Responding to Trends that Affect North American Churches Today Presenter: John Roberto LifelongFaith Associates (jroberto@lifelongfaith.com) Not Just an Era of Change but a Change of Eras 1
Accelerating Change The world is now changing at a rate at which the basic systems, structures, and cultures built over the past century cannot keep up with the demands being placed on them. Incremental adjustments to how you manage and strategize, no matter how clever, are not up to the job. You need something very new to stay ahead in a age of tumultuous change and growing uncertainties. (John Ko>er, Accelerate: Building Strategic Agility for a Faster-Moving World Exploring Trends 2
Life Span Diversity 0-10 11-19 20s 30s 40s 50s 60s 70s 80s 90s Five Generation Diversity igenerajon (2000- Millennials (1980-99) GeneraJon X (1961-1979) Baby Boomers (1946-60) Builders (before 1946) RelaJonship to InsJtuJons RelaJonship to Authority Family RelaJonships Work-Life Balance CommunicaJon Style Technology Usage Learning Style Spiritual Expression Worship Style 3
Family Diversity Spiritual-Religious Diversity The Unaffiliated The Spiritual The Occasional The AcAve 4
Decline in Religious Transmission Internet-Mobile-Social Media Transformation 5
Responding to the Challenges Responding to the Challenges Technical AdapAve Challenges can be solved with the knowledge, skills, and tools already in hand. Requires change in one or two places. Challenges can be solved through experimentajon, innovajon, adjustments throughout the organizajon. Requires changes of heart, mind, and pracjce. 6
Imagining a New Future IMAGINE a Faith Forming Ecosystem Digitally enabled & connected Digitally enabled & connected MISSIONAL INTER- GENERATIONAL LIFE Digitally enabled & connected CYCLE: children, youth, young adults, midlife adults, mature adults, older adults FAMILY Digitally enabled & connected 7
Eight Faith Forming Processes Church Year Seasons Learning the TradiAon Praying Spiritual FormaAon Reading the Bible Rituals & Milestones Serving Working for JusAce Caring for CreaAon Caring RelaAonships GROWTH IN FAITH Worshipping Intergenerational Connect the generajons Infuse intergenerajonal relajonships & experiences Create intergenerajonal experiences 8
Family God in Everyday Life Faith PracJces at Home Milestones Seasonal Events IntergeneraJonal ConnecJon Strong Family Life Parents & Grandparents as Faith Formers Life Cycle Eight Faith Forming Processes Immersive ParJcipatory ExperienJal MulJ-Media MulJ-Sensory Highly Visual MulJple Environments On Demand & Mobile Digitally-Enabled & Connected Older Adults Mature Adults Children & Parents Lifelong Faith Community Mid-life Adults Youth & Parents Young Adults 9
Lifelong Faith Formation Children & Families Adolescents & Family Young Adults Midlife Adults Mature Adults Older Adults Caring RelaJonships Church Year Feasts & Seasons Learning the TradiJon Prayer & Spiritual FormaJon Reading the Bible Rituals & Milestones Service & Working for JusJce Worship Missional Life Issues Missional - Outreach 10
Missional - Pathway Digitally Enabled & Digitally Connected Blending gathered community sefngs with online learning environments and ujlizing the abundance of digital media and tools for learning and faith formajon 11
Building a Faith Forming Ecosystem Digitally enabled & connected Digitally enabled & connected MISSIONAL INTER- GENERATIONAL LIFE Digitally enabled & connected CYCLE: children, youth, young adults, midlife adults, mature adults, older adults FAMILY Digitally enabled & connected IMAGINE Networks of Formation 12
We know that.... ª People have the technology for learning and know how to use it. ª People are connected with each other and reachable. ª People have Jme in their busy lives to connect, parjcipate, and interact in online experiences and communijes. ª People are already engaged in learning online. ª People are already engaged with others online in spiritual experiences. ª People have access to an abundance of content in all types of media formats on demand, just in Jme, available 24x7, and ohen free! Now - how would you design faith forma5on? We design using.... 1. A variety of relajonships, content, experiences, and resources 2. New methods: immersive, muljmedia, muljsensory, highly visual, parjcipatory, experienjal 3. New formats: episodic, micro-learning, on demand, mobile, 24x7, 4. New digital media and digital plalorms: websites, apps, video, podcasts, social media 5. MulJple environments: self-directed, mentored, at home, in small groups, in large groups, church-wide, in the community, and in the world. 13
Family Network Family Faith Formation Network 14
Faith formation playlists Adult Faith Formation Network 15
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Whole Community Network Curating & Creating Balancing Both Roles --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Current Roles Developing religious content Designing programming Managing programming Teaching/FacilitaJng programming Emerging Roles Designing faith forming environments architecture Designing Digital Pla0orms for faith forming content Cura4ng religious content and experiences 17
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