12 CULTURAL TRENDS CHURCH LEADERS CAN’T IGNORE (BUT MIGHT)

JUNE 7, 2013

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When you lead an organization — especially when you are responsible for leading an organization like the local church — there is a temptation to ignore trends or minimize the impact they will have on how you operate.

It’s so difficult to gain and keep momentum, that when you have some momentum it becomes tempting to ignore the changes around you because they might force you to rethink your method.

But the truth is that your method (your strategy, your approach, your plan) is not sacred; the mission is sacred.

Andy Molinski calls it global dexterity: The ability to adapt behaviours across cultures without losing who you are in the process.

Leaders who are willing to reconsider the methods to preserve the mission are usually the ones who succeed long term.

While there are dozens of trends that are impacting the church, the trends outlined below are what I would call ‘organizational sleepers’.

We all see them.

Our lives are impacted by them every day.

But many leaders are not talking about their impact.

One of the reasons we’re not talking about these issues might be that few of these trends have implications for the church that are clear cut or obvious.

Most of the thinking around these trends lead to wet cement conversations — thoughts that are open to reshaping, rethinking and reconsidering. Not every leader is comfortable with that kind of conversation.

So I offer them as things we need to be thinking about, talking about and praying through.

While there may be no clear answers, there should at least be conversation among leaders, boards and the thought leaders of any organization.

Here are the 12 trends in no particular order:

1. Online as the New Default. You used to have to go to church to hear a message or music, or get the cassette or cd. Now you just need a phone. Every attender can (and often will) listen to any communicator, band or concert they want. And almost everyone who shows up at your door has checked out your church online before they came. What are you doing to embrace the online world beyond a barely-supported and moderately outdated website, podcast or Facebook page?

2. Wifi and Smartphones. They are googling you while you’re speaking, and checking out other options while you’re listing yours. Do you assume your audience is intelligent, literate and has options?

3. Dialogue. People want to talk, not just listen. While sitting around tables every Sunday may not be the answer, increasingly a church without conversation is a church without converts. What scalable, meaningful venues do you have for people to go to online and inhouse for real conversation?

4. Loyalty. Brand loyalty is low. 4 of the top 5 global companies didn’t exist 40 years ago. Being around for a long time can be seen as a liability with the next generation. (Rich Birch has a great info-graphic on this.) How are you showing the relevance of an ancient faith to the current generation?

5. Lack of guilt. Guilt used to motivate people to change and even to come to faith. The next generation feels less guilt than almost any previous generation. Are you still using guilt to motivate people? (By the way, Jesus never used guilt to motivate outsiders.)

6. Declining trust in authority. People will still trust authority when the authority has earned their confidence. But they start out with suspicion. More than ever, trust is earned slowly and lost instantly. How is the way you exercise authority worthy of people’s confidence?

7. Declining trust in institutions. You have to show people how an organization can help them, because by default, they don’t think it/you can or will. How are you demonstrating trustworthiness?

8. Personalized, eclectic spirituality.  People want to find their own unique path, and most start out that way. They will embrace the path of Christ, but they don’t start out there. How do you embrace where they start but encourage them not to finish there?

9. A desire for greater purpose. Millennials will not stay long at work or causes that have little greater meaning or purpose. I wrote more on why you need young leaders in your organization here.  Is your mission and vision clear, compelling and inexhaustible?

10. Personal mission. People aren’t waiting for someone to change the world, they’ll just do it. From charity runs to starting non-profits from home, the next generation not only believes they can have a global impact, many are having it. If your church doesn’t have a burning sense of purpose and vision, you look lame compared to the average 22 year old. How is your vision motivating people who have vision?

11. Trust in user reviews. What you say about your organization matters less than what others say. People place far more trust in user reviews than advertising copy. What are others saying about your organization and how would people find that out? 

12. The death of cash and cheques. When was the last time you wrote a cheque or paid $500 cash for something? No one does that anymore. But every Sunday most church leaders expect most of their offering to come in via cash or cheque. Is most of your giving happening online? Why not?

Obviously there are many more trends that are impacting the church or will be shortly. What do you see?

What are you doing about any of these mentioned above?

About Carey Nieuwhof: Carey Nieuwhof is lead pastor of Connexus Community Church and author of the best selling books, Leading Change Without Losing It and Parenting Beyond Your Capacity. Carey speaks to North American and global church leaders about change, leadership, and parenting.

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The Death of the Charismatic Leader (And the Birth of an Architect)

Inc.

by Jim Collins

October 1997

Almost by definition, an enduring great company has to be built not to depend on an individual leader, because individuals die or retire or move on. What's more, when a company's identity can't be separated from the identity of its leader, it can't be known for what it stand for. Which means it sacrifices the potency of being guided by its core purpose.

So the charismatic-leader model has to die. What do you replace it with? The task that the CEO is uniquely positioned to do: designing the mechanisms that reinforce and give life to the company's core purpose and stimulate the company to change.

Building mechanisms is one of the CEO's most powerful but least understood and most rarely employed tools. Along with figuring out what the company stands for and pushing it to understand what it's really good at, building mechanisms is the CEO's role—the leader as architect.

The old role is still seductive, though. Past models have glorified the individual leader, especially when he or she was an entrepreneur. And charismatic-style CEOs understandably find it hard to let go of the buzz that comes from having an intense, direct personal influence. But a charismatic leader is not an asset; it's a liability companies have to recover from. A company's long-term health requires a leader who can infuse the company with its own sense of purpose, instead of his or hers, and who can translate that purpose into action through mechanisms, not force of personality.

However hard the transition to architect might be, there are three issues, affecting every CEO, that encourage it—and eventually may even force it. One: time for creativity. Two: time span. And three: scale.

First, let's discuss creativity. As personally energizing as it is to have an effect on an employee and to touch his or her life, it's so energy absorbing that you're never left with enough time or spirit for real creative reflection or real creative work. Which is what mechanism building should be. The absence of that time is one great source of burnout.

The second concern is time span. Clearly, building a mechanism will have a much longer-lasting effect than leading by virtue of your presence. A mechanism doesn't depend upon you. If a truck hits you tomorrow, the mechanism will still be there.

The last concern, scale, is the most crucial. You can't build something really big just on charisma alone. At some point the scale is too great; you can't reach that many people. If you want something to really grow over time, you've got to build mechanisms that can touch everybody every day. What you get in the end is more reach, more power, the ability to affect more people. It's a leverage game.

Source: jimcollins.com

10 Questions to Ask Before Adding, Subtracting, or Changing Something.

January 28, 2013 in Ideas That Work, Questions For Reflection 

Leaders are always adding, subtracting, or changing things in their ministry. Here are 10 questions to consider before you implement change:

1. What problem am I hoping this change will address?
2. Am I sure that the above problem is the real problem and not merely a symptom of the real problem?
3. Why do I think this approach will address this problem?
4. Are there any ways in which this action might be misinterpreted by others?
5. Have I ever tried this before (the proposed action, change, etc.) …what were the results?
6. Do I know anybody who has done this before who can share with me their experience?
7. Am I doing this out of my own irritation?
8. Is anyone other than me seeing what I see, i.e. the problem.?
9. Is there anybody who I should run this by before taking the next step?
10. What has worked in the past to achieve this end other than what I’m planning? Is there any other way to hit this target or achieve my desired result?

Source: DaveJacobs.net

10 Questions Every Innovative Small Church Pastor Needs to Ask

Posted on January 30, 2013  by Karl Vaters Posted in newmallchurch.com

You can’t arrive at the right answers unless you ask the right questions.

That was the premise of a great new post by Dave Jacobs entitled “10 Questions to Ask Before Adding, Subtracting, or Changing Something.”

If you’re looking to move your Small Church from dead, dying or static, to healthy and innovative, these ten questions are a very helpful place to start. They’ll help you discover whether a change is even needed, then they’ll guide you into making the needed changes more successfully.

I’ll give you each of Dave’s ten questions, followed by my commentary.

(Please do not assume my commentary is endorsed by Dave Jacobs. He may or may not agree, but he should not be held responsible for any of my opinions.)

1. What problem am I hoping this change will address?

Narrow your field.

“My church is unhealthy and ineffective” is a problem, but it’s too big to tackle all at once.

Instead, break the problem down into bite-size pieces, then deal with them one at a time. As I mentioned in a previous post, start with the easiest, most obvious problems first.

2. Am I sure that the above problem is the real problem and not merely a symptom of the real problem?

Look a layer deeper.

For example, a lack of enthusiasm in worship will not be fixed by goading people into singing louder, raising their hands or clapping along if they don’t feel like it. Their lack of enthusiasm is not the problem, it’s a symptom.

Ask why they don’t want to participate. Is the worship leader performing instead of drawing people in? Is the audio mix not balanced properly? Is there disunity among the members?

Then deal with the underlying problem.

(On a side note, I’m aware that the worship style I’ve described is somewhat charismatic. In many churches, people will never raise hands or clap along, but still have a very deep worship experience.)

3. Why do I think this approach will address this problem?

We need to be solutions-oriented, not method-obsessed.

One of the mistakes I made in early ministry was finding a solution, then looking for a problem to apply it to.

It usually happened right after attending the latest seminar or reading the newest book. A cool, new idea for doing church would be proposed, so I’d look for an excuse to use it.

It’s better to solve the problem with an old-school idea than not solve it by insisting on the newest, coolest method.

4. Are there any ways in which this action might be misinterpreted by others?

People will always misunderstand you. Even with the purest of motives and thorough communication.

You can’t ever get rid of misunderstandings, but you can minimize them.

One exercise I use is to look for trigger words that might bother people. In some situations, you might be better off using “adapt” instead of “compromise”, “upgrade” instead of “replace”, or “enthusiastic” instead of “charismatic”, for instance.

Know your congregation, then try to hear your words through their ears before you speak.

5. Have I ever tried this before (the proposed action, change, etc.) …what were the results?

Small Churches have long memories.

Too many pastors have short-term ones, or none at all.

Not everyone who says “we tried this before and it didn’t work” is a stick-in-the-mud. They might be saving you time, moneyand embarrassment.

6. Do I know anybody who has done this before who can share with me their experience?

So many “great” church ideas only look good on paper. Years ago, when our church was looking for ways to do a much-needed Extreme Church Makeover, I assigned a group of leaders to research some of the best ideas that were floating around.

They presented me with three possible strategies, all of which looked good. I asked them which one they preferred and they all selected the same one. When I asked them why, they said “because it’s been used successfully at other churches. The others feel like they were written by an editorial staff.”

They were right. The others strategies might have worked, but we went with the one that had worked elsewhere, tweaked it for our peculiarities, and it did work.

7. Am I doing this out of my own irritation?

Making major life decisions when you’re on an emotional high or an emotional low is a bad idea.

How many times have I heard “just change it! Nothing can be worse than this!” only to discover that there are some things that are much worse.

Big decisions need calm hearts and cool heads.

8. Is anyone other than me seeing what I see, i.e. the problem?

We’ve all read the stories of the maverick who struck out on a great idea against all odds, with everyone telling him he’s wrong, only to succeed spectacularly and hold his head high in triumph.

People like to write those stories. But the reason they’re great stories is that they’re outliers. They’re unique. They don’t fit the norm.

Here’s what usually happens to the maverick church leader. He strikes out on what he thinks is a great idea against all odds, with people who love him warning him of the dangers ahead, but he does it anyway. When the inevitable failure happens, those who love him are left to pick up the pieces.

If people you trust and who love you don’t see a problem, give it time. Let your irritation (see point #7) die down, then revisit it.

Lone Wolf ideas that work out well in churches are rare. We usually do better seeing the problems and working on the solutions together.

9. Is there anybody who I should run this by before taking the next step?

So many good pastors have been shattered on the rocks of church leadership by forgetting the top three principles of working with a team. Communicate, communicate, communicate.

As I said in an earlier post, churches are OK with change. They just don’t like surprise.

It’s counterproductive and disrespectful to put someone in a position of authority (like coordinating the church facility usage, for example) only to leave them out of the loop on decisions that will affect the job you’ve given them.

10. What has worked in the past to achieve this end other than what I’m planning? Is there any other way to hit this target or achieve my desired result?

Some people are addicted to change for the sake of change. Or to a particular method that “everyone else” is doing.

Don’t get so obsessed with a specific “fix” that you can’t see a better idea. Maybe even an old idea.

Ideas don’t need to be new to be innovative. They just need to work.

So what do you think? Are there any questions you would add to this list?

May 17, 2013

Have 8 Million Millennials Really Given Up on Christianity?

Or will those born in the 1980s follow the evangelical rebound of Generation X?

Melissa Steffan

Researchers recently took second looks at the perennial question of whether evangelicals are losing younger generations.

Sociologist Brad Wright examined religious affiliation by age cohort via the General Social Survey. He did that millennials born in the 1980s have shown a steep drop in evangelical affiliation unlike Americans born in the 1940s and 1950s, who steadily increased in evangelical affiliation as they got older.

But he also found that millennials appear to be following a similar rebound trajectory to Americans born in the 1970s, who dropped steeply in evangelical affiliation as twentysomethings (from approximately 27% to 21%), but returned to almost the same starting level of affiliation by their 40s.

Notes Wright:

I wonder if this initial drop downwards contributes to the hyperbole regarding the young–that Evangelical Christianity is facing an imminent collapse. We see higher-than-usual rates of them leaving in their late teens and early twenties, and we project this trend into the future. That doesn’t seem to have happened to those born in the 1970s, and it’s too early to tell for those born in the 1980s.

While the hyperbole might be a great way to sell books and get people to listen to sermons, I don’t see it born out in the data.

Meanwhile, Barna Group argues that, based on its latest research, most millennials are actually "nomads." That is, they're spiritually homeless but not actually the faithless people they're portrayed to be.

"Between high school and turning 30, 43 percent of these once-active Millennials drop out of regular church attendance—[which] amounts to eight million twenty-somethings who have, for various reasons, given up on church or Christianity," notes Barna, which goes on to delineate three different faith trajectories among this group.

The "rise of the nones", or religiously unaffiliated, continues to make headlines, though growth within the demographic may be slowing—and the term "nones" is less than accurate.

posted by Melissa Steffan 

Source: Christianity Today blog

ChurchLeaders.com:

15 Things You Need to Know about Unchurched People Today

by Carey Nieuwhof

We must reach the unchurched with the Gospel of Christ. But who are they, and what are they all about?

If you’re like many Christians, you have an authentic desire to share your faith with people who don’t yet follow Jesus. I know I do.

One of my deepest longings is that every person would come to know the love and salvation that Jesus extends to them.

Our vision at Connexus, where I serve as lead pastor, is to be a church that unchurched people love to attend — a vision we share with all North Point strategic partner churches.

But unchurched people are changing.

Even since I started ministry 18 years ago, there’s been a big shift in how unchurched people think. Particularly here in Canada, we are a bit of a hybrid between the U.S. and Europe. Canadians are less ‘religious’ than Americans, but less secular than Europeans.

Gabe Lyons and David Kinnaman have outlined helpful characteristics of unchurched people inUnChristian, and David tackled it again in You Lost Me. I won’t repeat those characteristics here. (Both books are fantastic reads.)

Post-modernism has a deeper toe-hold here than in almost anywhere in America, except perhaps the Northwest and New England, where it might be about the same.

Here are characteristics of unchurched people that I’m seeing today.

1. They don’t all have big ‘problems.’

If you’re waiting for unchurched people to show up because their life is falling apart, you might wait a long time. Sure, there are always people in crisis who seek God out. But many are quite content with their lives without God. And some are quite happy and successful.

If you only know how to speak into discontent and crisis, you will miss most of your neighbours.

2. They feel less guilty than you think.

They don’t feel any more guilty about not being in church on Sunday than you feel guilty about not being in synagogue on Saturday. How many Saturdays do you feel badly about missing synagogue? That’s how many Sundays they feel badly about missing church.

3. Occasional is regular.

When they start coming, they don’t always attend every week. Giving them easy, obvious and strategic steps to get connected is important. Disconnected people generally don’t stick. (I wrote more about the declining frequency of church attendance here.)

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5 Things You Need to Know about Connecting Unconnected People

May 1, 2013 in Small Group Strategy with 2 Comments

There are a few things I know about connecting unconnected people.  And let me tell you something.  While there are definitely exceptions to just about every rule…if you can think of examples counter to these five you are thinking of exceptions.  Build your ministry off the rule and not the exception.

I’ve said many times that unconnected people are one tough thing away from not being at your church. Loss of a job.  Divorce or separation.  A devastating diagnosis.  A child in trouble.

Here are 5 more things you need to know about connecting unconnected people:

1. Unconnected people have different appetites and rarely respond to menu items that appeal to the core and committed.  If you’re finding it hard to connect beyond the usual suspects, you might need to take a careful look at the topics of studies you’re offering.  See also, How to Choose Curriculum That Launches Groups andDoes Your Topic Connect with Your True Customer.
2. Unconnected people are wary of long commitments.  When you promote ashort-term study that’s 13 weeks (Financial Peace, Experiencing God, some Beth Moore studies), you need to know that unconnected people hear “lifetime commitment.”  What’s the right length?  I’ve found that 6 weeks is just about ideal.  Lyman Coleman has said many times that 6 weeks is short enough to commit to and long enough to help people begin to feel connected.  Lyman’s right.
3. Unconnected people respond to test-drives and putting toes-in-the-water.  In addition to offering shorter short-term opportunities, making it clear that it’s “just a test-drive” helps unconnected people feel more comfortable putting their toe in the water.  If they know they can have a taste and opt out if it’s not for them, they’ll be much more likely to give it a try.  Language is so important.  The power of the right words cannot be overstated.
4. Unconnected people connect easiest when the first step out of the auditorium is familiar.  Listen to very many new attendees at your church and you’ll often learn that just getting up the nerve to come to a weekend service was a real challenge.  I’ve talked with many who’ve told me they drove by many times before they ever pulled into the parking lot.  I’ve had a number tell me they made it to the parking lot more than once and couldn’t get out of their cars.  Want these same people to join a small group?  Better give them a way to attend an on-campus study or small group connection as their first step.  See also, How to Calm an Unconnected Person’s Second Greatest Fear.
5. Unconnected people attend less frequently than connected people.  Have a connecting opportunity coming up?  If you want unconnected people to hear about it, you better keep in mind that promoting the event several weeks in a row is essential.  See also, Why You Must Make the HOST Ask Several Weeks in a Row.

What do you think?  Have something to add?  Want to argue?  You can click here to jump into the conversation.

Source: http://www.markhowelllive.com