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The Societal Shifts
Reasons for the Change… Impact on the Church and New Practices that
We’ve seen…
are Arising…
 Congregations respond to diversity by diversifying congregational program (eg. Offering traditional AND contemporary worship services). As an extreme example, Tom Bandy suggests a congregation could have both pro-life and pro-choice groups.  We see in many churches a shift from "a producer's agenda" (that is, “we do what we always do and new people have to adjust to become like us”) to a consumer-driven model for designing worship and program (that is, “what should we do to meet the needs of those we want to attract to church?”) (Lyle Schaller).  A move away from a "one size fits all" approach to ministry to highly diverse programs that appeal to a  Many churches recognize that  Responding to need and local realities is becoming more of the motivation for ministry. This also means a shift away from supporting denominational causes and using their resources to responding to the desires and  The urgency to offer quality in worship, programming as well as in the church's facility to improve the appeal of a congregation. People expect quality in all that they participate and purchase in life. They want that kind of There is a move to increase "entertainment" in worship. (eg. Ginghamsburg UC Church An increasing number of churches are defining their “brand” or targetting their “market niche” in order to be successful. New ways of becoming appealing are designed: café churches, worship driven by bands with guitars and drums, specialized ministries . The Societal Shifts
Reasons for the Change… Impact on the Church and New Practices that
We’ve seen…
are Arising…
"Religion a la carte" (Bibby): in a  In a culture of religion a la carte and pluralism (having respect for the beliefs of others though different) from the center of life to relative truth, people use their spirituality in Canada is highly private  Many people do not desire the support and guidance of a church to help them in their spiritual formation  The Church is often seen as encrusted and rigid. Yet, on the other hand, in the fluid world of individualized spirituality the Church is also seen as a place of definition that can regularize spiritual practices and Son of God", one fifth of them  Many churches have turned to various discipleship programs to help foster orthodox faith (eg. Alpha). The goal of such programs is to move people from being "spiritual tourists" to "spiritual pilgrims".  In a culture where spirituality is viewed as highly private, it can be hard to share our faith. It is noteworthy that in the USA 92% of Southern Baptists will never once share their faith. Imagine what the % is for Presbyterians! Yet, in a questing culture where people are open to the spiritual, people are more receptive to spiritual talk than we realize. Jesus Christ is the Son of God” never go to church. The majority of Christians in Canada are “free lance Christians”. The Societal Shifts
Reasons for the Change… Impact on the Church and New Practices that
We’ve seen…
are Arising…
 people living in Canadian urban centers less likely to go to church compared to small town and urban dwellers. Canada's lowest rate of church attendance in found in urban centers with  in the PCC our congregations in large urban centers have been the source of the majority of our membership loss since the 60's -- a trend going in the opposite direction of the rapid urban growth over the same period. That being said, in 2001 54% of the total PCC membership lived in Canada's 30 largest urban centers.  Urbanization has contributed to rural population decline and the subsequent closure of rural congregations.  Large urban centers allow for the development of regional "mega churches". In the USA 50% of all worshippers now attend 10% of the churches. Canada is beginning to catch this American experience. For example, 10% of all worshippers in Calgary attend only 10 churches. "Corporate style" churches can offer diversity, quality programming and anonymity.  Much of urban new church development targets culturally distinctive groups. Immigrants are more likely to attend church than Canadian born. Reg Bibby reports that non-Christian immigrants convert to Christianity at a surprising rate. The Societal Shifts
Reasons for the Change… Impact on the Church and New Practices that
We’ve seen…
are Arising…
 Boomers are half as likely to give time to their church mid-week compared to their parents generation  Adding new worship times (eg. Saturday night, Wednesday noon in city centers) to accommodate busy  Home Group / Small Group movement: meets needs of a “coccooning” generation for support and community.  Taking the church to the people (internet, email, voicemail, Bible studies in the office place, churches in  Increase church staffing to compensate for reduced  Orientation in congregational life to make it as easy as possible to participate and contribute. A movement “coccooning”, to "burrowing" away from "membership for life" on standing committees (“Marathon” orientation) to short term, single purpose task groups (“Sprinter” orientation).  Movement towards short term Bible studies. "Not more than five weeks long" (Kennon Callahan). One Calgary Church offers Alpha over two consecutive Saturdays.  Movement to make church involvement more meaningful: participate in a way that uses spiritual gifts, view church participation not as "volunteerism" but rather as "ministry"; integrating spiritual growth and the experience of community into service opportunities. When people find church involvement more meaningful they make time in their busy schedules. The Societal Shifts
Reasons for the Change… Impact on the Church and New Practices that
We’ve seen…
are Arising…
 We are the Woody Allen  This is the age of couples  In the USA the whole "small group" movement is huge: support groups, recovery groups, church groups. "twelve step", "self-help" Robert Wuthnow reports that 40% of Americans are in "support" and "recovery" some form of support group, 10% have been and 10% want to join one. This is not as common in Canada.  Many churches are responding by creating their own group support systems. The creation of small groups in church life for Bible study, prayer, mutual support and fellowship is very popular in many churches. Other churches have created their own collection of "recovery" and “life change” style groups.  It is common to hear people asking for sermons that speak to the common realities of life, which provide Biblical / spiritual / practical advise to help in daily living. Many people today expect preaching to be a form of therapy itself. This has become so common among evangelical churches that the trend is now being criticized. It is the "Oprahfication of preaching"  Among many there is a desire in worship to gain a greater sense of God , in both transcendence and  The shift from a worship service (oriented to God) to a worship experience (oriented for the worshipper): “motion and emotion are replacing passivity” (Lyle Schaller). The use of visuals is becoming very common. The consumption of coffee, tea, soft drinks and snacks during the worship service is becoming The Societal Shifts
Reasons for the Change… Impact on the Church and New Practices that
We’ve seen…
are Arising…
restaurants, Vegas. An opera  The world-wide explosion of the Charismatic Church during the 20th century came about, in part, because experiencing God became more important to people.  Many people desire sermons that are touching rather  The highlight in the Alpha program is the retreat (a spiritual experience away from home) and the invitation to be blessed by the Holy Spirit during the weekend. with a parachute). Challenging experiences are now “extreme”.  Different beliefs, values, priorities, and norms of behaviour in different generations can lead to different expectations around church life. Culture clashes can be  Demise of the organ: in 1977 250,000 home organs were sold in the USA. In 1991 it was 13,000.  The majority of Christians under the age of 40 prefer contemporary praise music over traditional hymns  Our generation of grandparents went to church because that is what they expected of themselves. Boomers were raised in Sunday school but many have chosen to discontinue church affiliation. The children of many Boomers today are not even getting the basic Christian socialization of Sunday school. This is a significant shift in only three generations. The Societal Shifts
Reasons for the Change… Impact on the Church and New Practices that
We’ve seen…
are Arising…
 Dwellers find freedom within the support of the faith community. Seekers find freedom away from the  Dwellers join in order to feel like they belong. Seekers  People when church shopping are not looking for the "right" church or the "best" church but rather the church that most closely affirms their personal sense of what faith / church are about. They want to find their "home"  Seekers are prone to changing their minds as their spirituality is being negotiated continuously. Their ideas of faith and their relationship with the church can be very fluid. Dwellers are not prone to this.  Some Seekers choose "supermarket" churches that provide multiple options to choose from. Other Seekers choose "boutiques" which offers a specialty focus that they affirm (recovery, justice, community service, etc) Three essential questions for reflection: 1. Has your congregation ever to look consciously at these many changes as a way to appreciate what is going on in your congregation and the community you serve? 2. It is common to hear the refrain, “Presbyterian Congregations never change!”. Through the lens of this “Top Eleven”, think about how these societal changes have had an impact on your own congregation. Does this exercise help you better appreciate how much your congregation has changed over the past generation? 3. How can your congregation imagine its future in light of these societal trends? How can your church become more

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