I'm not Oprah. I don't make book recommendations unless asked.
For a few months I've known of this book Revolution by George Barna, the stats guy. I think it's $12 on his site but I'm not in a merchandise buying mood these days. So after a few failed atempts of my own library searches (I'm really bad in those places) my friend and fellow agent The Librarian (aka Agent S of the downtown BBH) tracked it down from a library across country on faculty loan. It's never what you know. Always who.
Although I'm only halfway through it, I'm relieved. Overjoyed. I have finally found something that assures me I'm not a freakazoid in reference to my feelings on the local church, nor am I "rebellious" (I've known I'm not rebellious...it's just nice to hear somebody say so).
If Barna's research on church trends and statistics are correct (and he is 90% of the time), then the local church will no longer be the stronghold for spiritual formation and guidance. Hundreds or thousands of different outlets (family activities, home church or even something like The Table) will become more of the "norm". In 2000, 70% of all christ followers were tied to a local church and 30% were in different outlets. Those percentages will flip flop by 2025 based on Barna's trend research.
I think Barna's reading my mail. Or my blog.
6 comments:
i interviewed barna before revolution was released. you can access the interview here.
Amen--it is "who" you know. Today I listened to a talk on Pharisees. While I don't want to be called a Pharisee (they were all about the "whats" you know), I have been one. How often I have "eaten the fruit of deception. Because [I] have depended on [my] own strength." Hosea 10:13
I agree--home churches, the work in countries like China...He is unstoppable.
Lil' sis
it is interesting to watch (read) how some folks in the established church are reacting to barnas reasearch.
they seem to think you are at the end of your walk if you don't attend church. there is always the very broad satement by paul about not neglecting the gathering together. what they are missing is that folks are still gathering, just not in brick and mortor and pew filled churches.
maybe they are afraid to loose their place as high priests if folks meet in small groups under peer leadership instead of under someone who has jumped through the hoops to get ordained.
i think they're as afraid of losing their kwan as they are their titles. in bolger and gibbs' emerging church they talk to a young church planter who interviewed a number of "successful" planters before initiating his venture. one of the main questions the youngster asked the planters was "has your interest in paying your own salary ever eclipsed your interest in the Kingdom of God?" the youngster reported that all five of the planters answered this question with an unqualified, but occasionally tear-filled, "yes."
please note: i didn't actually pull the volume off my shelf to ensure the accurancy of this quote, but am pretty sure i got all the essentials correct.
In reference to Mike's 1st sentence...yes. Indeed interesting.
I did a blogger search on the words: revolution barna. All types of great criticisoms jumped up. And the few I read were from none other than...YOU GUESSED IT...pastors! The guys who obviously have something to lose (paycheck, dignity, identity, etc) if the local church shrinks from 70% to 30% over the next 20 years like Barna predicts.
And what really gets me is that these pastors and critics are paintng barna as an agenda pushing whore. C'mon...what agenda would Barna have? Selling these books? Maybe. Going down in history as the guy who "foresaw" this trend as it barely started? Probably. But that's it. He wouldn't have much else to profit from this trend.
The pastors and church people are scared poopless. They're losing ground (and members) every year.
And another thing Mike...
That verse that you refer to...the one about "don't foresake the assembly"...You are 100% right. Pastors hold way too much stock in that verse that is probably vague to begin with.
Viola states throughout "Pagan Christianity" that one can backup MOST ANY POINT or arguement with the bible. Our cut-n-paste scripture spewing practise is a pathetic attempt at getting "god" on our side of the agenda/arguement.
The "assembly" verse is the best known example (for me) of this practise.
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