In December, Charisma Magazine posted an article titled Spiritual Trends to Watch in 2012 written by J. Lee Grady. He begins by stating . . . “Some people are terrified of 2012. Their fear is based on the fact that the Mayans of ancient Mexico mysteriously ended their 5,126-year-old calendar on Dec. 21, 2012—as if they expected the world to end that day.”
I appreciate his perspective and agree; I’m not worried about 12/21/2012 either. However, there are emerging trends that will dramatically affect the church and, as Grady presents, some are very positive and some, unfortunately, negative. You can access the entire article on-line at:http://www.charismamag.com/index.php/spiritled-woman/1610-features/32315-spirituai-trends-to-watch-in-2012.
Although I would like to dialogue on each of the trends, number nine (9) struck me in particular because of the book I published recently, For the Sake of the House: organizational and leadership requirements for the 21st century church. Let me explain.
Grady writes . . . Denominations will be redefined:
Younger leaders today are uncomfortable with the rigidity and uniformity imposed by denominations. They place a high value on relationships and aren’t attracted to wasteful or needless structures. In order to keep younger ministers on board, some Pentecostal denominations will ditch old wineskins and change tired policies. The emphasis will shift from strict hierarchy to team-based leadership, and from impersonal organization to organic relationships. Denominations that don’t make this vital shift will shrink and become irrelevant.
As I write in the opening of my book, “(For the Sake of the Church) is written to heighten awareness of the organizational dynamics of the church and advance new strategies to meet the demands of this century. Despite the growing urgency on today’s organizations to poise themselves for sustainability, many local congregations and religious organizations continue to function as they have for decades, . . .”
I believe we need to address this on two fronts: 1) church leadership (plural, a teams-based approach), and 2) the church organization. Many books and articles have been written about leadership, however I believe tradition, fear of change, and no real understanding of strategic foresight analysis still too often influence our dialogue.
From an organizational perspective, structures and designs do not just happen. It takes much time, much effort, and many talented people. Again, as with leadership, our tendency is to rely on the familiar, our traditions. However, the changes the church currently faces are different now; they are discontinuous and not part of any pattern. Even the smallest changes can make the biggest differences, even if they go unnoticed for a time. For leaders, this may be confusing and troubling. But with proper preparation and foresight, with strategies, correct planning, and implementation, the local church organization will continue to flourish. The way we organize will determine our effectiveness. We need to be missionally responsive, culturally adaptive, organizationally agile multiplication movements.
Reggie McNeal’s statement echoes these sentiments and the impact it will have on those who are part of our congregations: “Missional Christians will no longer be content to help their church succeed in getting better at “doing church” or consider their commitment to the church as an expression of spiritual depth. They are shifting their commitments to people and causes beyond the church.”