THE CHURCH
THE CHURCH FROM BELOW
• The Church is a natural
community
• It fulfills many socialization
needs
– There is recognizable fellowship in the
Church
– There is a sense of community which
is foundational (not a luxury, but a
necessity)
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THE CHURCH FROM BELOW
• The Church is a political
community
– There are socially ordered relationships and
patterns of authority and decision-making
– It is not a question of whether politics will exist in
the Church; rather, it is only a question of the
quality of the politics
– “Ol’ Boy” networks often are alive and well. This is
not entirely negative, but can have some negative
considerations
– There are positive considerations as well
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SENIORS
• Birth Years: before 1926
• Formative Factors
– World War I
– Great Depression
• Serious about faith, close relationship with God
• Appreciate stability
– Close family ties
– Rooted in community
• Generation least affected by stress
• Actively engaged in church, volunteer activities
• Part of the “Greatest Generation”
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BUILDERS
• Birth Years: 1927-1945
• Formative Factors
– Great Depression
– World War II
– Cold War
• Appreciate stability
– Family, Community, Friends, Employment
– Not open to change- prefer predictability
• Emphasis on Duty, Obligation
• Part of the “Greatest Generation”
• Satisfaction found in “simple things”
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BOOMERS
• Birth Years: 1946-1964
– Formative Factors
• Cold War
• 60s: Counter-Cultural Movement
• Vietnam
– Question authority (the establishment)
– Uncertain of the relevance of the church
– Curious mixture of laissez faire and
utilitarianism
– Search for Excellence in all of life
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BUSTERS
• Birth Years: 1965-1983
– Formative Factors:
• Watergate
• Vietnam Syndrome
• Inflation, Unemployment
• Age of “limitations”
– Question authority (Boomers are Establishment now!)
– First generation not to “have it better”
– Interested in process of growth, embrace change
– Disenchanted with “superficial stuff”- even in church!
• Interested in relationships, involvement
• Want options, not directions
• Feel abandoned, are disillusioned
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MOSAICS/MILLENNIALS
• Birth Years: 1984-2002
– Formative Factors
• End of Cold War
• MTV Age/Clinton Presidency
• Desert Storm
– The Digital Generation (non-linear thinking)
– High Levels of Stress/Anxiety
– Self-Reliant- and Skeptical!
– Interest in “spirituality”
– Believe in the Bible- but not in absolute truth!
– Brighter than previous generations (IQ)
– Relationships more important than achievement
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GENERATIONAL VALUE SYSTEMS
• Key Factors in Generational Identity,
per Strauss and Howe, The Fourth
Turning, An American Prophecy
– A Common Location in History
– Common Beliefs
– Perceived Membership in a common
generation
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GENERATIONAL VALUE SYSTEMS
• “The major generational watershed, as far as
religious beliefs and practices are concerned, is
between those who in our research we call
Pre-boomers (born prior to 1946) and those
who have come after. Although Boomers (born
1946-1964) and Xers (born 1965-1979) differ
in some respects, they are much more like
each other than like Pre-boomers.” Jackson
Caroll, Circuit Rider, 22:5
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GENERATIONAL VALUE SYSTEMS
• G.I. Generation Value Cohort (pre-1946)
• Consumer Generation Value Cohort (post
1946)
– Deferred Pleasure vs. Instant Gratification
– Group vs. Individual Orientation
– Assumptions of Sameness vs. Difference
– Spirituality of Place vs. Spirituality of Pilgrimage
• Results: Bimodal Congregations, Gil Rendle,
The Multigenerational Congregation
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CHANGING DEMOGRAPHICS
• Currently, 75% of Americans are Caucasian
• By 2050, only 50% of Americans will be
Caucasian
• The Hispanic population has overtaken African-
Americans as the largest “minority” population
• In some areas of the country (e.g., parts of
California), there is no longer a majority
population
• Racial and Ethnic diversity- a fact of life
• 15-20% of population moves every year
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CHANGING DEMOGRAPHICS
Behavior Christian NonChristian
Watch MTV 19% 24%
Registered to vote 83% 79%
Have been divorced 27% 23%
Take anti-depressants 7% 8%
Watched X-rated movie 76% 87%
(last 3 months)
Received prof counseling 15% 15%
Filed lawsuit this year 3% 4%
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CHANGING DEMOGRAPHICS
• Contemporary American Beliefs:
– God helps those who help themselves, 81%
– All religions teach equally valid truths, 40%
– All people pray to the same G/god, 53%
– If you do enough good, you will go to heaven, 55%
– Jesus was not resurrected physically, 40%
– The Bible is not completely true in all it teaches, 34%
– The primary purpose of life is enjoyment, 58%
– Satan is not real, only a symbol of evil, 60%
– Whatever works is the only truth you can know, 32%>
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THE CHURCH FROM BELOW
• A community of common language:
meanings, priorities, and values. This becomes
conventional for the “In-Group”
• A community of Interpretation:
– Common meanings
– The difficulty of translation
• A community of memory and
understanding:
– Characterized by an inner continuity and empathy
among persons who have understood and relived
the same events. It has a shared story.
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THE CHURCH FROM BELOW
• The Church is a community of action
and belief: it espouses a mission or a
purpose which can be expressed in many
forms of action
– Evangelism
– Education
– Edification
– Worship
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THE CHURCH FROM BELOW
• A sociological description of church:
the church is a body of persons who share
some measure of common life, values,
meaning, and loyalty. It has an historical
continuity, identifiable by certain beliefs,
ways of work, rites, outlooks, and feelings.
It may be more; But it is at least the
above.
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THE CHURCH IN THE WORLD
• The First Church: Orthodox Churches, the
Roman Catholic Church; Protestant churches in
Eastern Europe, Greece, Middle East, Ethiopia,
South India
– The culture tolerates Christianity at best; in some
instances, governments are openly antagonistic
– There is a certain reliance on the spiritual legacy of
what has gone before. In some instances, this
substitutes for vital Christianity
– There are examples (e.g., Poland, Russia) of a
renewal of traditional Christian churches.
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THE CHURCH IN THE WORLD
• The Second Church: Western Europe,
USA, Canada, Australia
– The “second church” is undergoing a time of
serious crisis
• Malaise and apathy
• Ground for renewal (Pentecostalism, evangelical
churches)
– The effect of materialism
– Breakdown in commitment
– Yet, a renewed interest in spirituality among
young people
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THE CHURCH IN THE WORLD
• The Third Church: Central and South
America, Africa, Asia
– A developing church, characterized by youth
and activity
– In the stage of “early” commitment
• A simplicity and integrity to it
• A church of the poor
– Many forms of lay leadership prominent
– New relationships with the “second church”
– Legacy of Liberation Theology remains
– Pentecostalism is quite prominent
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THE CHURCH & CULTURE
• Christ Against Culture
– Christ opposed to culture, either-or (Tertullian)
• The Christ of Culture
– Agreement, guiding civilization (Lib. Protestants)
• Christ Above Culture
– Synthetic (Aquinas)- affirming, transcending
• Christ and Culture in Paradox
– Duality, both obeyed (Luther)
• Christ Transforming Culture
– Antithesis, yes, but Christ converts men and
cultures (Calvin)
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THE CHURCH