EvFree Fullerton - Death By Powerpoint-2014

Transcript

1. 1.  Smaller/Shrinking  Size   2.  The  Exit  of  Young  Adults   3.  Decline  in  Giving   4.  Failure  to  Focus  on  Mission   5.  HosGlity  from  Outside   6.  Division  from  Within  
2. Inflated:    The  evangelical  church  is  smaller   than  many  of  us  have  been  told  –  accounGng   for  less  than  1  in  10  Americans.     The  Impression:    Many  have  claimed  that     1  in  3  or  even  1  in  2  Americans  are  evangelical   ChrisGans.  
3. Evangelical  ChrisGans  are  only  7%  of  the     US  populaGon,  less  than  1  in  10.     If  every  evangelical  moved  to  New  York  State,   there  would  not  be  a  single  evangelical  among   the  roughly  300  million  Americans  in  the  other   49  states.  
4. In  internaGonal  terms,  there  are  slightly  more   evangelicals  in  the  enGre  United  States  than   there  are  Muslims  in  greater  Cairo.           Evangelical  populaGon  esGmates  by  Dr.  ChrisGan  Smith,  Notre  Dame,     The  Barna  Group,  American  Church  Research  Project.  
5. The  evangelical  church  is  shrinking  because  the   majority  of  young  evangelicals  are  abandoning   the  faith.     This  shrinking  is  acceleraGng  because  the   church  is  top-­‐heavy  in  age.  
6. About  2  in  3  evangelical  young  people  walk   away  from  the  faith  by  age  30.       The  Barna  Group,  Lifeway  
7. While  it’s  true  that  some  evangelical  young   people  return  to  the  Church  in  their  30s,  the   majority  no  longer  do.    Those  who  return  oben   suffer  from  divorce  and  a  decade  of  lifestyle   habits  made  apart  from  Christ.         Youth  TransiGon  Network,  Lifeway  
8. The  church  is  not  making  converts  fast  enough   to  keep  pace  with  rapid  populaGon  growth.  
10. As  these  trends  weaken  the  church  internally,   the  external  culture  is  turning  hosGle  towards   followers  of  Jesus  Christ.     Many  leading  edges  of  21st  century  American   culture  are  antagonisGc  towards  evangelicals.  
11. A  study  by  Jewish  and  Community  Research   asked  1,200  college  and  university  professors  if   they  had  “unfavorable  feelings”  toward  various   religions.     3% held unfavorable feelings for Jews. 9% held unfavorable feelings for non-evangelical Christians. 22% held unfavorable feelings for Muslims. 53% held unfavorable views toward evangelical Christians.   Alan  Cooperman,  “Is  There  Disdain  for  Evangelicals  in  the  Classroom?,”  The  Washington  Post,  May  5,  2007  
12. Ages  16-­‐29   1.  ChrisGans  are  anG-­‐homosexual.  91%     2.  ChrisGans  are  judgmental.  87%   3.  ChrisGans  are  hypocriGcal.  85%  
13. “Old-­‐Fashioned”   “Too  involved  in  poli3cs”   “Out  of  touch  with  reality”   “Insensi3ve  to  Others”   “Boring”   “Not  accep3ng  of  other  faiths”   “Confusing”  
14. 9%  describe  ChrisGans   as  people  they  “trust”.  
15. SIN   Sin   Separa+on   Peace   Forgiveness   Eternal  Life   GOD   Chris+anity   and  the   Chris+an   Subculture   BUILDING  TRUST  
16. This  struggling  church  is  spliing  itself.       Different  groups  of  evangelicals  are  sharply   divided  over  how  to  respond  to  the  rapidly   changing  culture.     As  a  result,  evangelicals  are  infighGng  when   we  most  need  to  be  uniGng.  
17. Evangelicals  are  increasingly  dividing  over   poliGcs.   Republican   54%   Democrat   22%   Independent   25%  
18. This  smaller,  shrinking  church  is  on  the  verge   of  a  fuel  crisis.    The  oldest  two  generaGons   give  about  70%  of  evangelical  donaGons.  
19. DonaGons  could  decrease  by  as  much  as  70%   in  the  next  25  years  –  if  younger  generaGons   do  not  change  their  giving  habits.  
20. Percentage  of  total  donaGons  given,     by  generaGon:   46%   22%   17%   11%   4%   65+   55-­‐64   45-­‐54   35-­‐44   Under  35  
21. The  percentage  of  Americans  who  give  at  all,   including  Gthing  and  supporGng  evangelical   works,  conGnues  to  decline.     17%  of  ChrisGans  say  they  “Gthe”  but  only  3%   actually  give  10%  or  more  of  their  income  to   the  Lord’s  work.     Brian  Kluth,  Kingdom  Seekers  
22. 1.  “Hybrid  Ministry”  equips  people  for  serious   evangelism/discipleship.   2.  “ConservaGon”  avoids  debt  and  prioriGzes     disciple-­‐making.   3.  “PreparaGon”  challenges  mature  givers  to   invest  in  an  eternal  legacy.   4.  “Disciple”  teaches  our  younger  believers   the  joy  of  generous,  sacrificial  and   consistent  giving.  
23. EvFree  Fullerton  exists  to  develop,  empower   and  release  kingdom  people  and  kingdom   communiGes  into  missional  engagement  in   their  spheres  of  influence.    
24. Kingdom  people  are  people  who  follow  Jesus   as  disciples  and  worshippers,  who  are   increasingly  transformed  by  God’s  grace  and   Holy  Spirit  to  become  more  like  Jesus,  and   whose  hearts,  minds,  relaGonships  and   lifestyles  reflect  the  character  and  mission  of   Jesus.  “Follow  me  and  I  will  make  you  fishers   of  people.”    
25. Kingdom  communiGes  are  communiGes  defined   by  the  purposes,  prioriGes  and  presence  of   Jesus  Christ  (Manhew  28:18-­‐20):   •  to  love  God  and  love  others   •  to  make  Jesus-­‐followers  of  all  naGons   •  to  care  for  the  poor,  outcast  and  marginalized   •  to  re-­‐orient  our  lives  in  worship,  communion   and  bapGsm  
26. •  to  equip  believers  for  their  ministries  locally   and  globally   •  to  sit  under  the  authority  of  God’s  Word  as  it   is  regularly  taught   •  to  reproduce  other  thriving  kingdom   communiGes   •  to  foster  a  partnership  of  generaGons  to   fulfill  God’s  mission  in  the  world  
27. Missional  engagement  is  our  passionate   convicGon  to  pass  along  to  others  what  God   has  given  to  us;  is  our  recogniGon  that  God  is   at  work  in  the  world  and  is  looking  for   cooperaGve  parGcipants  in  His  mission;  is  our   idenGty  as  ambassadors  and  missionaries  to   our  world.  
28. In  fulfilling  our  mission,  we  seek  to  be:   Focused  on  Mission  ::   We  believe  that  the  church  exists  to  parGcipate   in  the  mission  of  God  in  Christ  by  redempGvely   engaging  all  aspects  of  society  with  the  intent   of  proclaiming  and  demonstraGng  the  good   news  about  Jesus  Christ.  We  believe  all  of   God’s  people  are  called  to  be  ambassadors  of    
29. reconciliaGon  whatever  their  context  and  that   this  is  the  central  work  of  the  church.    We   believe  mission  is  expressed  in  both  word  and   deed,  at  home  and  at  work,  in  neighborhoods   and  across  the  world.    
30.   Centered  on  the  Kingdom  of  God  ::   The  Kingdom  of  God  (God’s  rule  and  authority   manifest  on  earth)  was  (and  is)  the  focus  of  the   work  and  teaching  of  Jesus  on  earth.  Our   purpose  as  His  community  is  to  parGcipate  with   God  in  the  advancement  and  extension  of  His   kingdom  into  the  world.  We  seek  to  serve  His  
31. movement,  not  our  own  agendas,  projects  and   organizaGons.  We  desire,  bless  and  parGcipate   in  the  movement  of  God  wherever  and   however  we  find  it.    
32.   Rooted  in  Worship  and  Scripture  ::   The  Bible  is  the  most  important  authority  for   life  and  faith.  We  believe  that  the  Bible  is  to  be   read  and  studied  for  formaGon,  not  just   informaGon.  We  seek  to  be  culturally  relevant   in  our  teaching  while  remaining  faithful  to  the   inspired  text.  We  recognize  the  centrality  of  
33. worship  in  all  we  do,  in  both  corporate  and   individual  expressions,  and  respect  the  great   diversity  of  worship  forms  present  in  God’s   kingdom.  
34.   Connected  in  Community  ::     We  believe  the  church  to  be  a  spiritual  family   where  all  are  welcome  and  loved.  We  believe   that  transformaGon  happens  best  when  people   meet  and  are  honest  and  vulnerable  with  each   other,  speaking  the  truth  to  each  other  in  love.     We  believe  the  best  expressions  of  community  
35. are  those  that  are  not  homogeneous,  but   instead  integrate  people  from  all  ethniciGes,   generaGons  and  socio-­‐economic  statuses.    We   believe  that  the  church  is  a  picture  of  the  new   humanity,    where  previous  ways  of  dividing   humanity  no  longer  apply  in  Christ.    
36.   Filled  with  Grace  and  Love  ::     We  believe  in  the  power  of  God’s  grace  to   transform  lives,  and  reject  anempts  to  legislate   the  ChrisGan  life  through  human  rules.  We   respect  differences  of  theology  and  pracGce  in   nonessenGals  and  secondary  maners.  We  seek   to  deal  with  issues  redempGvely  and  allow  
37. people  to  be  in  process.  We  recognize  that  love   is  the  highest  ChrisGan  value  and  seek  to   embody  love  of  God,  neighbor,  and  enemy.  
38.   Responsive  to  the  Holy  Spirit  ::   We  believe  in  the  gibs,  power,  and  presence  of   the  Holy  Spirit  to  bring  about  the   transformaGon  of  God’s  people.  We  believe   that  God  is  the  iniGator  of  worship  and  mission.   We  believe  the  calling  of  God’s  people  is  to   parGcipate  with  God  in  His  work  in  the  world.  
39. We  seek  to  avoid  both  a  theology  of  excess  and   a  theology  of  reacGon  regarding  the  role  of  the   Holy  Spirit  today.  We  seek  the  Holy  Spirit’s   filling  and  empowering  without  dictaGng  how   that  should  occur.    
40.   Empowering  and  Developmental  ::     We  believe  that  each  person  has  a  unique   contribuGon  to  make  in  God’s  Kingdom,  and   that  the  role  of  the  church  is  to  inspire,  teach   and  empower  people  for  ministry  in  whatever   place  in  life  that  God  has  called  them.  We   oppose  anything  that  places  limits  on  the  
41. priesthood  of  all  believers  and  therefore  resist   the  professional/volunteer  (or  ‘clergy’  and   ‘laity’)  disGncGons  common  to  American  church   culture.  We  seek  to  grow  a  courageous,   generous  and  faithful  community  that   emphasizes  lifelong  learning  and  development,   the  discovery  and  pracGce  of  spiritual  gibs,  and   decentralized  ministry.    
42.    Strategic  and  Supernatural  ::   The  Church  is  both  organizaGon  and  organism;   therefore,  we  seek  to  be  pracGcal  and  wise,   while  at  the  same  Gme  expecGng  and  praying   that  God  would  move,  speak  and  lead  us  in   surprising  ways.    We  believe  in  prayer  meeGngs   and  planning  meeGngs.  We  want  to  be  spiritual   and  spirit-­‐led  while  at  the  same  Gme  being   diligent  and  strategic.  
43.   Counter-­‐cultural  and  Culturally  Engaged  ::   We  stand  against  both  cultural  withdrawal  and   cultural  accommodaGon.  We  desire  to  be   discerningly  and  selecGvely  engaged  in  culture   without  being  formed  by  its  prioriGes  and   values.  We  seek  to  be  a  propheGc  alternaGve  to   the  ideals  and  ways  of  the  world  without  
44. retreaGng  into  our  own  ChrisGan  subcultures.     We  believe  the  church  exists  in  the  world  for   the  sake  of  the  world.  We  believe  the   incarnaGon  and  sacrifice  of  Jesus  is  our  model   for  engaging  the  world.      
45.   Sensi3ve  to  the  needs  of  the  poor  and   marginalized  ::   We  believe  we  best  embody  the  heart  of  God   to  the  world  by  serving  the  poor  and   marginalized.    We  believe  the  wealthy  need  the   poor  as  much  as  much  as  the  poor  need  the   wealthy.  We  seek  to  be  known  for  our  
46. compassion,  as  we  work  against  the  systemic   and  individual  injusGces  of  our  world  by   showing  love  in  pracGcal,  tangible  ways.    We   believe  the  church  is  to  seek  the  public  good   and  promote  human  flourishing  in  every  sphere   of  human  society.      
47. We  believe  we  must  conGnually  ask  what   acGviGes  and  pracGces  have  the  biggest   impact  or  most  facilitate  the  mission  of  the   church.  We  believe  we  must  be  strategically   focused  in  how  we  uGlize  the  church’s  Gme,   energy,  and  resources,  while  at  the  same  Gme   encouraging  people  to  find  their  own  unique  
48. mission  and  ministry.    We  believe  that  every   program  and  ministry  of  the  church  should   exist  in  harmony  with  and  in  support  of  the   overall  mission  of  the  church.  We  believe  in   focused,  simple,  and  flexible  ministry   structures  in  order  to  best  facilitate  mission   and  the  empowerment  of  people.    
49. Therefore,  in  the  ways  we  organize  and   structure  ministries  we’ll  value:       1.  Alignment  around  common  mission   2.  Risk/experimentaGon  that  leads  to   innovaGon     3.  CreaGng  adaptable,  flexible  and  simple   structures   4.  SimplificaGon  that  leads  to  greater  focus   and  empowerment  
50. “Follow  me  and  I  will  make  you  fishers  of   people”  (MaPhew  4:19)     1.  “Follow  me…”  is  the  call  to  discipleship  and   worship  where  we  bring  all  of  life  under  the   authority  of  the  one  true  God.  
51. 2.  “…I  will  make  you...”  is  the  invitaGon  to   transformaGon  into  Christlikeness  as  we   culGvate  environments  of  spiritual  growth   in  partnership  with  the  Holy  Spirit.     3.  “…fishers  of  people”  reflects  the  direcGve  of   Jesus  to  offer  our  lives  in  service  and   mission  for  the  sake  of  the  world.        
52. Individual!
53. Individual!
54. Individual!
55. Individual!
56. He will make you! [cultivating environments of spiritual growth that lead to transformation]! Culture! Follow Jesus ! [worship + discipleship]! Fishers of people! [in service and mission]! Individual!
57. Church!
58. Church!
59. Church!
60. Church!
61. Church!
62. Connect! [Care, Serve, Grow Groups (AF/M +W)]! Engage the World! [Blessed to bless]! Immerse! [who we are + what we do]! Go! [local + Global, NPO, Go Groups]! Gather weekly! [large and small]! Church!