The Presbyter's Page
Electronic Edition – June 2003
Section 12 - LA
District UPCI
Donald Bryan - Presbyter
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New Wineskins - I Hate Change!!
The world is rapidly changing. The church must change to meet the challenge, by changing methods, structures, and strategies. Change is essential if churches and Sunday schools are to minister effectively. Often change is difficult because we confuse methods with principles. We must hold to our message, yet find new methods for a changing world. Leith Anderson in his book, Dying for Change, lists 10 trends that the church must understand and deal with in order to be effective.
1. Mobility. People have fewer family ties and more shallow relational and societal roots. Church is no longer where you join and stay for life, but rather a “way station” along the journey.
2. Coloring. Immigration and the high birth rate among “persons of color” will continue. Blacks, Hispanics, Asians, and other non-whites are increasing in population, while the Anglo population is declining.
3. Graying. There are more Americans over 65 than there are teenagers. While the youth population is declining, the over-65 age group is expected to increase over 75 percent during the next 40 years.
4. Women. It is expected that 61 percent of women will work outside the home. Currently 55 percent do. This may account for the difficulty in finding volunteers. More single and working mothers mean they are committed elsewhere and unable to be as involved in the church as in past generations.
5. Pluralism. Our society has become increasingly tolerant of all kinds of ideals, beliefs, and rights. This has moved us away from moral absolutes to moral relativity. Many Americans do not have clearly defined convictions. Right and wrong have become subjective and relative.
6. Shifts in Segmentation. Our society used to be segmented into lower, middle, and upper classes. Today the segmentation has been expanded and is determined more by age, gender, race, education, income, marital status, ethnic background, and so on. No longer do people go to a church because it is geographically close to them. They may drive to a different community if the church “fits them better.”
7. Short-term Commitments. Americans place high value on self, personal fulfillment, and independence. People don’t want to do anything to limit their options. Also, whenever a society experiences rapid change, mobility, and an emphasis upon self, long-term commitments are nearly impossible to obtain. Classes that once lasted 4 to 13 weeks are crammed into 1-day seminars. Task force assignments are more acceptable than long-term board assignments.
8. Decline in the Work Ethic. Young people today are more interested in material success than in serving others. People used to be satisfied with doing a good job regardless of the remuneration. Today people want remuneration and personal advantage.
9. Conservatism. Younger Americans are more conservative than their parents. However, they may be politically conservative and morally liberal, or they may be religiously conservative but politically liberal.
10. Cocooning. For some time, the trend has been back to the home as the center of life’s activities and relationships. The family is closing itself in, distancing itself from strangers, more inclined toward privacy. This directly impacts the church. People’s privacy must be respected in evangelism and visitation efforts, or the church may lose more than it gains. How will you respond to the needs of a changing world? Will you be an old wineskin, screaming, “I hate change!” If you want to be a new wineskin, there are some things you can do:
a.
Prayerfully seek God and His Word for a new vision.
b.
Study your church and community.
c.
Identify and learn about unreached people.
d.
Plan an effective strategy for reaching them.
e.
Make the changes necessary to reach them.
The world is looking for practical answers to real questions, lasting solutions to serious problems, and relevant responses to major issues. You and I can provide these if we will change. God will pour new wine into new wineskins to meet the needs of our generation.
Drawing From A Dry Well
I stared out of my office window. In 3 hours my congregation would be filling the auditorium to receive watering for their souls and seek direction and inspiration. The prospect used to snap my adrenaline to attention and send me bounding through the sanctuary straightening chairs, adjusting microphones, checking thermostats. Anticipation of the Holy Spirit’s ministry would stir my faith with expectation. It was my favorite time of the week – then. I managed to continue preparing messages, but careful planning of the services overloaded the limits of my emotional energy. I winged it more Sundays than I care to admit. Routine pastoral tasks were postponed or neglected. Knowing I wasn’t giving the pastorate my best effort nagged my conscience and compounded my distress. Thankfully, I survived. Ministry once again puts a bounce in my steps. My devotional life has regained its pulse. Vision and purpose flow through my veins. I’ve come through to the bright side of the “valley of the shadow of death.” Here are some things I learned about surviving when the well runs dry.
1. Recognize the Adversary. According to I Peter 5:8, we have an adversary who seeks to devour us. Satan’s strategy is seen throughout the Scriptures – to strike shepherds and scatter the sheep. For instance, he assaulted Timothy with insecurity and inadequacy. I was Timothy. Satan harassed me with thoughts: You’re a failure. You’re a terrible pastor. Your aren’t gifted enough. The church would be better off without you. You’ve missed your calling. They hounded my mind continually, and I gegan to believe them. Then I had to trust that He would equip and enable me to get the job done. I went to the Scriptures that speak of endurance and perseverance. Deep down I knew I had to press on, and God would see me through. He did. I’m thankful I didn’t quit.
2. Settle the Commitment Issue. Another breakthrough came by committing myself anew to the call of pasturing. Discouragement caused me to entertain ideas of quitting the ministry and pursuing other professions. Mentally I packed my bags daily. The fantasies provided brief oases in my desert, but ultimately they sucked me down into deeper depression. Indecision frustrated and complicated my state of mind. I became angry that the ministry forced me to say “No” to other options. Then Jesus’ words began to impress my thoughts, “Whosoever wishes to save his life shall lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake shall find it.” (Matt. 16:25). I was trying to save my life. Leaving the ministry would be a cop-out and would cost me long-term blessings and character development. Therefore, I determined to stick with it and be faithful to the call. Even if it killed me, I would give myself to the ministry. It was a turning point. The distracting, conflicting desires faded. Contentment came, followed by genuine joy.
3. Help From Others. Another turning point came when my wife and I sought counsel. We had talked about the need to seek help, but I was reluctant to bother others with my problems. So I kept putting it off. That week we made an appointment with an older pastor couple in another town. As I spilled the sewage of my soul, they listened with nodding heads. Although they didn’t tell me anything I hadn’t already heard, being able to unburden my mind gave birth to a new perspective. To nurture that freshness I joined a men’s support group. Having the prayer and emotional support of others has effected definite change in my life.
4. Distinguish Between Yourself and Your Ministry. I learned, however, that such sharing needed some boundaries. I had to learn to confine the situation to its appropriate territory, including disciplining my thoughts during off-hours. Resisting the temptation to discuss matters at home, and developing a pattern of prayer that focused on personal and family issues rather than church business.
5.
Keep the Momentum.
Each of these disciplines has served as underground water sources to
replenish my well – nothing spectacular by themselves, but together they’ve
provided refreshment to me and to those I pastor. They don’t change circumstances or shelter me from problems;
however, as I maintain them as an ongoing part of my life, they bring me into
contact with God’s strength – the only reliable well from which to draw.
--Name Withheld
A question haunts many conscientious leaders. Although many people receive the Holy Ghost, many do not remain. Their new birth often proves to be more of a stillbirth. How can we reduce the number of stillbirths and lead newborn Christians into meaningful relationships with the Lord and the church? Statistics reveal that unless a new convert is able to develop six or seven new relationships in the church within 9 months, he will probably leave the church. To compensate for this, we need to develop a caring community to nurture and integrate these people into the life of the church. Such a program will include:
A. A strong commitment from the leadership, not only to reap, but to keep the harvest;
B. A method for nurturing new converts; and
C. A way to help the new convert make friends in the church.
Here is a method that is working in several churches.
1. Start with a new convert’s follow-up class to be taught by the pastor. He may later turn it over to someone else with the ability to care for, teach, and nurture new converts.
2. Find one or two couples who are outreach oriented, motivated by love, and loyal to the pastor to work in the area of new convert follow-up.
3. Enroll new converts immediately in a new converts class, or assign them to a couple who will be nurturers.
4. Assimilate new converts into the mainstream of the church. They may feel comfortable in their new class and not want to leave, but it is important for them to become involved in the total life of the church.
Churches that develop an effective caring, nurturing ministry are retaining up to 60 percent of their new converts. You can keep those you reach by developing relationships and establishing spiritual foundations in new converts.
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Dying
for Change
by Leith
Anderson
A recent survey of
America's Protestant churches estimates that 85 percent have plateaued or are
declining in membership. The rapid and complex changes transforming Western
society have left many churches and ministry organizations teetering between
ineffectiveness and extinction. They must learn to meet the challenges of the
present and upcoming generation quickly.
Leith Anderson has successfully
guided his own church through a process of extraordinary growth and change. Out
of his experience, research, and presentations has come the material for this
book. Dying for Change is not intended to be a simple formula for
success. Change is extremely difficult but absolutely necessary.
"If anyone knows and
understands the awesome realities facing the church today, it is Leith Anderson
-. Dying for Change is a leap forward for biblical thinking in regard to
the challenges." -Josh McDowell,
Author and Speaker
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