unChristian

I've started reading through unChristian this week, by the Barna Research Group's very own David Kinnaman. He's going through the six most common points of skepticism that "outsiders" - anyone who's not a Christian, basically - hold against the Church.

Chapter 4 is about complaint #2: That Christians are too focused on getting converts, and we don't really care about people.

He gives some shocking testimony and provides startling numbers, all to explain that people think Christians just want them to be another notch on their Salvations belts. He discusses the frequency with which young people leave the Church after a try (or being forced into it by their parents), and how Christians have largely dumbed-down salvation to say-this-prayer-and-come-to-church. He continues with the transformation that the Church needs to make and he confesses this:

In the last two years, we have completely reengineered the Barna organization around this concept - that the church must become a catalyst, an environment for genuine and sustainable spiritual transformation.

(Emphasis mine.)

He goes on to explain that emerging generations are looking for process, and journey, so the kind of discipleship that Jesus modeled is actually quite appealing. What they're not interested in is say-this-prayer-and-come-to-church.

When people become Christians, we must describe appropriate expectations for them; engage them in significant, accountable relationships; and fashion environments where deep life change can take place.

(Emphasis mine.)

How do we fashion these environments? I'll let David explain,

We can create an environment in which relationships facilitate spiritual formation.

Relationships are key.

There is a resounding call for the Church to move back into mentorship and back into the art of making disciples - one at a time. Young people don't want to feel like a head to count, they want the people who are trying to tell them how to live their lives, to understand their lives. In the next chapter, David writes, "Our research demonstrates that conversations begin to open up avenues for spiritual influence."

How easy would it be to offer to buy a young visitor a cup of coffee if you both only had to walk across the lobby?

And part of this research is speaking to the need for the Church to be more relational in general. The Senior Pastor can't mentor every young adult that walks through the door, but a church family that is comfortable with themselves and acclimated to conversation can. Something else that will only happen in the correct environment.

motivation

The Pew Forum released the results of their U.S. Religious Landscape Survey. Some interesting findings:

• 28% of American adults have left the faith they were raised in for another religion, or no religion at all.
• The number of people who say they are currently unaffiliated with any particular faith today (16.1%) is more than double the number who say they were unaffiliated with a particular faith as children.
• Of those who report no religious affiliation, the majority (12.1% of the adult population overall) describe their religion as "nothing in particular," as opposed to atheist or agnostic.
  
• One-quarter of young adults (18-29) are currently unaffiliated with a particular faith.

Some of the Forum's observations:
"The United States is on the verge of becoming a minority Protestant country."

"Men are significantly more likely than women to claim no religious affiliation. Nearly one-in-five men say they have no formal religious affiliation, compared with roughly 13% of women."

"People not affiliated with any particular religion stand out for their relative youth compared with other religious traditions. Among the unaffiliated, 31% are under age 30 and 71% are under age 50. Comparable numbers for the overall adult population are 20% and 59%, respectively."

"In sharp contrast to Islam and Hinduism, Buddhism in the U.S. is primarily made up of native-born adherents, whites and converts. Only one-in-three American Buddhists describe their race as Asian, while nearly three-in-four Buddhists say they are converts to Buddhism."

why have a building?

The Future of Church Facilities has been a hot topic for conversation this week. Barna released and interesting study Tuesday with heavy implications for church space, and without mentioning the research, the topic came up at a staff meeting.

Yesterday, Brad made some interesting observations on the Church Marketing Sucks blog about a student ministry gathering. Apparently it's been in the works for quite a while, but they had a lower-than-expected turnout. He writes,

Gone are the days when event-goers were content with being captivated by the energy of crowds and connected with like-minded peers. It used to be that you could put on an event with awesome experiences (technical) and spectacular content (spiritual) and it would be a winning combination with little competition. These days, events are a dime-a-dozen with often little distinction between purpose, people or participants.

Take a big step back, and I think there's a pattern emerging (no pun intended).

Barna shows us that budding Christians - for whatever reason - don't think they need to attend a church to further their relationship with God. This idea has been festering for years, and what has the Church done? She's kept pace with the social order and turned worship into an experience. Way to engage.

Now it's becoming more and more evident that "events are a dime-a-dozen," and the next generation isn't coming out. They don't starve for social connection like their parents did when they were teenagers, because Twitter tracks their BFF's every move. So what is the Church doing?

It's a question that the western Church as a whole, and that your local church leadership, needs to seriously brainstorm on. Especially if you're in a building project. What is about to dawn that we need to prepare for, plan for, and build for?

Church Alternatives?

The Barna Group released a new study this morning: Americans Embrace Various Alternatives to Conventional Church Experience as Being Fully Biblical.

Those surveyed were asked if they think the following alternatives are "a complete and biblically valid way for someone who does NOT participate in the services or activities of a conventional church to experience and express their faith in God."

• 89% consider participating in faith activities at home with their families acceptable.
• 75% consider participating in a house church an acceptable/Biblical alternative.
• 69% think watching a religious television program is a legitimate alternative to church.
• 68% believe listening to a religious radio broadcast is a Biblical alternative to church.
• 68% consider participating in a special ministry event (a concert or community service activity) an acceptable church alternative.
• 54% think participating in a marketplace ministry is a Biblical alternative to conventional church.

We know nothing of the spiritual condition of the American adults surveyed. The report does not specify if people were asked anything about their faith or spiritual habits.

Some of the "alternative activities," I believe, many pastors/lay leaders would argue are not Biblical and/or acceptable substitutions for attending a church service. Others could probably inspire good debate. The bigger picture, at least in part, is that American adults largely believe they can be Christians and still avoid your church.

One more reason why your facility should be attractive, relevant, and functional. People - even people who may be interested in Christianity - are predisposed to believe they don't need what you have to offer, so offer something they want instead. An open gym two nights a week, a baseball diamond, a cozy café, preschool, a skate park, free wireless internet ...

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.

10 Most Innovative (2 of 3)

We're in the process of reviewing - via very fine-toothed comb - Outreach Magazine's 10 Most Innovative churches, as a people who like buildings.

Only two of the 10 most innovative churches are being innovative about their building.

This surprised me. "Innovative" is developing a connotation that has to do with the latest and greatest technology. Microsites (such as ineed2change.com from Fellowship) and web-based technology (such as youversion.com from LifeChurch.tv) may be the easiest way to innovate, but it's not the only way.

Mars Hill Church in Seattle (#2 on the list) transforms its main campus each December 31 for its annual "Red Hot New Year's Eve" party. They create a safe, dry (except for the champaign at midnight), and really hip environment for New Year's eve. A feat I can't imagine in the the heart of Seattle. Their newest campus is a renovated dance club (which caused a stir in the community), and they're offering pet-sitting during weekend services.

Seacoast in South Carolina (#5 on the Innovative list) is also re-thinking the use of space. From Outreach:

Seacoast Church continues to expand to multiple states and is looking at a micro-site approach, asking how small a site can be and still be a church ... Informal versions of Seacoast have cropped up in non-traditional sites, including submarines and military bases around the world.

Local churches, especially if you're not multi-site (yet?), may find more value in thinking innovatively (yup, made that word up myself) about their buildings.

If you're in a building project, or getting ready to start one, turn your Innovative switch to ON and tape it there. Get your building team together and have some crazy, the-box-is-no-where-in-sight brainstorming sessions (you can reel them in later). Don't just create what you've seen, or what works for Seattle. Ask your team what God has called you to do, what you're passionate about, and what your community needs, and build a facility that will help you do that.

In a region and a time when its easy to just build a cookie-cutter church building, that's innovative.

10 Most Innovative (1 of 3)

I finished going through the first 10 of Outreach Magazine's 25 Most Innovative Churches last week. Yes, it's been out for close to a month, but I use a very fine-toothed comb. So let's review as a people more interested in buildings than microsites and webcasts.

Nine of the 10 most innovative churches are multi-site.
The exception is Granger Community Church in Granger, Indiana. Granger is, however, still reproducing itself through WiredChurches.

What is this telling us?

• Even though multi-site has been around for 20 years, it's still a relatively radical, innovative step for a church to take.
• Innovative churches seem to know they have something to offer the world. Remember, most churches go multi-site to inspire growth, not as a solution to a lack-of-space problem. These ministry leaders don't need to add campuses, but they do in order to better distribute their message.

Does this mean multi-site is the new mega? It may be too early to tell. These churches, remember, are innovative, which does not necessarily mean they're the most popular. In fact, only one of the 10 most innovative also made Outreach Magazine's 10 fastest-growing U.S. churches, and of the 10 fastest-growing churches, only six are multi-site.

(Which is not to say those on the Innovative list are not growing. LifeChurch.tv is #1 for Innovative, and #31 for Fastest-growing. Mars Hill is #2 for Innovative, and #23 for Fastest-growing. Seacoast is #5 for Innovative, and #66 for Fastest-growing. Etc.)

most innovative gets more innovative

LifeChurch.tv is holding fast to it's #1 position on Outreach Magazine's list of the "Most Innovative" churches in the U.S. LifeChurch.tv is a multi-site campus, so much of their ministry depends on live video feed. Recently, the church upgraded to HD (high definition) equipment. There are details on the Swerve blog, but I thought the pictures Bobby posted said it all.

(before)

(after)

Multi-Site Exposed

Why become a multi-site church?

The purpose of becoming a multi-site church is to make more and better disciples by bringing the church closer to where people are. The motivation is to do a better job of loving people, including different types of people, with an outcome of making significant advances in obeying Jesus’ Great Commandment (Matt. 22:37-40) and Great Commission (Matt. 28:19-20). Churches report that conversion growth is greater on their extension campuses than at the original campus.

It seems like multi-site churches may be the mega-churches for an emerging generation. The Multi-Site Exposed Conference is coming to Chicago in September, but early-bird registration is only available through February.

Speakers in Chicago this year are going to be Dave Ferguson from Community Christian Church, Mark Jobe from New Life Community Church, and Jim Downing of First UMC in Sedalia, Missouri.

If your church is looking for a fresh way to reach deeper into your community, you might be ready to go multi-site. Contrary to first impressions, most churches do not go to a multi-site model because they are growing, but because they want to grow. Kind of a "if you build it, they will come" strategy ... and it's working.

bricks, mortar and learning (about Jesus)

USA Today published an article yesterday about how a building can recreate an environment. The story is one of an English teacher, and the change that occurred in his school when they decided to go all the way with a new building.

A church building is primarily a place of worship, but it is also a place of teaching. Right now many church buildings are filled with middle-aged conservatives who grew up in church. They are far from the rebellious, unruly crowds that fill public high schools, but probably not for long. The mission field that is beginning to overtake the western church is made up of "free-thinking" young people who don't know who Moses is. They are used to making their own rules, used to hating Christianity, and used to avoiding church.

So maybe this is more applicable than we'd like it to be.

Space. The school in question doubled the width of the hallways and made classrooms bigger. Adolescent behavior improves when they're not crammed into tight spaces. Imagine how much more comfortable new visitors will feel.

Lighting. We think natural lighting looks pretty, but it can increase learning rates by about 20%.

Improved security. Especially in your children's space.

Collegian cafeteria. The school added a better cafeteria, and stopped allowing students to leave campus for lunch. "To my amazement, few kids have complained, and the cafeteria has created a sense of unity in the student body." People come together over food. Your third place space should be immaculate.

High-tech teaching. "Even the most distracted students perk up when the LCD lights up." When ministering in a foreign mission field, you use the native language. The native language of the emerging generation is interactive, multi-media, and usually 140 characters or less. Don't make it a show, and don't compromise your message, just use their language.

Design/Redesign

There's a blog entry on Vandelay from a couple weeks ago titled 21 Factors to Consider Before a Redesign. They do websites. We do buildings. There are a lot of similarities.

1. What is the goal of the (re)design?
This is your mission/vision statement. Your church building should both reflect and serve your ministry. Don't set aside your vision statement while you consider your building (re)design.

3. What aspects of the current design are most effective?
"Most likely there are some things about the current design that work very well, and these may be aspects that you would like to keep or incorporate into the new design."

4. What aspects of the current design are not effective?
"Are there some characteristics of the design that do not accurately portray your [ministry] to new visitors?"

5. Who are your target users?
"By knowing who you are targeting and how you can meet their needs, you will be on your way to building an effective [facility]."

6. How can the [building] be more user-friendly?
Visible, staffed welcome center. Clear signage. Third place space. Exciting kids ministry space. Good traffic flow.

12. How can navigation be made more effective?
"Before designing think about how visitors will want to move through the [building], and make it as easy as possible for them."

14. How can increased user interaction be incorporated?
"By making the [building] more engaging to visitors you are more likely to get a high number of repeat visitors." Again, I'm thinking fun stuff for their kids and a swank café.

20. What [ministries] currently have inbound links?
Where are your first time visitors coming from? Are the kids inviting their friends? Are the homeless coming for a warm cup of coffee and shelter? Are business people coming for lunch and free wireless internet? " ... you’ll want to make sure that any changes do not negatively affect these links."