We have spoken to countless pastors who tell us the biggest surprise of the pandemic as a church leader was all the new decisions they had to make. Church leaders particularly feel the exhaustion of dealing with so many issues. Fishers, IN 46038 I would say if a church stayed closed for more than a year, it was really hard to get those people to come back. In the last three years, all signs are pointing to a continued pace of closures probably similar to 2019 or possibly higher, as theres been a really rapid rise in American individuals who say theyre not religious.. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); All during this pandemic our church has stood firm in our convictions that no matter what, we will do SOMETHING to keep getting the word of God to our congregation. But church leaders today wonder if any stability is on the horizon. Here it is in its entirety: Martin Luther King, Jr.Letter from Birmingham JailApril 16, 1963 MY DEAR FELLOW CLERGYMEN: While confined here in the Birmingham city jail, []. Not only were many predominantly white denominations explicit perpetrators of racialized theology and supporters of systems that oppressed and disadvantaged BIPOC people historically, as MLK Jr. said, Sunday morning continues to be the most segregated hour of the week. Both church leaders and members can get ornery and critical as a consequence of their exhaustion. In fact, thats another big problem in our churches. Several neighbors listened from their front porch. The question is, will you pay attention or stick with business as usual? We live in a culture that is commitment averse. Your email address will not be published. But homogeneity is not the biblical ideal. No longer can church leaders simply sidestep complex questions around human sexuality, hoping that merely teaching the right answers or avoiding controversial questions will somehow cause the issue to fade into the background. As Ive reflected on this new responsibility of guarding the flock and caring for the church of God (Acts 20:28), Ive been thinking about the particular challenges facing the 21st century church. The second wave has been a real challenge. General and special revelation. We must remove the notion that any adjustment or decision any pastor or leadership team in a church makes in the midst of this current context is the most important decision they will ever make. Churches that are a part of a denomination had to deal with the reality that the level of resources and help was not nearly what it was in the past. walked on Earth as testified both in the Acts and the epistles till today. With the first wave of COVID, church leaders expressed confidence in one of two paths forward. Businesses are shaken. Consumerism turns creation and people into objects for my use; again, denying the image of God in others and the reality of creation as a gift. Individualism centers the self over others, isolating me from responsibility to share in the joys and pains of others. Here are the seven most common challenges we see with churches: 1. They just get new data that leads to a change in tack. In this sense I think the evangelical church should become a bit more Catholic, trusting a bit more in continuity rather than seeing every cultural change as an invitation to reinvent the wheel. Being Jesus church in a community does not require as many things as we have come to think and believe that it needs. This means worship and church life will be messier, more emotional and more unpredictable than the rationalists would prefer, but it will be more powerful and I daresay more transformative. If the church ages and doesnt reach young people, or the demographics change and they dont figure out how to reach the new demographic, that church ends up closing. There seems to be change after change with no time to catch your breath. The church should be no haven for racism, and yet too often the church has let racial wounds fester and prejudice (whether explicit or implicit) go unaddressed. About 4,500 Protestant churches closed in 2019, the last year data is available, with about 3,000 new churches opening, according to Lifeway Research. And when that gets to a critical point, churches close. A church will go through a life cycle. Public health is also in the Torah when lepers were to be put outside the camp. This was ancient quarantine. Just 47% of American adults identify with a particular creed, down a prodigious 20% in just two decades. It is exhausting to read the scores of books that come out every year that provide a new paradigm or prescription for a revived church. About a quarter of the young adults who dropped out of church said they disagreed with their churchs stance on political and social issues. The entire process usually takes about one month. Connecting people who are engaging from home both with the church and with one another will become an essential skill for all church leaders. There is so much disagreement and uncertainty. This is a vast area that encompases a wide range of things (homosexuality, gender identity, marriage, divorce, egalitarian vs. complementarian gender roles, pornography, etc. But while Covid-19 may have accelerated the decline, there is a broader, long-running trend of people moving away from religion. Yes, Church Leaders Are Facing Challenges. 17) Religious Freedom. And some will die. Its important to reach out for third party help if your church is in crisis. We must take caution of the deceptive schemes he is using. This second wave seems to be ushering in a new era where church leaders must rethink everything about both full-time and part-time staff. In Canada we are talking Fourth Wave Is there going to be a Fifth and then a Sixth and then a ?? Some of these challenges include compromise with the standards of the world or walking the path of the world. Arent we a people of resurrection and hope? But it also hides in our allergies to those who are not like us, in our inability to hold non-coercive space with those who are different, and in our refusal to speak prophetically to injustice, and in our attempts to remain supposedly neutral in the face of injustice. In 2017 Lifeway surveyed young adults aged between 18 and 22 who had attended church regularly, for at least a year during high school. This is where Gravity Congregational Transformation can help. Not only are they causing confusion, but they are also often hidden beneath the surface, shaping your congregational culture in ways you dont realize. Brian Dolehide, managing director of AD Advisors, a real estate company that specializes in church sales, said the last 10 years had seen a spike in sales. This destructive assumption is often called white supremacy. But its more than personal; its institutional and social. If anything, we are learning from the pandemic, it is that the 21st century church must be nimble and resourceful. Yes, in my experience, a decision is never final. No one foresaw the virulence and spread of delta Variant. Church is a place where members of a body come together for purposes beyond themselves. After the research phase is complete, we compile a report that highlights the themes that emerged. The closures, even for a temporary period of time, impacted a lot of churches. They involve the ways individuals attempt to dominate, control, or coerce other individuals, but also the way congregations can become systems of domination, where idolatry is part of the water in which everyone swims and is formed. The challenges are aplenty here, with major theological and pastoral implications. Everything is fast-paced and harried; we can hardly remember which Netflix show we loved last month or which restaurant was the rage last year. In our [Episcopal} Diocese, they enlisted assistance from a group of professionals in various Public Health roles: epidemiologists, Social Work, Community development, disease control, and church function (there is a $0.25 word but that is what it is). With the first wave of COVID, church leaders expressed confidence in one of two paths forward. 5) Boredom. Churches must counter this and disciple people to submit their convictions about themselves, however sincere and authentic they may be, to the authority of Jesus Christ as revealed to us in Scripture. Should we be forced to shut down again, we are prepared to do whatever it takes to carry on. Well, lets continue to keep praying that this threatening variant can eventually be defeated by our medical people and life can possibly return to normal, assuming thats even possible the way were going. The following 21 are in no particular order and are by no means exhaustive, and they are largely (but not exclusively) reflective of an American evangelical context. Let God be true Justification and sanctification. I think all of us who got vaccinated feel somewhat cheated, hoping that the vaccine would help us get back to normal unmasked church life. There are many challenges facing the church today from increasing hostility toward Judeo-Christian values and the aftermath of COVID, to the latest statistics showing a concerning trend with shrinking Christian influence over the up-and-coming generations. 12 percent think Joan of Arc was Noahs wife. Yet, as most pastors also know, leading a congregation often feels more like navigating one problem after another than it does launching exciting new initiatives. 8) Consumer Christians. As the US adjusts to an increasingly non-religious population, thousands of churches are closing each year in the country a figure that experts believe may have accelerated since the Covid-19 pandemic. Lord help us make wise decisions that work for our good and HIS glory! Required fields are marked *. We are playing a very dangerous game when we entrust the government with that level of authority. Lifeway Research, a ministry of Lifeway Christian Resources, top concerns pastors had specifically for their own church, Above All: The Gospel Is the Source of the Churchs Renewal, Most Popular Sermon Passages, Topics in 2021, Churchgoers Are Still Tithing, More Comfortable Doing So Outside of Church. Suite 900-337 Complex social issues shaping your congregation are not distractions from the real work God is doing. The Delta variant spread faster and caused more infections. It is simply the next decision they have to make. One perspective was that churches would resume their practices just as they were before the pandemic. One of the top answers was church members seem to be judgmental or hypocritical, McConnell said. PO Box 34 1. If children are added to the mix, then the number increases to 86%. I must not, however, assume that everyone would . 13) The Struggle for Balance in an Immoderate Age. At this point, the success of their efforts lies in the hands of each individuals willingness to make the recommended lifestyle changes. The rights of one vs the rights of many has long been debated. Crowds were gathering again. In the discernment session, we lead the group in some contemplative brainstorming on the basis of the findings of the report. The second wave has been a real challenge. Now that was interesting! I think the greatest challenge in the church today is probably no different from any day, and that is that if we really believe in God and His sovereignty we'll I wrote about this a few years ago and still believe its one of the biggest challenges currently facing the church. Cumbersome and unwieldy must give away to small and light. When we consider "challenges" facing the ecumenical movement today - as in any era - we may characterize them either as obstacles or as opportunities, as stumbling-blocks or as stepping-stones to the future. hurches are closing at rapid numbers in the US, researchers say, as congregations dwindle across the country and a younger generation of Americans abandon. 6) Temptation to Reinvent the Wheel. Yet churches must lean into the "transcendent authority" of Christ, countercultural as that may be. Some of these have been external, and unfortunately the worst challenges Christ's church has gone through are from within -internal. Schools are wondering what to do. . With nearly 40 years of ministry experience, Thom Rainer has spent a lifetime committed to the growth and health of local churches across North America. Nearly three-quarters of respondents to a recent survey identify a spouse or partner, a congregation, a minister, a parent or other family member, a friend or someone they have a relationship with as the influencer in their decision. This is why we must be careful not to assume that just because a congregation is egalitarian does not mean there are male-centric assumptions and structures that marginalize women. If leaders want to address difficult issues, then they must have the courage to understand the gap. None of us wants to dispute the extraordinary growth of the church. Churches that celebrate, embrace and embody this reality in their communities will thrive, while those that resist diversity and cling to their ethnocentric privilege will falter. And so the younger generation just doesnt feel like theyre being accepted in a church environment or some of their choices arent being accepted by those at church.. I have served, loved and struggled with the church for my entire life. "The church needs to quit talking quite so much about visions, plans, strategies, new teachings, authors, bands, missions, buildings, teams and heresies," advises Brad Vanderburg. True Gregg! You have to be nimble and roll with the situation. This whole pandemic is like the HIV discovery on steroids. Many ministers are producing daily podcasts and having daily services that get large numbers of views from people worldwide. Some of the reasons were logistical, McConnell said, as people moved away for college or started jobs which made it difficult to attend church. 19) Hyper-Intellectualism. The values of routine, tradition and stability that define the church are distasteful in our fidgety age. The good news is that God is already working in the midst of these issues, bringing newness and transformation. Too many churches are insulated and self-focused. They cant have it both ways, and Im sick and tired of the double talk. Most pastors and ministry leaders are looking for ways to cultivate transformation in their congregations, to move beyond business as usual and step deeper with God into loving and just forms of life together. All churches have a gap. They dont know their own future, so they are often at a loss to help the churches they serve. Over several hours, we meet with you to discuss the report, to ask questions, and begin dreaming about what God is doing. Today were seeing this play out in the messy entanglements of Christians in politics, to the point that we have to say out loud that trickle-down economics and the right to bear arms are political, not biblical values. Racism has a long and dark legacy, especially in the West. After reading through just a brief overview of those heavy issues, you might be feeling overwhelmed. To minister to each other in an effective and meaningful way, it is important to recognize the many challenges Christians are facingand facing now with much intensity. By Scott Ross - December 15, 2021 Pocket Ten years ago, cultural and religious analyst Phyllis Tickle wrote about what she called "The Great Emergence" that the Church was enteringa time of both upheaval and hope. Isnt the Spirit who raised Christ from the dead within us now? 12) Aversion to Commitment. As always, the best are praying and making the best of it and using this opportunity to teach/reach people they would never have even thought of 2 years ago. Most challenges confronting the church today involve how local churches respond . The first major wave of COVID did not have the sense of hopelessness that is endemic with the second wave. Again, the church has a long, dark history with sexism and patriarchy. But Here's How We Keep Going. I think that dampens it down until you get the millennial generation for whom the cold war is just a vague memory from their early childhood.. We need discernment and wisdom, grounded in hopeful realism. Even while scientists are learning new things about it, their knowledge quickly becomes obsolete because the virus, as all new just-born life, experiences more frequent and drastic changes in its early days. You can get started addressing difficult issues right away by listening, naming the truth, and experimenting with concrete action steps. Especially at a time when faithful churches will be increasingly exiled from mainstream culture, we need to become leaner and more nimble. We also help you craft a plan to step into transformative new practices. All of this makes it easier to fracture our lived experience into disconnected compartments, a process that wreaks havoc on our spiritual formation. Anything to re-sensitize people to the fleshly reality of the church in the world. It's one more example of how a change in strategy requires churches to also consider a change in structure. Ken, Churches must lean into the complexities and paradoxes of these things and try to seek healthy balance, tempting as it will be to claim radical and extreme positions so as to appeal to Generation Antsy. We need to get rid of this type of thinking. Weariness expanded. I wonder what is causing the stress and concern? Top 10 challenges facing pastors in 2022 August 1, 2022 Many pastors today feel tired, overcommitted, embattled, and under-resourced. They should be there to make us more wise, and to depend upon God. The faith-based transaction is so different in so many ways from the for-profit transaction. We come alongside your congregation and craft a custom research project that helps reveal hidden dynamics and gain a more clear understanding of whats happening in your particular context. Against this backdrop, churches can be relevant not by reinforcing unencumbered individualism but by challenging people to connect and commit to the body of Christ. One of the benefits of a denominational structure is their ability to do the heavy lifting of data gathering. God has certainly blessed our efforts as we see new visitors weekly, and our average attendance is up by quite a bit. One of the reasons young adults feel disconnected from church or from faith is the tension they feel between Christianity and science. The answer is "growth without depth.". Christians ought to be people of presence, connected to God and to one another through the inhabiting, unifying power of the Holy Spirit. Hopefully if we get to herd immunity by vaccination (a race against time before a variant shows us that can evade vaccines) , we can get back to normal unmasked church. (modern). Les. We understand that we must be open to try new things and that we cannot place God in a box because we are operating under a mandate to preach the word, whatever that may look like. Patriarchy often hides inside a leadership culture characterized by top-down, command-and-control decision making, zero-sum power games, rationalist modes of thinking, and an aversion to vulnerability. Today is a good day to (re)read Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.s Letter From a Birmingham Jail and reflect on the continuing relevance for discipleship in our day. But it has been largely numerical and statistical growth. She is near and dear to my heart. All rights reserved. The church is no exception to this legacy. The tricky task of the church in the 21st century is to lead people to awe, wonder and worship without watering things down or constantly reinventing the wheel. When people are heard with empathetic ears, it catalyzes Gods work in their hearts and prepares the soil for transformation to take root and grow congregation-wide. That was ten years ago, but the shallowness persists. "Just start. One is tempted to just become Catholic so as to avoid the nauseous glut of The church must become _____ to survive blog posts and book rants. In future articles, we will share with you how we see churches adjusting to these challenges. Taking concrete steps forward is not meant merely to be corrective, as if the goal is fixing problems. The churches will remain open, even if the pastors are by themselves preaching over Zoom or FB Live. Even before COVID, most denominational structures were shrinking. Scientists who do things correctly dont contradict themselves. The era of bi-vocational and co-vocational ministry has arrived rapidly. Head in the right direction and adjust as you go. That means these issues often produce trauma and abuse in our congregations. I also think this is one more way Satan is using to divide uswe are casting blame on the other, whoever the other may be! There are some positive things social media offers, but there are many things about it that pose challenges to the contemporary church. In the meantime, I would love to hear your insights. Frequently churches become housing or care homes, while some of the churches are bought by other churches wanting to expand. There are several major social issues affecting congregational life today. Once more information comes in, either supporting or refuting the decision/hypothesis, the next decision/hypothesis gets made based on the totality of evidence. The new rules are part of a government plan to crack . Your email address will not be published. Nothing is or will ever be the way it was, even from a month ago. There is no way I could have reliably gathered that information on my own. A study by Pew Research found that the number of Americans who identified as Christian was 64% in 2020, with 30% of the US population being classed as religiously unaffiliated. What it needs more than anything is people who put their faith in Jesus and emulate his teaching and example, live the life that he has called them to live, a life of faith, holiness, and love, a life that glorifies God. A lot of people who were weakly attached, to suddenly have months of not going, theyre then thinking: Well we dont really need to go, or Weve found something else to do, or thinking: It was hard enough dragging the kids along then, we really ought to start going again next week.. People breaking that habit of attending church means a lot of churches had to work hard to get people back to attending again, said Scott McConnell, executive director at Lifeway Research. CHALLENGES OF THE 21ST CENTURY CHRISTIAN YOUTHS AND THE WAY OUT - challenges of the youth in Christianity, role of youth in 21st century, challenges facing youth ministry in the 21st century, challenges facing teenagers in the 21st century, top 10 issues facing christian youth, challenges facing youth in Africa, challenges that youth face today. Church leaders need to be quick-thinking and quick-moving. While certainly not ideal, we learned there is power and a real sense of community in a smile or a wave from across the parking lot. The boredom challenge leads to this challenge, to rethink church every couple years. Who knew? Yes, theres financial pressures that will close a church, but oftentimes, its more that they didnt figure out how to change when the community changed, or they didnt have enough young people to continue the congregation for the next generation., Friend of Satan: how Lucien Greaves and his Satanic Temple are fighting the religious right, Original reporting and incisive analysis, direct from the Guardian every morning, 2023 Guardian News & Media Limited or its affiliated companies. More from Thom, The definitive, custom report that will help you to reach and attract your local community. Churches will have the messy task of acknowledging and respecting multifarious identities while also challenging people to prioritize them in the right way. In patriarchal environments, women are often assumed to be a dangerous temptation to men. +27 84 730 6764 ), or else figure out how to deal with inevitable legal/legislative challenges. They told me if I got the vaccine, I wouldnt have to wear the mask anymore. And then we are off to the races in bearing witness to what . Even before COVID, most denominational structures were shrinking. 18) Anti-Intellectualism. Some will thrive. This requires out-of-the-box thinking. Ken, I share your frustration. I believe the church needs a strong dose of freedom not courage. This means getting outside the walls of the church. With the pandemic speeding up a broader trend of Americans turning away from Christianity, researchers say the closures will only have accelerated. Offices and stores were reopening.
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