Helping Local Congregations Navigate the Emerging Church Revolution

Adaptability and Resiliency.  Over the centuries, it has been attributes such as these that have contributed to the growth and longevity of the Christian faith. Despite the doom-and-gloom rhetoric of some who see the entire institutional Church as inherently flawed and facing eventual extinction, it will nonetheless (though diminished somewhat), adapt to our postmodern world (and then to whatever comes next).  And I suppose... that congregations will survive, and even flourish where they are found embracing change and choosing to be incarnational and missional in the living out of their faith.

In his recent book, Revolution: Finding Vibrant Faith Beyond the Walls of the Sanctuary, George Barna explains that "Joining the Revolution does not mean forfeiting your congregational identity or church distinctives.  It means acknowledging advancing your bond with the universal Church and ratcheting up your commitment to serious Christianity" (p.136).  Barna goes on to offer local churches four pieces of advice:

1. Learn from the Revolutionaries.  "The thrust of this approach is to identify the points of strength in the Revolution and incorporate the heart of those dynamics into the ministry of the congregation."
2. Seek ways in which your church can add value to the Revolution. They have needs that might be filled in a variety of ways - and should be -- at the expense of your own congregation (i.e. money and/or people).
3. Reflect on what it means to belong to a church -- your church.  I"f you are able to embrace the Revolutionaries without judgment, you are likely to find that they will add as much (or more) value to your church body as they extract."
4. Figure out how to create more Revolutionaries among those who are not aligned with the Christian faith community.  Although Barna doesn't use the terminology, he is basically encouraging the sending and supporting of "third space" missionaries, getting them out to where the people are.

Okay, so this probably qualifies as at least a "start," right?  Yet it seems to me that much, much more is needed.  Although he probably isn't, it feels as if Barna is promising churches that they can jump on the bandwagon of this Revolution and still stay the same somehow. Is that a valid paradox? Or a misleading assumption?

And finally... if a local congregation were to approach you, asking for advice as to how they might continue as a community of faith -- in today's postmodern, postchristian world --while effectively introducing people to Jesus and a life of discipleship... what would you tell them?

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photo credit (top right): Google images

Comments

[Rev. Fr. Stan]

Christianity os not a Revolution. It is a Revelation because it is a mystery (Raza).

Leftist love the idea of a revolution since the French revolution, and of course, the American one. But the idea of Christianity as a revolution is ludicrous because Jesus is the legitimate king of the universe and the source and pattern of all creation. It is the Devil who is a pretender and an enslaver of men.

No revolution or church movement has ever accomplished anything of any merit in the church. Only God's Spirit can rightly lead the church down the path of Christ. For, "It is not by might, not by power, but by my Spirit says the Lord". and so it has been for ages. John Chrysostom, Athanasius, Francis of Assisi, and many others. NONE of them were revolutionaries. They were all PROPHETS sent to accomplish God's will. And with power. And kings, emperors and popes all bowed to them.

I wonder why Barna is so in love with the word "revolutionary" which implies men through their own planning and force overturning a legitimate authority, when there are so many good Scriptural paradigms and examples. How about just being a Righteous Spiritual Christian?

Think about this: If you are the son of the owner of a company sent in to get the company back on track then can you really be called a revolutionary? Perhaps Barnas real contributin is to show, once again, the Church doesnt yet know who She is.

[Gina]

Good thoughts, Fr. Stan.

The effort to "keep pace" with cultural change, while something that all Christians need to deal with to an extent, is in such fever pace in the EC that Barna's words no doubt represent an attempt to translate it for the fuddyduddies and to mediate the inevitable backlash.

[pavel/addai]

lol You know if I wanted to make some bucks and I had a decent enough artistic talent. I would probably do some kind of Jesus portrait stylized on Che Geuvera...

I think Che Geuvera, Yeshua could really be big!

[zane anderson]

Barna's "Revolution" will be discussed this Friday night (2-3-06) on the nationwide Moody Broadcasting Network. "Open Line" is a call-in show which is aired at 8-8:55 pm CT. The phone number is 312-329-4460.

For station and time of broadcast information see http://openlineradio.org.

The programs are archived for download if you can't tune in.