Shift happens!Sharing your faith in a changing

worldPaarl – July 2010

Dr Dion Forster

http://www.dionforster.com

Twitter: @digitaldion

Shift happens!

• The Christian faith is SHIFTING!• Prof Jurgens Hendriks ‘The Western world no

longer trusts the good news to be good news’• A shift in certainties… • ‘Do Christians hold the truth? No, the truth

holds us’.

A map of the world (land area)

Christians in the world (a representational map)

Muslims in the world (a representational map)

Population of the world (a representational map)

What do these maps tell us about the Christian faith?

• The landscape of Christianity is changing!

• Christianity is moving South and East!

What do these maps tell us about the Christian faith?

• “As I travel, I have observed a pattern, a strange historical phenomenon of God “moving” geographically from the Middle East, to Europe to North America to the developing world. My theory is this: God goes where he’s wanted.” Philip Yancey

What do these maps tell us about the Christian faith?

….God goes where God is wanted…

The next Christendom – Philip Jenkins

The SAME mission in an ever CHANGING world

"The gospel must be constantly forwarded to a new address because the recipient is always changing his place of residence.” Helmut Thielicke (Theologian)

The world is changing!

A few facts about Church membership and attendance.

a. The two most common narratives for the modern Church are decline or split… (blog post on the mainline Church from the Archbishop of Canterbury).

b. I don’t mind Jesus, but I don’t trust his wife [bride]… (comment by a skeptical friend).

c. 60% of all Churches in America will die out by 2050 (Peter Brierley in Gibbs & Coffey 2005:20)

d. The long and the short of it is… Jesus needs new PR!

A decline in Church attendance

Church attendance in Britain is declining so fast that the number of regular churchgoers will be fewer than those attending mosques within a generation…. Ruth Gledhill’s report on Church attendance in the UK (2008).

Jesus needs new PR*

(public relations)

THE CHURCH IS IN A GENERAL DECLINE (BUT, THE SAME CAN NOT BE SAID OF THE CHRISTIAN FAITH!)

(GRAPHS COURTESY OF PROF. JURGENS HENDRICKS,) FACULTY OF THEOLOGY, UNIVERSITY OF STELLENBOSCH

Enough about the rest of the world… What about South Africa?

% Christians in SA: 1911-2001

YET, the reality in South Africa does NOT reflect the Kingdom of God!

• Only12% - committed… attendance is only about 3% - 5%... This was where Alpha Worked wonderfully for us!!

Christian Marketshare Mainline Denominations 1911-2001

Church membership in population groups 1911-2001

Whites

Coloureds

Christian Marketshare AIC, Pentecostal, Other 1911-2001

Pent/Charismatic

What makes the AIC and American style ‘Pentecostal / Charismatic’ Churches so

popular?• They are evangelical (even if their gospel is not entirely ‘good

news’).• They offer hope (particularly in addressing the most serious

FELT needs of people):– Prosperity doctrine offers hope in poverty– Healing miracles and ministry offer hope in sickness– Contextually African (in AIC’s)

• They have a strong entrepreneurial leadership… (see the sigmoid curve) whereas we face significant pressure to maintain our ‘culture’ (e.g., uniforms, orders of service, hierarchies)

• They are ‘market oriented’ (changing in accordance with needs and pressures from outside), we are internally regulated (not responding to outside pressures and needs).

Church and choice…I would contend that there is

NOTHING wrong with the MESSAGE

But, there are some problems with our

METHOD(the problem of propositions)

What’s wrong with our method?• We can be sure that it is NOT the Gospel that has lost its

effectiveness (the MESSAGE, and PERSON of Christ remain valid and effective for transforming the world)

• However, we can be sure that the delivery, engagement, and support mechanisms are losing their intended impact. (the problem of ‘propositional’ evangelism in a postmodern world)

• So what we need is to find a way of engaging the world in an ‘incarnational’ manner (addressing the needs of the world, from the perspective of the world), not in a transcendent manner (pressing the concerns and needs of the Church onto the world).

• We need a new ‘narrative’ for the Gospel. The existing one still has value, but only for those ‘in the system’ (it would seem), we need a narrative that engages those outside of the system..

What’s wrong with our method?• We can be sure that it is NOT the Gospel that has lost its

effectiveness (the MESSAGE, and PERSON of Christ remain valid and effective for transforming the world)

• However, we can be sure that the delivery, engagement, and support mechanisms are losing their intended impact. (the problem of ‘propositional’ evangelism in a postmodern world)

• So what we need is to find a way of engaging the world in an ‘incarnational’ manner (addressing the needs of the world, from the perspective of the world), not in a transcendent manner (pressing the concerns and needs of the Church onto the world).

• We need a new ‘narrative’ for the Gospel. The existing one still has value, but only for those ‘in the system’ (it would seem), we need a narrative that engages those outside of the system..

By 2010 Facebook had 400 million users – the world’s 3rd largest country!

1. China

2. India

Facebook…1 in every 14 people…

Where is the Church?

My Social Media SystemTwitter = An invitation

Facebook = A Party

Your Blog = Your Home

‘Rich media’ = The conversation

The SAME mission in an ever CHANGING world

"The gospel must be constantly forwarded to a new address because the recipient is always changing his place of residence.” Helmut Thielicke

The SAME mission in an ever CHANGING world

"The gospel must be constantly forwarded to a new address because the recipient is always changing his place of residence.” Helmut Thielicke(Theologian)

Let’s get honest

What if they all turned up!?

Living for legacy!

Paradigm 1 - God’s discipleship plan is for more than just individuals.

“Go therefore and make disciples of all nations…” (Matt. 28:18-20)

Living for legacy! Paradigm 2 – Everything has been ‘redeemed’, and

so it needs to be ‘reclaimed’ (Luke 19:10)

When did you get saved!?

“For the son of man came to seek and save that which was lost” (Luke 19:10)

“For it was the Father's good pleasure …to reconcile all things to Himself…whether things on earth or things in heaven.” (Col 1:19-20)

Living for legacy!

• Paradigm 3 - God views every Christian as a minister, and so work can be worship! (Col 3:23-24)

“Whatever your task, put yourselves into it, working for the Lord and not for your masters, since you know that you will receive your reward from the Lord; you serve the Lord Christ.” (Col 3:23)

The ‘worship switch’… ON or OFF?

Living for legacy!

• Paradigm 4 - God wants us to take light into dark places, and get salt out of the salt shaker. (Matthew 16:18-19)

“Upon this rock will I build my Church, and the gates of hell will not overpower it…” (Matthew 16:18-19).

Living for legacy!

• Paradigm 4 - God wants us to take light into dark places, and get salt out of the salt shaker. (Matthew 16:18-19)

Building the Church is what Jesus does… Taking his Kingdom and gospel all over the earth is what we’re commanded to do… - Ed Silvoso

• Paradigm 4 - God wants us to take light into dark places. (Matthew 16:18-19) cont….

• We’ve got the WRONG methodology!

Jesus’ methodology (Luke 10:2-9).

When you enter a house, first say, 'Peace to this house.’

….Stay in that house, eating and drinking whatever they give you,

…Heal the sick who are there

and

…tell them, 'The kingdom of God is near you.’

I will pay you a salary NOT to preach…

Living for legacy!

Paradigm 5 - True transformation must be tangible and visible.

The Gospels recall two incidents when Jesus wept, once for a friend, and another time for a city. His tears show how deeply he loves individuals and cities (groups, structures etc.).

What would the most tangible and visible expression of God’s love be in your context?

What is REALLY good news to the poor?Remember the ‘methodology’ of Jesus… Bless, Fellowship,

Minister, Preach…

Living for legacy! God’s discipleship plan is for more than just

individuals. (Matthew 28:18-20) The marketplace has been ‘redeemed’, and so

it needs to be ‘reclaimed’ (Luke 19:10) God views every Christian as a minister, and

so work can be worship! (Col 3:23-24) God wants us to take light into dark places.

(Matthew 16:18-19) True transformation must be tangible and

visible

How to build a movement!

Shift happens!Sharing your faith in a changing

world

THANK YOU!

Dr Dion Forster

http://www.dionforster.com

Twitter: @digitaldion