| It must be nothing but confusing for
| |
| | spiritual development that most local
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| anyone who comes to America - who
| |
| | churches address, millions of adults who
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| practices a religion other than
| |
| | are the most serious about their faith in
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| Christianity - when they notice how many
| |
| | God were the ones least likely to be
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| churches there are on any given street,
| |
| | satisfied by what their local church was
|
| ALL of which consider themselves to be
| |
| | delivering in terms of resources,
|
| Christian. According to American Church
| |
| | opportunities, evaluation and
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| Lists, there are 386,000 churches in the
| |
| | developmental possibilities. The
|
| USA alone.While the Church is thriving,
| |
| | consequence is that millions of committed
|
| amidst persecution, in third world
| |
| | born again Christians are choosing to
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| nations, here in America the traditional,
| |
| | advance their relationship with God by
|
| local church no longer ranks as the only
| |
| | finding avenues of growth and service
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| place to go as the Christian's primary
| |
| | apart from a local church.Asked if this
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| meeting place. Millions of people claim
| |
| | meant that the Revolution he describes is
|
| they are drawing closer to God but
| |
| | simply a negative reaction to the local
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| farther from any involvement with
| |
| | church, he suggested that most
|
| traditional churches. What's happening?
| |
| | Revolutionaries go through predictable
|
| According to California Researchers
| |
| | phases in their spiritual journey in
|
| called the Barna Group, "...new ways of
| |
| | which they initially become dissatisfied
|
| experiencing and expressing faith, such
| |
| | with their local church experience, then
|
| as through house churches, marketplace
| |
| | attempt to change things so their faith
|
| ministries, and cyberchurches, are
| |
| | walk can be more fruitful. The result is
|
| becoming the norm for millions of
| |
| | that they undergo heightened frustration
|
| people."A new book by the group's
| |
| | over the inability to introduce positive
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| founder, George Barna, entitled
| |
| | change, which leads them to drop out of
|
| Revolution, indicates that since the turn
| |
| | the local church altogether, often in
|
| of the millennium there have been major
| |
| | anger. But because this entire adventure
|
| changes occurring in how people
| |
| | was instigated by their love for God and
|
| experience and express their faith. Based
| |
| | their desire to honor Him more fully,
|
| on a series of national surveys conducted
| |
| | they finally transcend their frustration
|
| by his company during the past 25 years,
| |
| | and anger by creating a series of
|
| Barna discovered that discontent with
| |
| | connections that allow them to stay close
|
| congregational churches, changes in
| |
| | to God and to other believers without
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| lifestyles, and a gowing desire to get
| |
| | involvement in a local church.One of the
|
| closer to God, have caused many people to
| |
| | hallmarks of the Revolution of faith is
|
| seek new ways to felowship with God and
| |
| | how different it is for each person. "It
|
| with other God-seeking people.In the year
| |
| | would be wrong to assume that all
|
| 2000, most of America's Christian
| |
| | Revolutionaries have completely turned
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| activity took place by way of local
| |
| | their back on the local church," the
|
| churches. Today, in 2005, during a
| |
| | researcher stated. "Millions of
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| typical week, 9% of all adults attend a
| |
| | Revolutionaries are active in a local
|
| house church. An even greater proportion
| |
| | church, although most of them supplement
|
| (22%) engages in spiritual encounters
| |
| | that relationship with participation in a
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| that take place in the marketplace (e.g.,
| |
| | variety of faith-related efforts that
|
| with groups of people while they are at
| |
| | have nothing to do with their local
|
| their place of work or play, or in other
| |
| | church. The defining attribute of a
|
| typical daily contexts). The Internet
| |
| | Revolutionary is not whether they attend
|
| serves as the foundation for interactive
| |
| | church, but whether they place God first
|
| faith experiences for more than one out
| |
| | in their lives and are willing to do
|
| of every ten adults. Personally, though I
| |
| | whatever it takes to facilitate a deeper
|
| attend house churches, have held high
| |
| | and growing relationship with Him and
|
| school Bible studies for over a year in a
| |
| | other believers. Our studies persuasively
|
| hair studio and the past three years have
| |
| | indicate that the vast majority of
|
| led a college Bible Study in a local
| |
| | American churches are populated by people
|
| coffee shop. In recent months I have
| |
| | who are lukewarm spiritually. Emerging
|
| preached twice at a Disciples of Christ
| |
| | from those churches are people dedicated
|
| Church, and have taught Sunday School at
| |
| | to becoming Christ-like through the
|
| the local Methodist Church for a month of
| |
| | guidance of a congregational form of the
|
| Sundays. Just yesterday, the Pastor of
| |
| | church, but who will leave that faith
|
| the local Cowboy Church asked if I'd be
| |
| | center if it does not further such a
|
| interested in teaching a cults class on a
| |
| | commitment to God. They then find or
|
| Thursday which he would open up to the
| |
| | create alternatives that allow that
|
| entire community and, just this morning,
| |
| | commitment to flourish."How do most
|
| I was invited to take part in an outreach
| |
| | Revolutionaries justify calling
|
| with a Baptist College in Oregon. In each
| |
| | themselves devoted disciples of Christ
|
| instance, according to the examples set
| |
| | while distancing themselves from a local
|
| by the Apostle Paul in Acts Chapter 16
| |
| | church? "Many of them realize that
|
| with Lydia at "First Riverside Church"
| |
| | someday they will stand before a holy God
|
| and with the Jailer at "Slammer Assembly
| |
| | who will examine their devotion to Him.
|
| of God," these gatherings are nothing
| |
| | They could take the safe and easy route
|
| less than THE Church in all its fullness,
| |
| | of staying in a local church and doing
|
| never intended to be a mere bolt-on
| |
| | the expected programs and practices, but
|
| program for the REAL Church.The findings
| |
| | they also recognize that they will not be
|
| from several Barna Group surveys
| |
| | able to use a lackluster church
|
| conducted during the past twelve months
| |
| | experience as an excuse for a mediocre or
|
| reveal the characteristics of this
| |
| | unfulfilled spiritual life. Their
|
| emerging population of people who had to
| |
| | spiritual depth is not the responsibility
|
| leave Church to find more of God in their
| |
| | of a local church; it is their own
|
| lives. Referring to these individuals as
| |
| | responsibility. As a result, they decide
|
| "Revolutionaries" who are intent upon
| |
| | to either get into a local church that
|
| "being the Church rather than merely
| |
| | enhances their zeal for God or else they
|
| going to church," Barna believes that the
| |
| | create alternatives that ignite such a
|
| magnitude of this movement into new forms
| |
| | life of obedience and service. By and
|
| of religious community will change the
| |
| | large, these are people say they have
|
| face of the entire religious community -
| |
| | stopped going to church so they can be
|
| not ONLY the Chrsitian community - during
| |
| | the Church."The Revolution: Challenges
|
| the next ten to twenty years.PASTORS AND
| |
| | and OpportunitiesWhile the Revolution
|
| CHURCH LEADERS, LISTEN UP!According to
| |
| | brings with it some very promising
|
| Barna's research, some of the more
| |
| | qualities, an intense pursuit of
|
| intriguing attributes of these
| |
| | godliness, new networks of believers
|
| Revolutionaries who seek to experience
| |
| | supporting each other, heightened
|
| and express their faith in alternative
| |
| | financial giving to ministry endeavors,
|
| ways are:*It's the Baby Boomers, those
| |
| | greater sensitivity to the presence of
|
| who are largely responsible for the
| |
| | God in the world, a greater sense of
|
| megachurches that have redefined the
| |
| | freedom to be a genuine disciple in the
|
| Church environment during the past
| |
| | midst of a secular society, Barna also
|
| quarter century, who are now making up
| |
| | pointed out that the Revolution brings
|
| the greatest part of the Revolutionary
| |
| | great challenges to those who choose that
|
| ranks.*Adults involved in marketplace
| |
| | route."There is the danger of exposure to
|
| ministry are more than twice as likely as
| |
| | unbiblical or heretical teaching. There
|
| those connected only to a congregational
| |
| | is the possibility of experiencing
|
| church to have a biblical worldview and
| |
| | isolation from a true community of
|
| more than twice as likely to identify the
| |
| | believers and the accountability and
|
| Bible as the source of truth in life.
| |
| | support that can provide. It could become
|
| They are also one-third more likely to
| |
| | easier to hoard one's treasures rather
|
| contend that absolute moral truth
| |
| | than giving generously. Some might find
|
| exists.*About two-thirds of all adults
| |
| | it more difficult to sustain a life of
|
| engaged in a house church attend in any
| |
| | worship without a place or means of
|
| given week, with the remaining segment
| |
| | expressing that praise to God."Barna
|
| attending at least once a month. That is
| |
| | contends that these are very serious
|
| nearly identical to the attendance
| |
| | challenges faced by Revolutionaries but
|
| profile of people for whom a
| |
| | that they are no more serious than the
|
| congregational church is their church
| |
| | threats to the spiritual health of
|
| home.*Men and women are equally likely to
| |
| | regular church-goers. As one who has
|
| participate in marketplace-based ministry
| |
| | serve inleadership in traditional church
|
| activity, while men are slightly more
| |
| | settings, I can recall several instances
|
| likely to engage in house church
| |
| | of cultic and heretical teachings that
|
| options.*The Midwest is the stronghold
| |
| | permiated our ranks and shipwrecked many
|
| for congregational church connections,
| |
| | a sincere Believer. Barna adds,
|
| while the southern states have become the
| |
| | "Objectively speaking, these are the very
|
| most fertile spawning grounds for
| |
| | same problems that we identify among
|
| marketplace ministry involvement, and
| |
| | people who rely upon the efforts of a
|
| participation in a house church is
| |
| | local church to facilitate their growth.
|
| equally common everywhere outside of the
| |
| | We find plentiful evidence of unbiblical
|
| Midwest.*Evangelical Christians are those
| |
| | teaching in small groups, Sunday school
|
| most likely to get involved in an
| |
| | classes and other local church venues. We
|
| alternative form of the Christian church
| |
| | know that few churched Christians give 4%
|
| and also the groupmost likely to
| |
| | of their income back to God, much less
|
| participate in both a traditional and
| |
| | 10%. We recognize that most people
|
| alternative church form. More than four
| |
| | attending worship services in a church
|
| out of ten evangelical adults are
| |
| | sanctuary leave feeling that God was not
|
| involved in an alternative form of church
| |
| | present and that they did not personally
|
| on a regular basis.*Many parents are
| |
| | connect with the living God through that
|
| involved in both a congregational and
| |
| | experience. We have identified the
|
| alternative church form presumably to
| |
| | relative absence of accountability within
|
| address the diverse interests of both the
| |
| | most congregations. So even though
|
| adults and children.*One-third of the
| |
| | Revolutionaries face serious challenges
|
| alternative church crowd engages God and
| |
| | in blossoming into the fervent
|
| other believers in a church form other
| |
| | God-follower they hope to become, perhaps
|
| than a house church, that is, they are
| |
| | the main difference is simply that they
|
| involved in a marketplace ministry, a
| |
| | have a wider range of options for
|
| cyberchurch, or a series of faith-focused
| |
| | achieving their faith goals than do
|
| events that connect them with God and
| |
| | people who are solely focused on faith
|
| other Christ-followers.Interestingly,
| |
| | delivered through a local church. In
|
| Barna also pointed out that surveys of
| |
| | either case, it is ultimately up to the
|
| people's religious activity often blur
| |
| | individual to make sure that they have
|
| our understanding of Church behavior
| |
| | their spiritual priorities right, that
|
| because many participants in alternative
| |
| | they are investing themselves in
|
| church experiences are not sure whether
| |
| | activities that draw them closer to God,
|
| to describe themselves to survey
| |
| | and that they stay focused on pleasing
|
| interviewers as "attending a church
| |
| | God more than themselves or other
|
| service" or not. "Some of these
| |
| | people."How does the traditional Church
|
| individuals are so comfortable with their
| |
| | view the Revoltionaries?One man's
|
| new, alternative forms of church that
| |
| | Revolutionary is another man's Rebel. The
|
| they do not hesitate to say they attend
| |
| | explosion of Revolutionaries in the U.S.
|
| Church. Others, however, have been so
| |
| | raises new challenges for people involved
|
| conditioned to think of "Church" as the
| |
| | in ministry. "This new movement of God
|
| activities taking place on the campus of
| |
| | demands that there be new forms of
|
| a certain denomination that they are more
| |
| | leadership to appropriately guide people
|
| likely to describe themselves as
| |
| | in their faith journey," Barna said. "It
|
| unchurched, even though they engage in
| |
| | requires new ways of measuring how well
|
| worship, service, prayer, financial
| |
| | the Church at-large is doing, getting
|
| sharing, and discipleship activities
| |
| | beyond attendance figures as the
|
| through their alternative faith
| |
| | indicator of health. And it demands that
|
| community."What we're about to
| |
| | new tools and resources be accessible to
|
| experience, according to Barna, will be
| |
| | a growing contingent of people who are
|
| the most massive reshaping of the
| |
| | seeking to introduce their faith into
|
| nation's faith community in more than a
| |
| | every dimension of their life."READ ACTS
|
| 100 years.THE RISE OF
| |
| | 16:6-33, then ask yourself these
|
| NEO-CHURCHISMRelying upon national
| |
| | questions (my own answrs provided for the
|
| research conducted over the past several
| |
| | sake od study and teaching):vs 6-13
|
| years, noted that although measures of
| |
| | Questions1) After two closed doors and
|
| traditional church participation in
| |
| | then a vision, what level of expectation
|
| activities such as worship attendance,
| |
| | did Paul probably have as he sought to go
|
| Sunday school, prayer, and Bible reading
| |
| | into Macedonia?(Confidence was most
|
| have remained relatively unchanged during
| |
| | likely quite high)2) In this century and
|
| the past twenty years, the Revolutionary
| |
| | culture, how were women viewed in
|
| faith movement is growing rapidly."A
| |
| | comparison to men? (Subserviant; less
|
| common misconception about
| |
| | than slaves?)3) How many women do you
|
| revolutionaries," says Barna, "is that
| |
| | estimate there were? (5 or so?)4) Do you
|
| they are disengaging from God when they
| |
| | think Paul envisioned a greater crowd and
|
| leave a local church. We found that while
| |
| | success than God had arranged for on the
|
| some people leave the local church and
| |
| | river bank? (He probably had a different
|
| fall away from God altogether, there is a
| |
| | idea in mind)5) How did Paul respond to
|
| much larger segment of Americans who are
| |
| | the group he found? (He obeyed the
|
| currently leaving churches precisely
| |
| | Spirit)vs 14-15 Questions1) Do you think
|
| because they want more of God in their
| |
| | God was at work in Lydia's heart long
|
| life but cannot get what they need from a
| |
| | before Paul ever arrived? If so, why? Why
|
| local church. They have decided to get
| |
| | not? (Yes, because her steps were ordered
|
| serious about their faith by piecing
| |
| | and she was born for that moment in
|
| together a more robust faith experience.
| |
| | time)2) Because Paul was listening to God
|
| Instead of going to church, they have
| |
| | he was led clearly to a group that was
|
| chosen BE the Church, in a way that
| |
| | not his first choice. Agree or Disagree?
|
| harkens back to the Church detailed in
| |
| | (Agree)3) After Lydia responded to Paul's
|
| the Book of Acts."BIG CHANGES IN THE
| |
| | message, how did they bring the Good News
|
| MAKINGOne of the most eye-opening
| |
| | to her "household"? Did they hear the
|
| portions of the research contained in the
| |
| | Good News that same day or later?
|
| book describes what the faith community
| |
| | (Through the women; Seems later - by
|
| may look like twenty years from now.
| |
| | Lydia and the other women)4) When were
|
| Using survey data and other cultural
| |
| | they baptized? By whom? In what water
|
| indicators he has been measuring for more
| |
| | source? (Silas in the river)5) This group
|
| than two decades, Barna estimates that
| |
| | became a church, in God's eyes, in verse
|
| the local church is presently the primary
| |
| | 15! Agree or disagree?vs 16-241) How
|
| form of faith experience and expression
| |
| | successful did Pauland Silas feel in
|
| for about two-thirds of the nation's
| |
| | place of service to which God had
|
| adults. He projects that by 2025 the
| |
| | directed them? (Felt low)vs 25-33How did
|
| local church will lose roughly half of
| |
| | Paul bring the Good News to jailers
|
| its current "market share" and that
| |
| | "household?" Who was the jailer's
|
| alternative forms of faith experience and
| |
| | "household?" (Jail ministry, Family,
|
| expression will pick up the slack.
| |
| | slaves).QUESTIONS WE MUST ASK OURSELVES
|
| Importantly, Barna's studies do not
| |
| | ABOUT THE ACTS 16 CHURCH...This group
|
| suggest that most people will drop out of
| |
| | became a church that very night in God's
|
| a local church to simply ignore
| |
| | eyes...agree?What does this story say
|
| spirituality or be freed up from the
| |
| | about our expectations and view of
|
| demands of church life. Although there
| |
| | Biblical success?What are the minimum
|
| will be millions of people who abandon
| |
| | essentials, in God's eyes, for starting a
|
| the entire faith community for the usual
| |
| | church?What role do relationship
|
| reasons - hurtful experiences in
| |
| | connections play in starting a
|
| churches, lack of interest in spiritual
| |
| | Church?What are the chances the jailer's
|
| matters, prioritizing other dimensions of
| |
| | household would have ever been converted
|
| their life - a growing percentage of
| |
| | and involved in Church if Paul had not
|
| church dropouts will be those who leave a
| |
| | taken CHURCH to THEM?Who is well-suited
|
| local church in order to intentionally
| |
| | to take the Gospel to other groups who
|
| increase their focus on faith and to
| |
| | have unseen barriers to church?How much
|
| relate to God through different
| |
| | do these churches cost to start? How big
|
| means.That growth is fueling alternative
| |
| | do they get? How many did they reach? How
|
| forms of organized spirituality, as well
| |
| | long did they last? How successful were
|
| as individualized faith experience and
| |
| | they? Who were their pastors?Apply these
|
| expression.THE PASSION-DRIVEN CHURCHIn
| |
| | answers to the American Church TODAY.
|
| the effort to increase their obedience
| |
| | Compare to the burgeoning Third World
|
| and faithfulness to God, Barna discovered
| |
| | Churches.Need pastoral counseling and
|
| that Revolutionaries are characterized by
| |
| | prayer? Write or IM me at Every
|
| what he identified as a set of spiritual
| |
| | blessing!Now, scroll to the bottom and
|
| passions, specific emphases that drive
| |
| | FORWARD this message. Please RATE the
|
| their quest for God and a biblical
| |
| | message as well. If you need Pastoral
|
| lifestyle. Although these are areas of
| |
| | assistance, e-mail me at Lord bless!
|
