SEGMENT E21: UNSPOILED SPENDOR Mission Impact Focusing your heartburst for the people around you

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1 Q62-page E21-page 1 1 SEGMENT E21: UNSPOILED SPENDOR Mission Impact Focusing your heartburst for the people around you Mission Impact Guide V 2.0 Comfortably established baby boomer couples in town and country communities General Spiritual Insight: Resource: Mosaic by Experian Unspoiled Splendor is part of the Lifestyle Group E (Thriving Boomers). Please refer to the description of Group E for the larger context of this segment's potential relationship with the church. Religious Perspective: "Reasonable Religion, From Privileged Perspective, For A Better World" Key Behaviors: Keep An Objective Distance; Expand Personal Space; Occasional Passion For A Cause Strong Impressions: Inclination & Attitudes: Global, Progressive, Fulfillment Mood & Values: High Concern For the Environment, High Desire to Broaden Horizons

2 E21-page 2 Comments: These boomer couples have deliberately chosen to remain in, or relocate to, quite rural or even remote regions. However, these are not aging "hippies" seeking "flower power". They are socially conservative, hard working, mainstream households that prefer to blend in rather than stand out. They tend to be spiritual and religious, living lifestyles that are sensitive to God and creation and connecting with established churches. Many are in agricultural careers, and more work in mid-level professional or retail jobs. These people dig deep roots in the community. They care about their neighbors, volunteer in community social services, and take leadership in municipalities. They will provide board and committee leadership for a local congregation, and step up to mentor the next generation. They gravitate toward socially conservative established churches, Catholic or Protestant, and are not particularly ambitious to think outside the box or challenge traditional authorities. However, they will have strong opinions about what makes a just society and a faithful church. Most people will prefer to connect with a small to medium sized church that is networked with similar churches into a wider "parish"; some may be willing to drive further to a central location in order to participate in a larger, resource size church. However, on the whole they value small population centers and join churches in part to keep those communities vital.

3 E21-page 3 Relevant Ministry Choices: Leadership Hospitality Enabler or Care Giver, Discipler The pastor of the church is classically trained in seminary and usually ordained by a denomination. Even if the church is independent, the pastor is well connected with a network of clergy that share a common tradition. The pastor's focus is less on preaching, and more on discipling. He or she may be young or old, but prioritizes time to mature members in Christian faith and equip them for service. The pastor does not need to be a great preacher, but should be doctrinally sound and spiritually disciplined. He or she is a great small group leader, builds mentoring relationships, and helps individuals through the life cycles and the ups and downs of Christian living. In a small church, the pastor combines enabling with care giving. He or she visits homes and residential communities, and provides counseling and personal support. In a larger, regional church, the pastor combines enabling with discipling. He or she identifies, equips, sends, and evaluates volunteer teams to do care giving ministries and outreach services. The Basics, Multiple Choices People in this lifestyle segment are apt to come to church early, and linger afterwards. Sunday morning is an opportunity to connect with friends and neighbors once a week. Committee and board meetings may take place before or after worship on Sunday, rather than midweek. Greeters do not need to be trained, but are chosen for their outgoing natures and tolerant attitudes. Ushers are unnecessary. More attention should be given to training refreshment servers. They should be able to address participants by first name and confident enough in their faith to engage in significant conversations about God, life, relationships, service projects, etc. Refreshments are "basic"... but "basic" means something different in this rural, agricultural context. "Basic" refreshments may include fresh grains, fruits, vegetables, and milk products along side regular and decaf coffee. Sugary delights are welcome, and they are usually homemade. Leadership If Eucharist is part of the church tradition, the pastor takes a priestly role quite seriously, and Eucharist often functions as a healing or mystical focus of Sunday worship and personal visitations. Hospitality People are apt to gather in their friendship circles and miss a newcomer. Train and deploy a team of "minglers" who deliberately welcome visitors and introduce them to others.

4 E21-page 4 Relevant Ministry Choices: Worship Education Educational, Care Giving or Inspirational When people in this lifestyle segment say they prefer "traditional" worship, they are usually thinking of the best worship experiences in their personal history. Good worship is not necessarily what the seminary or denomination thinks best, but what has been most influential in their local experience. Smaller churches are usually a blend of educational and care giving worship. The educational part includes strong (albeit brief) expository sermon that is loosely connected to the lectionary or Christian year; and predictable orders of worship with standardized prayers. The care giving part includes personal intercessory prayers, extensive personal greetings, shared concerns, meditative moments, and children's stories; and leaders adjust the pace of worship to the slowest participant. Specific small churches networked as a wider parish may have special healing services as well. Larger churches are usually a blend of educational and inspirational worship. The same educational elements are included, but the pace of worship is much faster. There is more music and music participation, and music is more upbeat. There is a greater emphasis on praise and thanksgiving. Larger churches may offer two or three services for different generations, but never try to blend the service aimed at this lifestyle segment too much. Curricular, Biblical or Topical, Peer Group The educational backgrounds for people in this segment include High School, with some basic college degrees and specialized training. They are more likely to rely on structured educational events using a book, workbook, or curriculum. The curriculum may be tied to the lectionary used in worship or the Christian year, but they will also observe major cultural holidays like Mother's Day, Halloween, and Thanksgiving. The children's Sunday school may be relatively small, with brief seasonal attendance in the mid Fall and Winter, with attendance falling off sharply after Grade 5. People in this segment prefer young children to older children since the latter do not value their worship preference. The young children may also be grandchildren. In smaller churches, Sunday school may be replaced by a strong nursery and pre-school, plus "Children's Church" that gathers children of all ages. However, if the size and resources of the church permit, they will likely opt for agebased classrooms. Content will usually emphasize Bible stories rather than Bible studies, and some curricula will emphasize contemporary topics. Adult commitment to Sunday school is mixed. Those adults with strong and consistent backgrounds in traditional Protestant churches may continue the practice of Sunday morning classes. These are usually early in the morning, led by an older and highly respected member (or pastor), and people remain in the same class for a long time. Increasingly, however, adults tend to replace Sunday school with expanded hospitality on Sunday morning, and transfer Christian education to midweek small group experiences.

5 E21-page 5 Relevant Ministry Choices: Worship The pastor may have to be mobile from church to church, so lay leadership training becomes more and more important. This lifestyle segment definitely appreciates lay worship leadership, but only if leaders are excellent communicators and authentic spiritual role models. Education Even though couples in this lifestyle segment no longer have children at home, they have strong opinions about Sunday school methods and content. There may be stress when introducing new educational methods or content. Small Group Outreach Rotated Leaders, Curriculum Small groups primarily focus on relationships and mutual support, and the actual content of discussion may be secondary. Groups tend to stay in touch over an extended period of time. They may not communicate through social media when they are traveling, but people in this segment will soon reconnect with their group once they return. Affinities include outdoor recreational activities and indoor crafts, and special interests for antiques, gardening, and home decorating. Groups often rely on a book or workbook to guide conversations, especially if there is a Leader s Guide to create a lesson plan and enhance participation. The book is often set aside for the sake of friendly conversations. Leadership is rotated because no one likes to stand out, and everyone wants to share authority. Basic training may be difficult to develop, and the pastor or overseeing leader will need to rely on 24/7 coaching to help groups deepen group life and resolve personality conflicts. Rotating group leaders rely on a curriculum with relatively easily implementation in order to focus conversation. For Themselves: Quality of Life, Interpersonal Relationships For Others: Survival, Human Potential People in this lifestyle segment can be very compassionate, particularly for local or regional outreach. Perhaps surprisingly, they are less concerned about environmental or health issues, but respond generously to family or community emergencies; gather and distribute the necessities of daily living (food, clothes, used furniture etc.); and create opportunities for education (particularly for disadvantaged youth and adults). They feel great urgency to protect children, and support police checks for vulnerable sector workers. They are strong advocates to sustain rural and small town communities, and to support traditional community events (fairs, socials, exhibitions, etc.)

6 E21-page 6 Relevant Ministry Choices: Small Group Outreach Small Group Groups and group leaders are often hesitant to enforce too much accountability. They are more likely to tolerate bad behavior in a group, even if it plateaus spiritual growth, because relationships are longstanding and they do not want to disrupt harmony. Continued... They tend to spread their money around and donate to several local charities (within and beyond the church), but they also prefer to follow their money and get involved. They volunteer for non-profit boards and are active in community social services. They may not have a big, bold vision for the future, but they can be very earnest about a variety of causes that capture their hearts. They are willing to write petitions, participate in marches, and advocate on behalf of victims of crime, prejudice, or poverty. People in this segment commonly say that we just want to make a difference! Outreach People in this segment tend to believe in "gentle evangelism". They want to change hearts, impart faith, and witness... but do it in non-confrontational and educational ways.

7 E21-page 7 Relevant Institutional Strategies: Property and Technology Stewardship/Financial Management Ecclesiastical, Christendom, Modern Unspoiled Splendor have lived in their current home up to 15 years or more and have developed strong ties with the rural and small town community. They are often passionate about preserving heritage buildings (including churches), and cautious about renovations or technology upgrades that might dramatically change the exterior or interior appearance of facilities. The church building is "sacred" space, not necessarily because it is consecrated ground, but because it embodies the history of the community. Symbols are traditional and clearly Christian. The standard of audio and video technology is often whatever was "good enough" for their parents. Electrical circuits may not support highly amplified equipment, but plumbing and appliances for kitchens and washrooms will be updated. They will readily provide ramps and widen doorways for handicapped accessibility, but fear that elevators might compromise the aesthetics of the building. If a tornado or fire destroys a church building, they are apt to replace it with an exact replica. Churches usually have a 19th century ecclesiastical appearance (white paint, steeple and bell, small narthex, hardwood sanctuary, etc.) Unified Budgets or Designated Giving, Informed Philanthropy These older boomer couples are careful with their money and frugal about spending. They will hunt for bargains even when they can afford high quality. They build large nest eggs for retirement and avoid debt. These attitudes are projected on the church as if it were an extended family. They preserve investments against a "rainy day" and are hesitant about capital campaigns (unless they are necessary to restore historic buildings or will clearly bless disadvantaged persons). They give to unified budgets, and expect regular and detailed financial statements. They prefer traditional, every-member visits, and pledge to only a few funds (general, memorial, and debt retirement). However, they are quite open to special fund raising during the year for mission projects. They often prefer paper offering envelopes rather than pre-authorized withdrawals from their accounts, and may wait until the end of the fiscal year to make a large donation. They often raise questions about spending in board or annual meetings, and like to examine financial statements line by line. They may lobby to be appointed to finance and property committees. Property and Technology People in this segment tend to be quite opinionated about any proposed change to facility or technology, and will often lobby to preserve the status quo. Stewardship/Financial Mgmt. If the financial crisis of a small church forces a hard decision between sale of property and reduced personnel, they will often opt to reduce staff costs rather than sell, merge, or mothball property.

8 E21-page 8 Relevant Institutional Strategies: Communication Print, Telephone, Gatherings People in this lifestyle segment may use a generic internet host like AOL, but they use the internet mainly as a source of information and method of commerce. A church website may not be a high priority, and it will be seen primarily as a means to advertise and provide basic information about church programs. They may see a church website as another form of static, printed, brochure. They may not use very much (although this is changing rapidly). They rarely send text messages. They prefer printed newsletters and a master calendar on a wall in the church building. Printed announcements are reinforced by verbal repetition in worship and meetings. They reach the public through posters in community centers, public service buildings, restaurants, and sports arenas... and through direct mail. They often rely on telephone communication direct to the home, and will always have an answering machine ready to take a message. Since they travel, they will carry cell phones, but they are often quite basic and set to vibrate. The cell phone may not have an answering service. If they carry a Smart Phone, they will not use many of the features and rarely download Apps. Communication Although couples that belong to Unspoiled Splendor are interested in outreach, they do not readily follow internet links to learn more or participate in blogs. Always provide printed information or DVD movies to educate and motivate them about mission, or include a verbal "Moment for Mission" during the worship service. Resources: Download MissionInsite s Impressions Report for your mission field through (Predefined Reports) Really Relevant (and) Always Faithful: How Churches and Ministries Target Mission in An Explosion of Diversity by Thomas G. Bandy (Available through Amazon) Download the MOSAIC Guide from Experian Explore the Interactive MOSAIC Guide from Experian