10 Most Innovative (3 of 3)

One more observation about the top 10 churches on Outreach Magazine's "Most Innovative" list:

All of the top 10 churches are "broadcast era" churches.

In his epic classic, The Millennium Matrix, Rex Miller divides written history into four basic "eras."

1. The Oral Era. Very few people can read. Tradition - including religion - is handed down through the spoken word. In church, this means stained glass tells Bible stories and sanctuaries are constructed to communicate the majesty of God. Priests tell Christians what they believe.
   
   
2. The Written Era. The printing press changed everything. More people had access to literature, and so many more learned to read. In church, this meant the Bible was in the hands of the laity and they started to have their own ideas. Church buildings became more functional and the Bible, not the priest, was exalted.


3. The Broadcast Era. Television changed everything again. People are learning more by experience than reading, and the popular mindset became less "beginning to end - left to right." In church, this means helping people experience God. Sanctuaries are designed to reflect modern culture and ease an increasingly hostile society into the truth of Christ.


4. The Digital Era. The Internet upset life again ... or is upsetting. "Beginning to end" has been demolished by hyperlinks, and people learn by interaction with others or their subject matter. In church, we're only beginning to understand what this means.

All of the 10 most innovative churches have kept up with the pace of our culture. All 10, at least in some measure, realize that the U.S. is a mission field, and they need to use the native language to communicate.