A few weeks ago Adam Hamilton posted a blog suggesting that based on current trends the United Methodist Church would not exist in 44 years. He wasn't saying this was a forgone conclusion. He actually gives several good reasons why this won't happen. I agree with all of them, and I wonder if our "future with hope" is actually coming soon. I'll compare it to the current state of the economy.
Economists talk about leading indicators and lagging indicators. Leading indicators are events that precede a change in the economy (the stock market generally goes up before the end of a recession, so a higher stock market will be a leading indicator that we are headed out of the recession). Lagging indicators are events that come after a change in the economy (jobs generally don't recover until after a recession so if the stock market goes up and a few months later jobs go up that's confirmation that the recession is likely over). So what are the leading and lagging indicators that the UMC is turning things around? Let me suggest one of each.
Leading indicator: The true purpose of the church is to make and grow disciples of Jesus Christ (the United Methodist Church adds "... for the transformation of the world". If we are going to reclaim our signficance and be the Church God wants us to be, first we must reclaim our purpose. Reclaiming our purpose is a leading indicator of recovery in the Church. So are we doing this? In starts and fits, yes. Our Bishops are acting with more purpose than in the past. General Conference in 2008 clearly had a spirit of purpose. Pastors, particuarly younger pastors, seem to be recapturing the importance of the wholistic Gospel. I don't know of any stats to back this assertion, but it seems to me like the seeds of renewal are being planted deeply and are ready to sprout.
Lagging indicator: Church attendance and membership. Church attendance and membership will continue to decline for some time. We have too many churches and pastors that still have not (and may never) remember what we're here for. It will take years if not decades for those churches to (again in economic terms) "bottom out". But don't mistake a church with declining numbers with a church in decline. The turn around of the church will begin before the numbers themselves turn around. I would argue the turn around has already begun in local churches throughout the country.
I think it's an exciting time to be a United Methodist! What could be more exhilierating than to be a participant in a great movement of God that is about to begin moving again? We do have a future of hope!
Final note: All UM's should remember that when we talk about decline we are talking solely about the UM experience in the United States. Overseas, the United Methodist Church is growing exponentially, starting churches every day, and making a huge difference in people's lives. Those of us in the U.S. could probably learn a great deal from our UM brothers and sisters in other countries.
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
House Church
I follow Andrew Conard's blog. He posted thoughts on the possibility of a new house church network in Kansas. This is something I've thought about for some time and think we really need to do. What are your thoughts?
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Tony Jones in Missouri
I'm not from Missouri, but I was pointed toward a blog entry by Tony Jones about a day he spent there speaking to United Methodist pastors. Since I wasn't there I don't know what was really said, but I found the blog entry and especially the comments really interesting. Some thoughts from the conversation:
1. I'm not sure it was a good idea for Tony to tell the pastors not to do something that the Bishop has told them to do. It seems to me that one of the "emergent" values is to allow people to be different from each other and think differently from each other. Different ecclesiologies and practices are fine. So in the UMC, if we want to have Bishops who give us instructions then let them give us instructions and we'll follow.
2. Like Bishop Schnase, I'm a "numbers guy". Like many commenters, though, I wonder whether we're getting the right numbers. Before we start collecting data we have to ask ourselves what the purpose of the data is. Why do we need to measure attendance? I think there are some good reasons. Why do we need to divide out on form 3 giving to the church from pledgers, identified givers who weren't pledgers, and unidentified givers? This one I can't figure out a good reason for.
3. The bottom line question should be what do we need to measure to determine if we are fulfilling the purpose of the Church, defined by the UMC as to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world? I think things like attendance start pointing that direction, but I think we desperately need a new metric for determining whether we are successful.
1. I'm not sure it was a good idea for Tony to tell the pastors not to do something that the Bishop has told them to do. It seems to me that one of the "emergent" values is to allow people to be different from each other and think differently from each other. Different ecclesiologies and practices are fine. So in the UMC, if we want to have Bishops who give us instructions then let them give us instructions and we'll follow.
2. Like Bishop Schnase, I'm a "numbers guy". Like many commenters, though, I wonder whether we're getting the right numbers. Before we start collecting data we have to ask ourselves what the purpose of the data is. Why do we need to measure attendance? I think there are some good reasons. Why do we need to divide out on form 3 giving to the church from pledgers, identified givers who weren't pledgers, and unidentified givers? This one I can't figure out a good reason for.
3. The bottom line question should be what do we need to measure to determine if we are fulfilling the purpose of the Church, defined by the UMC as to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world? I think things like attendance start pointing that direction, but I think we desperately need a new metric for determining whether we are successful.
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Inaguration Day
I just watched online as Barack Obama was inaugurated. Very cool. I've been wondering in the days leading up to today about how much hype there normally is before an inauguration. I don't remember this much excitement when previous Presidents took office. But then again both of George W. Bush's elections and at least Clinton's second election left the country divided. Obama's election doesn't feel that way. Even most people who voted for McCain are at least willing to give Obama a good shot.
Here's the amazing thing to me, though. Bush and Obama are so very different from each other in style and substance. Yet they had breakfast with each other this morning, say nothing nasty about each other, and we have a completely peaceful transition of power. I like what I heard Tony Campolo say a couple years ago. As he spoke about U.S. foreign policy he referred to us, and the rest of the world, as Babylon. We're in exile in Babylon. When he was questioned about calling the U.S. "Babylon" and not being thankful for all the good things our country does, Campolo said something like "don't get me wrong - if I have to live in Babylon America is the Babylon I want to live in." I like that. Our country, our world, is full of problems, sin, and evil. As Christians, we're called in part to be a light pointing to a different way of living. But if we've got to live in Babylon, I'm grateful to be in this one.
May God grant President Obama and all of us wisdom and discernment for the days ahead.
Here's the amazing thing to me, though. Bush and Obama are so very different from each other in style and substance. Yet they had breakfast with each other this morning, say nothing nasty about each other, and we have a completely peaceful transition of power. I like what I heard Tony Campolo say a couple years ago. As he spoke about U.S. foreign policy he referred to us, and the rest of the world, as Babylon. We're in exile in Babylon. When he was questioned about calling the U.S. "Babylon" and not being thankful for all the good things our country does, Campolo said something like "don't get me wrong - if I have to live in Babylon America is the Babylon I want to live in." I like that. Our country, our world, is full of problems, sin, and evil. As Christians, we're called in part to be a light pointing to a different way of living. But if we've got to live in Babylon, I'm grateful to be in this one.
May God grant President Obama and all of us wisdom and discernment for the days ahead.
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
The 12 Days of Christmas
Here's a copy of my column for the local paper that will come out today. Happy reading and have a very merry Christmas - all 12 days of it.
Soon the decorations will be put away. We’ll drive down the streets and see just white street lights. No colored lights, no decorated trees. Inside our homes snow globes and poinsettias, Christmas trees and ornaments, will all disappear. We’ve spent weeks getting ready, and on December 26^th we’ll start getting ready to take it all down. It wasn’t always that way, though. In the traditional Christian calendar a holiday or festival day is the beginning of a season, not the end. Easter marks the beginning of the 50 Days of Easter, ending on Pentecost. In the same way, Christmas Day is not the end of the Christmas season. It’s the beginning. Just like the song says, traditionally there are 12 days of Christmas, from December 25^th until January 6^th , the day of Epiphany when, depending on your tradition, Christians celebrate either the 3 Wise Men arrives to see Jesus or the Baptism of Jesus. Our society moves so quickly. One holiday ends and we’re ready for the next one to begin. We often suggest that we should try to keep the “Christmas Spirit” alive 365 days a year, but we don’t get very many suggestions for how we can remember to do that. Perhaps one suggestion could be simply that this year we slow down a little. Let’s wait to put the decorations away for 12 days, until the end of the traditional Christmas season. Let’s spend 12 extra days focusing on what we’ve been preparing for these last several weeks. Put away one or two decorations each day giving thanks for the person who gave it to you. Light a candle each day and say a prayer of thanksgiving for one reason you are grateful to God for Christmas and for Christ. Do a “random act of kindness” each of the twelve days. Keep playing your Christmas music (preferably music with more references to shepherds and wise men than reindeer and sleighs). Maybe most of us can’t spend the whole year in the “Christmas spirit” even though we know we should. If that’s you, let’s start simple. Try just twelve days and see how it goes. Maybe we’ll come away inspired to turn the twelve days into twelve months and we will truly celebrate the miracle of the baby born in Bethlehem the whole year long as God intends for us to do.
Soon the decorations will be put away. We’ll drive down the streets and see just white street lights. No colored lights, no decorated trees. Inside our homes snow globes and poinsettias, Christmas trees and ornaments, will all disappear. We’ve spent weeks getting ready, and on December 26^th we’ll start getting ready to take it all down. It wasn’t always that way, though. In the traditional Christian calendar a holiday or festival day is the beginning of a season, not the end. Easter marks the beginning of the 50 Days of Easter, ending on Pentecost. In the same way, Christmas Day is not the end of the Christmas season. It’s the beginning. Just like the song says, traditionally there are 12 days of Christmas, from December 25^th until January 6^th , the day of Epiphany when, depending on your tradition, Christians celebrate either the 3 Wise Men arrives to see Jesus or the Baptism of Jesus. Our society moves so quickly. One holiday ends and we’re ready for the next one to begin. We often suggest that we should try to keep the “Christmas Spirit” alive 365 days a year, but we don’t get very many suggestions for how we can remember to do that. Perhaps one suggestion could be simply that this year we slow down a little. Let’s wait to put the decorations away for 12 days, until the end of the traditional Christmas season. Let’s spend 12 extra days focusing on what we’ve been preparing for these last several weeks. Put away one or two decorations each day giving thanks for the person who gave it to you. Light a candle each day and say a prayer of thanksgiving for one reason you are grateful to God for Christmas and for Christ. Do a “random act of kindness” each of the twelve days. Keep playing your Christmas music (preferably music with more references to shepherds and wise men than reindeer and sleighs). Maybe most of us can’t spend the whole year in the “Christmas spirit” even though we know we should. If that’s you, let’s start simple. Try just twelve days and see how it goes. Maybe we’ll come away inspired to turn the twelve days into twelve months and we will truly celebrate the miracle of the baby born in Bethlehem the whole year long as God intends for us to do.
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
Thanksgiving
Happy Thanksgiving! I'm taking a full 2 days off, which I haven't done for awhile, and then after Sunday have a full week off becasue of eye surgery (minor) on Monday. God's blessings to all of you
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
the election
Just got back from voting, and I voted for ... someone who's name I will not reveal! It's my right! But I'm happy to vote. Looks to me like as election day has neared the polls have tightened up. My guess is that it will be a closer election than Obama would want but not quite as close as McCain would want. I'll go ahead and predict wins in the electoral vote 302-236 and that the Democrats gain 8 seats in the Senate. I'll be up watching tonight just for the political intrigue.
Whoever wins, beginning on November 5th it's our job as Americans to be supportive of the President-elect and our job as Christian to pray for the person who will be in office to make decisions that will benefit our country and our world. The worst of us comes out in election season when people insult the opposing candidates, even threatening lives in some cases. There have already been reports of voter intimidation. This shouldn't happen in the U.S. When you look around the world, it is amazing how peaceful our transitions in government are. Riots are common in many countries after elections. Civil war breaks out. Leaders are deposed or killed. But not here. We elect a new leader, sometimes take a new direction as a country, and stick with each other for better or worse. For better or worse, I hope that you will stick in there with our country, encourage others to do the same, and discourage those who would insult, belittle, and begrudge the results, whatever they may be. No election stealing talk if McCain wins, no socialist/communist talk if Obama wins. Just be grateful that win or lose you had the opportunity that so many don't have to cast a vote for the person who will lead the nation.
Whoever wins, beginning on November 5th it's our job as Americans to be supportive of the President-elect and our job as Christian to pray for the person who will be in office to make decisions that will benefit our country and our world. The worst of us comes out in election season when people insult the opposing candidates, even threatening lives in some cases. There have already been reports of voter intimidation. This shouldn't happen in the U.S. When you look around the world, it is amazing how peaceful our transitions in government are. Riots are common in many countries after elections. Civil war breaks out. Leaders are deposed or killed. But not here. We elect a new leader, sometimes take a new direction as a country, and stick with each other for better or worse. For better or worse, I hope that you will stick in there with our country, encourage others to do the same, and discourage those who would insult, belittle, and begrudge the results, whatever they may be. No election stealing talk if McCain wins, no socialist/communist talk if Obama wins. Just be grateful that win or lose you had the opportunity that so many don't have to cast a vote for the person who will lead the nation.
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