Category Archives: Church Trends

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A Prophetic Word

2 Significant Warnings in 2021

June 24, 2021, at 1:25am Champlain Towers South collapsed. Three-thousand miles away in San Francisco the story of Millennial Tower fully breaks into the news. Currently the luxury tower has sank over 10 inches and is leaning over 8 inches. How do these two stories relate a prophetic word about the end of times from a Biblical perspective? 

The Champlain Towers South collapsed suddenly in the early hours of the morning with many people in bed and sleeping without a thought of impending destruction. The photos and stories that emerged were gut wrenching to see and reflect upon. The Millennial Tower in San Francisco represents early warning signs that were being ignored going back as far as 2016 and has gradually progressed to the current dilemma. What do these illustrations mean to us from a biblical view? To offer a simple statement, scriptures are quite clear that sudden destruction is preceded by a gradual erosion of moral underpinnings of any society. Are we watching a dismantling of America?

How are we to frame the current national trends biblically? Does the Bible speak to the rising voices of socialism, globalism, pandemics, corruption, and a falling away from the Christian faith? Consider the following passages of scripture as a cursory starting point.

  • “But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.” Matthew 24:37
  • “All the world marveled and followed the beast.” Revelation 13:3
  • “There will be…. pestilences…. in various places” Matthew 24:7
  • “No one may buy or sell except one who has the mark or name of the beast.
     Revelation 13:7
  • “That Day will not come unless the falling away comes first.” 2 Thessalonians 2:3
  • “Evil men and imposters will grow worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived.”2 Timothy 3:13
  • “Many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another. Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many. And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold.”Matthew 24: 10-12
  • “Behold the days are coming, says the Lord God, That I will send a famine on the land.” Amos 8:11
  • “This gospel of the Kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.” Matthew 24:14

Today should not catch us unaware or unprepared. It is quite obvious the Bible has never been silent about what we are experiencing today. Become a prophetic voice and “forth-tell” God’s plan for such a time as this. YES, this is a dress rehearsal for the coming of Christ!

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Post Everything Era

We Are Entering A New Epoch

Author and Pastor Tim Keller stated recently this is the first time in the history of the church where we have had to navigate a post-Christian culture.  The Christian church has enjoyed operating in a pre-Christian or even a Christian context. However, Western civilizations have generations that are growing up in a post-Christian environment where then memory of past importance has faded and dulled our faith. Have we become inoculated to the things of Christ in our communities? Add moral controversies around Christian churches and it is no wonder our culture is headed in the opposite direction. Pastor John Mark Comer is calling this the post everything era – hence the title of this article.

Pastor Jon Comer states we are experiencing Post Christianity, Post Family, Post Technology, and Post Super-Size Anything. Through the assistance of the Barna research efforts in their work, Reviving Evangelism, we come to learn the following:

  • Our post-Christian culture is looking for meaningful dialogue about spiritual things
  • Our post-family culture is looking for a place where they can belong
  • Our post-technology culture is seeking out genuine interactions
  • Our post-super-size culture desires intimate communities

So, the million-dollar question is, How do we function and survive in this post-everything culture? There is an interesting narrative in the Bible, Luke 5:1-11 where Jesus speaks to tired fishermen that has come up empty-handed from an all-night fishing expedition. Jesus asked Simon to push the boat out into the deep and drop the nets for a catch. Take notice of Simon’s response; “…Master, we’ve worked hard all night and haven’t caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets….” The catch was enormous! What are some observations that should be made?

  1. Known fishing techniques had been applied all night and the results were ZERO!
  2. Jesus takes our endeavors, even the all-nighter’s, to illustrate important truths.
  3. Jesus challenges Simon to push the boat out to deep water and drop the nets for a catch. Jesus tests our willingness to listen to Him or hold on to our methodology.
  4. Simon’s response was somewhat tempered by first reminding Christ, we have already done that all night with no results. YET, because you say so I will do that.
  5. Results do not come by our initiatives, they come by Divine obedience
  6. At times our methods may not be wholly wrong, our timing is what is wrong. Do we hear the words of Christ, cast down your net again, he who has ears to hear, Follow me, etc.!

What is Christ asking of us in our post-everything era? Is our response because you say so?

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Your Church Before & After

A Discussion About Next Gen Leadership

KEY THOUGHT: Millennials read the language of physical space as a communication of culture!

The real challenge for churches today is that facilities cannot simply be functional, but they must be culturally experienced. The real question: “How does our facility facilitate active community?” Does our facility take into consideration for the way people usually interact? Consider these practical approaches.

Consider how to provide what technology cannot. Millennials can get the very best sermon teaching from the best facilitators on their phone 24/7. How do you compete with technology like that? It starts by providing people with things that technology cannot give them. It starts by embracing the notion this generation craves community and collaboration. Does your church facilitate this type of space? Does our space communicate the shopping mall experience – Go and touch what you are interested in and then leave.

To facilitate space that communicates culture we need only study the shopping mall of yester-year. The food courts were not designed to offer nutrition, they existed for low price and take-away food. Department stores offered opportunities to touch what you were interested in and its quality. However, technology has been a major disrupter of that habit. Malls in an effort to gain people traffic back into the mall started offering better food options, larger seating spaces, and live music experiences. Technology cannot do that. Think about church spaces such as foyers, café space, and gathering points that can better foster connection and community. It is time to see these spaces as important as the sanctuary itself.

It is time to really invest in coffee that is better than your K-cup experience. If your Coffee experience is nothing more than free coffee, you are behind the Millennials and Gen-Z’s. If your churches coffee is not better than what you can make at home, it is time for a major change. Starbucks was the early adopter of community spaces that offers a great coffee experience, not the other way around. Flexible work schedules allow for people to work at a coffee shop. Do not miss the point of the space being designed for community and collaboration first. After that fact, take the coffee experience to new levels of awesomeness.

Your church culture tells a story – the story of who you are. Culture is an investment. Is there a need in your story for a better space and cup of coffee?

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Depth In Spiritual Discipleship

A Discussion About Next Gen Leadership

KEY THOUGHT: Discipleship is not about growing a big church. It is about growing big people!

The generational trends says that Millennials are biblically illiterate, but they are passionate about learning. This generation is passionate about acquiring new knowledge and a desire to learn things at a deep level rather than skimming the top of issues. The challenge in discipling this generation is to build depth in a shallow culture. Teaching at them will not work. Go to where they are – that will work! Understand their emptiness is a result from a secularized materialistic world. This has led to a hunger for more and many are unable to go further than a search for experiences.

So, what are practical strategies and approaches for this generation? Start with the leaders heart by being a Shepherd and not a star. Everything about the pastoral role is about leading with a shepherds heart. The Shepherd exists for the sheep; the sheep do not exist for the Shepherd.

Our discipleship strategy must go deeper than what we currently offer. Our prevailing culture is that we are image-driven. The culture has neglected the inner voice that cries for more. As leaders you must be aware of what you are doing to attract people. That will be the thing that you must do to retain people.

We must provide Bible teaching and doctrinal studies. It may seem overly simplistic, but we must face the fact there is a generation that is not grounded with common bible knowledge. There is a fundamental need to teach bible basics and fundamental doctrine. In a superficial culture, depth is attractive!

Provide content driven courses and lessons to help them learn. This generation has a tremendous appetite for learning. Why not make the church the center of that learning journey?

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Dynamic Program & Events

A Discussion About Next Gen Leadership

Key thought: Millennials are time-poor and need to see value.

Today’s demands of a 24/7 world keep Millennials busier than any generation prior. Text Messages, Emails, Phone Calls that pour into their inbox as they tend to their jobs, children, and homes. Scheduling conflicts force prioritization! With so little time available to this generation, they want to know the time they invest is worthwhile.

The challenge for the church world is to rethink calendars, programs, and schedules all need to be reinvented for this new Millennial world. A great place to start is to look at your current calendar of events and ask this question; Why do we do it this way? Is it still effective? Is this the best way? Be brave enough to stop programs that are not fruitful. The things you do well – do them very well. When you consolidate this will enable you to put more quality into the meetings and events that you plan.

Practical Strategies

Make weekly Sunday attendance a unique value proposition. Question: What do today’s Millennials get by attending your live worship service that they can’t get online?

Stay in a perpetual “Beta-Mode”. The only way the church world can survive is by regularly reviewing what is working and what is not working. Change what needs to be changed.

Do not allow your discipleship strategy to just grow a big church. Discipleship is about growing BIG PEOPLE! Also realize that Millennials tend to look for quick solutions to an eternal concern. Discipleship must be deeply relational and taking people deep in spiritual truths. Your discipleship strategy consisting of going deep in order to grow tall is of more importance now than ever.

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Collaborative Organizational Structure

A Discussion About Next Gen Leadership

John Maxwell made famous the phrase, Become a ladder builder instead of a ladder climber. The concept of ladder climbing is not a concept that Millennials gravitate toward. There is too much association to climbing the corporate ladder. This association is brought on by the imagery of the organizational chart that resemble climbing a corporate infrastructure.

The modern challenge for churches is to recognize two key salient truths; (1) By 2030 the workforce will be comprised of 75% Millennials and (2) churches will be forced to move in the direction of Circles of Collaboration that evolve from hierarchical organizational systems. Circle-style of organization shows teams within teams with define leadership and specific outcomes. How do we do this? Here are 4 key thoughts.

  • Become a listening organization – listening is the best to reach millennials who want to be involved and be heard. Millennials want to devote themselves to a cause.
  • Create an environment of training and mentoring – Millennials are hungry; they want to learn. It is widely report that Millennials top two things that make an organization attractive are (1) Employer makes clear the pathway of career progression and (2) Excellent Training/Development programs.
  • Define the difference between Management and Leadership. Consider this.
    • Management = Systems
    • Leadership = Relationships
    • Don’t lead through systems. Systems are about processes, not people
    • Don’t manage through relationships. Relationships are about people, not processes
  • Skip level communication – Org charts are helpful for management, but they do not dictate how a leader relates and communicates.

If you require that all communication travel through tightly structured conduits that push bit size pieces of information up and down the ladder, you are missing one of the greatest strengths Millennials bring with them – there ability to generate ideas that are productive and useful to the organization. Get into the habit of disrespecting the Org Chart – rather op for collaborative circles of communication at the grass roots level.

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Relational Leadership Style

A Discussion About Next Gen Leadership

Generational Trend: Millennials follow relationship not authority!

Millennials no longer respond to power and authority in and of itself. The days of ”because I said so” and “do as I say, not as I do” are vanishing. Authoritative power does not connect – relationships do! Power as we have understood it is decaying. Power does not buy what it used to in the past. Being in charge is not what it used to be.

John Maxwell’s book “The 5 Levels of Leadership” was obviously ahead of its time. Maxwell relegates Position/Authority at the bottom of his list of five. Notice the following.

Millennials resist most traditional structures because they were raised in a learning environment that embraced collaboration!

Ask yourself this key question: How would I lead if I had no organizational authority? 

Leadership is not being in charge, but rather caring for those under your charge – Simon Sinek

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Use of Technology & Social Media

A Discussion About Next Gen Leadership

Millennials are the most technologically savvy generation. This generation is truly Digital Natives. They are immersed in a world of wearable devises streaming music, videos, and online communities. After all, they created much of the technology that we now use daily. This generation is creating virtual reality apps, engineering AI, and redefining how we work and play.

This generation has lost the boundaries between online and offline. Both realities exist simultaneously. There offline presence is a byproduct of their online activity. They assume that your online presence matches your offline presence. To illustrate the seamless nature of online/offline worlds consider the following.

In 2018 NBS Stars Lebron James and Stephen Curry started a 4th professional league – NBA2K. This basketball game is not played on the hardwood, but rather on the Play Station. Players are drafted and signed to real teams that compete virtually. More than 1.6 million e-sport enthusiasts devote 10 per week or more to the basketball e-league.

As the church world laments and resists changes in technology, the NBA seems to find additional revenue streams. This begs the question, “Are sporting organizations more prophetic and optimistic than Christian leaders and churches?

The challenge for churches is to understand that technology is a language not a tool! Therefore, religious online services are not to be viewed as “add-on’s” but to allow them to become authentic communities. This generation is not interested in watching church services. They have and are leaving the church because it is being seen as irrelevant. A serious investment into authentic online expressions that allow the online/offline world to flow seamlessly.Isn’t interesting that Scriptures tells us to GO into all the world….! Technology allows the church to do this in new ways with Digital Natives that understand the rules of engagement in the social media world. For the church to embrace and use technology effectively we are going to need to change the paradigm of authority and move more toward collaboration. Pastor Windle of Australia stated Millennials do not want a “cool church” where modern productions are a thin veneer plastered over and old Baby-Boomer culture. They seek something they can relate to.”

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Generational Patterns

A Discussion About Next Gen Leadership

I am not confused about who I am and my generational order. I am a Baby Boomer! I grew up with a strong ambition and work ethos. I argued with my dad about, “What do you mean that I am too young to work?” I passed the PGA qualifying school to become a Caddy at age 14. I was disassembling small engines completely and rebuilding them at 15. I started a lawn service at 15 before there were string trimmers for edging and only walk behind lawn mowers. Zero Turn Radius anything was not born yet. Yes, I was quite clear on my generational pecking order and ambition.

Millennials and Gen Z’s have only known a digital world. Therefore, they start from a very different place than all other generations. Millennials came of age as they crossed over from the 20th to the 21st Century. They have witnessed the advent of computers and the Internet. Gen Z’s on the other hand have only known social media, Uber, Cellular devices and wearable technology. Because of modern medicine’s ability to extend the average lifespan we now are witnessing 5 generations at the same time. In the corporate world and non-profit world, we are generationally illiterate.

Covid is not causing the mass exodus away from structured religion. This has been taking place for several years now. We are slow in acknowledging this radical shift of what and how church will be conducted in the coming years. The prevailing model of church will be disrupted to a much greater degree than what we are presently seeing. A protectionist mindset will not delay nor prevent the loss of Millennials from the church.

It is being projected that in 9 short years – 2030 that 75% of the workforce will be comprised of Millennials. The key question is will 75% of the church be comprised of Millennials? It is no longer viable to say of your church, “At least we have timeless principles ….” because soon enough you will look around your church and say, “…and we have no-one under 40.”

Generational transitions are part of the Biblical narrative. Consider Ecclesiastes 1:4 NKJV “One generation passes away, and another generation comes; But the earth abides forever.” Our present culture is like an afternoon shadow. Will the church be left behind or will we understand the “times and seasons” and harness the endless opportunities this new generation brings?

Millennials are talented, creative, and collaborators. They are driven by a sense of significance. They are world-changers and hard workers. This generation carries the fingerprint of God!

In the coming articles I will speak to the Innovative ways the church can embrace this generation and harness their energy to a bright tomorrow.