bringing the faith formation 2020 scenarios to life

Bringing the Faith Formation 2020 Scenarios to Life

UUA General AssemblyCharlotte, North Carolina

June 23, 2011

Three Overarching Questions

What could faith formation

in churches look like in 2020?


Specifically, how can congregations provide vibrant faith formation to address the spiritual and religious needs of all ages and generations over

the next ten years?


How can churches envision the shape of faith formation in the year 2020 and design initiatives to

respond proactively to the challenges and opportunities in the second decade of the twenty-

first century?

1. Declining number of Christians and growing number of people with no religious affiliation.

2. Increasing number of people becoming more “spiritual” and less “religious”

3. Declining participation in Christian churches

4. Increasing diversity and pluralism in U.S. society

Driving Forces

5. Increasing influence of individualism on Christian identity and community life

6. Changing patterns of marriage and family life

7. Declining family religious socialization

8. Increasing use of digital age & web technologies

Driving Forces

15% of all Americans claim no religious affiliation

25% of all 18-29 year 10% drop in the number of Christians The challenge to Christianity in the U.S. does

not come from other religions but from a rejection of all forms of organized religion.

Driving Forces1. Declining number of Christians & growing

number with no religious affiliation

Today, 18% of 18-39 year olds say that are “spiritual, but not religious” compared to only 11% a decade ago.

Religious tinkering & developing a religious or spiritual identity

Driving Forces2. Increasing number of people becoming

more “Spiritual” and less “Religious”

“Membership growth in UUA slows down” UU World May 11, 2009

“UUA membership declines for second year” UU World April 12, 2010

“UUA membership declines again”UU World May 23, 2011

Driving Forces3. Declining Participation in Churches

Diversity of ethnic cultures and nationalities No single authority exercises supremacy; no

single belief or ideology dominations Tapestry of religious and spiritual alternatives

and choices Crisscrossing religious boundaries “Spiritual tinkerers”

Driving Forces4. Increasing Diversity & Pluralism in U.S.

Society

Religious identity is more autonomous and deliberate today.

Decline in the perceived necessity of communal or institutional structures as constituent of religious identity.

Driving Forces5. Influence of Individualism on Christian

Identity and Community

Delaying marriage Having fewer children and later in life Decreasing number of children in two-parent

households Increasing number of unmarried couples living

together Increasing time caring for children

Driving Forces6. Changing Structures & Patterns of Family

Life in the U.S.

Parent Influence: The single most important social influence on the religious and spiritual lives of adolescents is their parents.

Embedded Family Religious Practices: Effective religious socialization comes about through specific religious activities that are firmly intertwined with the daily habits of family life.

Driving Forces7. Declining Family Religious Socialization

On Jan. 1, 2011, the oldest Baby Boomers will turn 65. Every day for the next 19 years, about 10,000 more will cross that threshold.

By 2030, when all Baby Boomers will have turned 65, fully 18% of the nation’s population will be at least that age (13% today)

We are witnessing the emergence of a new stage of life between adult midlife–typically focused on career and child-rearing–and old age, traditionally marked by increasing frailty and decline.

Driving Forces7 ½. Aging Baby Boomers

93% of teens & young adults are online “Computer in your pocket” - increasing mobile

access - iPhone 8-18 year olds spend on average 7½ hours a

day with media

Driving Forces8. Increasing Impact of Digital Media & Web

Technologies

Scenarios are built around critical uncertainties about the external environment. That is, the stories are based on different outcomes of a few key uncertainties that are both most important to the future of faith formation in congregations and most uncertain in terms of future outcome.

Four Scenarios

1. Will trends in U.S. culture lead people to become more receptive to organized religion, and in particular Christianity or will trends lead people to become more resistant to organized religion and Christianity?

2. Will people’s hunger for and openness to God and the spiritual life increase over the next decade or will people’s hunger for and openness to God and the spiritual life decrease.

Two Critical Uncertainties

Four Scenarios

Shifting from. . .

“One Size Fits All” Curriculum & Programmingto

Personalized & Customized Faith Formation focusing on addressing people’s spiritual and religious growth by offering a wide variety of religious content

and experiences

“Differentiated Faith Formation”

Lifelong Faith Formation Network

1. A Lifelong Faith Formation Network addresses the diverse life tasks and situations, spiritual and religious needs, and interests of all ages and generations in the four scenarios by offering a variety of content, programs, activities, and resources.


2. A Lifelong Faith Formation Network guides individuals and families in discerning their spiritual and religious needs and creating personal learning pathways—a seasonal or annual plan for faith growth and learning.


3. A Lifelong Faith Formation Network incorporates informal learning, as well as formal learning in faith formation.


4. A Lifelong Faith Formation Network utilizes a variety of faith formation models to address the diverse life tasks and situations, religious and spiritual needs, and interests of people:

on your own at home in small groups in large groups in the congregation in the community and world


5. A Lifelong Faith Formation Network blends face-to-face, interactive faith formation programs and activities with virtual, online faith formation programs, activities, and resources.


6. A Lifelong Faith Formation Network incorporates communities of practice to connect individuals and groups throughout the congregation.


Designing a Lifelong FaithFormation Network Form a Lifelong Faith Formation Network

Task Force. Prepare a statement of your church’s

vision and goals for lifelong faith formation. Develop an inventory of your church’s

current faith formation programs, activities, and resources using the four scenarios.

Designing a Lifelong FaithFormation Network Describe the diverse life tasks and

situations, spiritual and religious needs, and interests of age groups and families in each of the four scenarios; and develop a profile of the most important needs.

Research people, programs, activities, and resources to address the priority life issues and spiritual/religious needs.

Designing a Lifelong FaithFormation Network Design new initiatives to address the new

spiritual and religious in each of the four Faith Formation 2020 scenarios.

Develop an Integrated plan for the Lifelong Faith Formation Network with all of the programs, activities, and resources organized according to the four scenarios and the six faith formation models.

Designing a Lifelong FaithFormation Network Develop an online faith formation center

for connecting people to each other and to the resources of the Lifelong Faith Formation Network.

Develop a marketing/promotion plan to promote the Lifelong Faith Formation Network.

1. Faith Formation through the Life of the Whole Church

2. Faith Formation with Digital Media and Web Technologies

3. Family Faith Formation4. Intergenerational Faith Formation5. Generational Faith Formation:

iGeneration (2000 - ) Millennials (1980-1999) Gen X (1964-1979) Boomers (1946-1964) Builders (1945 and earlier)

Strategies

6. Milestones Faith Formation

7. Faith Formation in Christian Practice

8. Transforming the World

9. Spiritual Formation

10. Multi-Ethnic Faith Formation

11. Faith Formation for Spiritual Seekers

Strategies

12. Apprenticeships in Discipleship

13. Pathways to Vibrant Faith and Active Engagement

14. Faith Formation in Third Place Settings

15. Empowering the Community to Share their Faith

16. Interfaith Education and Dialogue

Strategies

Strategies for Each Scenario#1: Vibrant Faith & Active Engagement Faith formation through the life of the whole

church Faith formation with digital media and web

technologies Family faith formation Intergenerational faith formation Generational faith formation

Strategies for Each Scenario#1: Vibrant Faith & Active Engagement Milestones faith formation Faith formation in Christian practices Transforming the world Spiritual formation Multi-ethnic faith formation Empowering the community to share their faith Interfaith education and dialogue

Strategies for Each Scenario#2: Spiritual but Not Religious Faith formation through the life of the whole



Strategies for Each Scenario#2: Spiritual but Not Religious Spiritual formation Multi-ethnic faith formation Faith formation for spiritual seekers Apprenticeships in discipleship Pathways to vibrant faith & active engagement Faith formation in Third-Place settings

Strategies for Each Scenario#3: Unaffiliated and Uninterested Faith formation for spiritual seekers Faith formation in Third-Place settings Faith formation with digital media and web

technologies Milestones faith formation Faith formation in Christian practices Transforming the world

Strategies for Each Scenario#4: Participating but Uncommitted Faith formation through the life of the whole



Strategies for Each Scenario#4: Participating but Uncommitted Milestones faith formation Faith formation in Christian practices Transforming the world Faith Formation for Spiritual Seekers Multi-ethnic faith formation Pathways to vibrant faith and dialogue

Strategies in Multiple Scenarios

Faith Formation using Digital Media and Web Technologies

Milestones Faith Formation Faith Formation in Christian Practices Transforming the World: Engagement in and

Formation for Service and Mission Family Faith Formation Spiritual Formation Multi-Ethnic Faith Formation

Web Resources

www.lifelongfaith.com

www.faithformation2020.net

www.faithformationlearningexchange.net

bringing the faith formation 2020 scenarios to life

Spiritual

religious affiliation

religious growth

religious needs

religious tinkering

specific religious activities

media driving forces

peoples spiritual

future of faith formation