Entries Tagged 'George Barna' ↓

Studies on church attendance—statistics and percentages of unchurched peoples versus church people have become so commonplace through the years that it’s difficult to give much attention to their conclusions. But George Barna has just released a new model measuring church involvement/participation. What’s makes Barna’s study different is his approach. Unlike all those other church growth stats Barna addresses new behavioral patterns.  The mix includes new forms of faith communities and experiences, such as house churches, marketplace ministries and cyberchurches. The study correctly points out that counting the “unchurched” has grown more complicated.  [read the complete article] 

This gathering conversation; emergent(s), house churches, new church plants—what Barna called Revolution. I can’t help but believe that among these growing numbers are a ton of libertarians and former young church leaders who have reacted to the personal pain of having their ideas, philosophy, etc., dismissed by the current crop of (boomer) church leaders.

But there’s some history that might reflect on the above paragraph.

Through the 1980s the baby boomers were the ones pushing for change. Many today are not old enough to remember and the ones who could remember may have forgotten the rabid resistance by a generation of World War II leaders against the change being lead by the next generation of leaders–young, upstart baby boomers. There were other transitional movements at the time, it just so happens the following come to mind for me. There was strong resistance over the push to allow reading from the NIV and NKJV in the public assembly along with (their)KJV. Another issue was the right to attend the assembly in informal attire. No more ties and dress shoes, or at the minimum the option not to wear them. It all seems silly now but at the time it was serious, so much so that many churches divided over such issues, especially the version controversy.

Paradoxically, the boomers (who are the current crop of church leaders) now practice their own version of resistance. And then on another rung there are the ultra conservatives somethings making statements like, “I’ve never changed my view on anything,” thinking faithfulness is found in a statement like that.  Jesus is right…humanity, in all it’s varied colors, needs him.