authentage

Mr. Ed Bahler of the Aspen Group has, apparently, been filtering through six and a half Google pages of articles about the recent LifeWay study about church architecture. He points us, via lengthy quote, to one by a Benson Hines - a young man on a mission to explore college ministry.

As an expert on young adult ministry, Hines was not surprised by what LifeWay found. Emerging Church and New Monastic movements are both pronounced examples of young people moving back to a "vintage" faith. His analysis combined with his experience make for a great read, especially for anyone who may be struggling to come to grips with the uncertainty LifeWay has managed to expose.

My favorite part, though, was his use of the term "authentage." I don't know if he made that up, but I like it. And I quote:

"These stats certainly continue to confirm the appreciation for 'vintage' among many in our culture. An old church building is true vintage; it’s even more 'rooted' than candles put on a stage to manufacture a vintage environment. I continue to believe that some ministries could find great success by taking advantage of vintage elements they already possess.

"But vintage best connects with this generation when it’s paired with authenticity. Traditional building plus a 'traditionalist' congregation isn’t a good draw. But historic building plus alive and real congregation can be mighty attractive to somebody who’s into 'vintage' and 'authentic.' I like the term authentage myself. This generation loves authentage."

So how do we build authentage? First, I think we keep in mind the adjectives that the unchurched agreed should describe a church building: beautiful, simple, reverent, and traditional. Second, I think we keep doing what we've been doing for years: discover what God has called your congregation to, and design a building that will be your greatest ministry tool yet.