What triggers might change spiritual habits?

Stop sifting through baggage. A baggage-free church is an empty church.

Baggage will always be with us. That’s what the cross is for.
photo credit: loungerie via photopin cc