1 / 50

Imagining and Exploring Faith and Family Terri Martinson Elton

Imagining and Exploring Faith and Family Terri Martinson Elton. PRAYER. Part 1 – Where are we and what does it mean?. …the world is changing. CHRISTIANITY IS NO LONGER A MAJORITY RELIGION IN THE UNITED STATES; NOR IS ANY OTHER RELIGION. CURRENT RESEARCH 3THEMES. Church Landscape.

Olivia
Download Presentation

Imagining and Exploring Faith and Family Terri Martinson Elton

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. Imagining and Exploring Faith and FamilyTerri Martinson Elton

  2. PRAYER

  3. Part 1 – Where are we and what does it mean?

  4. …the world is changing

  5. CHRISTIANITY IS NO LONGER A MAJORITY RELIGION IN THE UNITED STATES; NOR IS ANY OTHER RELIGION.

  6. CURRENT RESEARCH3THEMES Church Landscape

  7. Denominationally THEME 1 all major religious groups are experiencing decline.

  8. A few major religious groups have experienced some growth (more than 135,000) “Almost all denominations losing ground, survey finds; Faith is shifting, drifting or vanishing outright.” Headline from the USA Today, March 2009 But most have experienced decline.

  9. Religiously THEME 2 Overall the “churched population” has declined.

  10. In 2000, 50.2% of the total population reported a religious affiliation.In 2010, 48.8% of the total population reported a religious affiliation. The United States is becoming a less religious country.

  11. WHO ARE THE 'NONES'? • “One-fifth of the U.S. public are religiously unaffiliated today, the highest percentages ever in Pew Research Center polling. And, for adults under 30, it’s one-third! • Being a “none” or one with no religious affiliation does not mean lack of belief. “On the contrary, most of the “nones” say they believe in God, and describe themselves as religious, spiritual or both.” And while many “nones” believe in God, they are not interested in “church” (or organized religion) as many of us know it. • it’s time for congregations (or the organized church) to rethink what it means to journey with people currently participating in congregations, as well as those who believe in God yet are not connecting themselves to congregations.

  12. Congregationally THEME 3 congregations are reporting to be less healthy

  13. DAVID ROOZEN, IN A DECADE OF CHANGE IN AMERICA CONGREGATIONS 2000-2010, SAYS...

  14. CURRENT RESEARCH Faith of Young People

  15. Of the 13-18 year olds surveyed in the National Study of Youth and Religion:

  16. Of the 13-18 year olds surveyed in the National Study of Youth and Religion:

  17. parents and adults matter

  18. congregations matter

  19. What’s the target?

  20. THE CHURCH ONCE NURTURED FAITH WITHIN A SOCIETY WHICH SUPPORTED, OR COMPLIMENTED, CHRISTIAN VALUES AND A CHRISTIAN RHYTHM OF LIFE.

  21. THE CHURCH'S CALL TO NURTURE FAITH HAS NOT CHANGED…BUT THE ENVIRONMENT IN WHICH IT DOES SO HAS CHANGED.

  22. WHAT DOES THIS MEAN? • It’s a hard time to do ministry. The struggles are not your fault! ... and you are not alone. • Small changes are not enough ...to change worship styles or use a new curriculum. There is something bigger taking place. • It's time! ... the church must recognize and name the current situation and call the question – what’s the point?

  23. Part 2 – Dynamic, Life-Giving Community

  24. Recall a personal experience of a life-giving community

  25. Dynamic Community promote obstacles

  26. Part 3 – Foster Christian Identity

  27. What do we know? Back to the basics!

  28. What do we know? • Christianity is an embodied faith, intended to be lived.

  29. What do we know? • The life and identity of Christians is rooted in faith in God.

  30. What do we know? • Christians live in a now and not yet world – loved by God and broken.

  31. WHO AM I? FOUR SYMBOLS

  32. FOURSYMBOLS

  33. IDENTITY what does it means to be and live Christian? to foster a Christian identity?

  34. IDENTITY 3-4 things to mark a Christian identity

  35. Part 4 – imagining a Dynamic Christian community fostering Christian identity

  36. What if the church’s role is to help people come to know and understand what it means to be Christian, and live Christian in one’s daily life?

  37. What would a dynamic community which fostered a Christian identity or way of life look like?

  38. What is a life of Faith is like JAZZ? • A life of faith is like jazz, a life of faith emerges as core beliefs meet improvisation within a particular rhythm. • People of faith are always living as God’s people within the particular realities of their lived experience in a broken, sinful world. These realities are put into conversation with God’s promise of love, seeking to discover what it means to live “Christian” in their distinct time and place.

  39. DISCIPLESHIP-IDENTITY AS CHRISTIAN-LOVING OUR NEIGHBOR

  40. the church works at cultivating discipleship community as well as engaging culture.

  41. So what is it to live a Christian way of life within a religiously diverse culture?

  42. FAITH WITH A MISSION 4 COMMITMENTS AND 2 MOVEMENTS

  43. GIFT OF LOVE COMPASS FOR DAILY LIVING WITNESS TO GOD'S STORY AGENT OF GOD'S LOVE

  44. TWO MOVEMENTS GATHERING

  45. WHEN TWO OR ORE FATHER IN GOD'S NAME, GOD PROMISES TO BE PRESENT THESE TIMES ARE PLANNED, AND UNPLANNED. THEY INCLUDE UNIVERSAL PRACTICES, AND PRACTICES UNIQUE TO ONES TIME AND PLACE. IN COMMUNITY, CHRISTIANS DISCOVER WHAT IT IS TO BE CHRISTIAN.

  46. TWO MOVEMENTSGATHERING AND SCATTERING

  47. AWAY FROM CHRISTIAN COMMUNITY OUR CHRISTIAN IDENTITY IS TEST AND CHALLENGED. YET OUR CHRISTIAN IDENTITY IS SHAPED AS MUCH BY OUT TIMES APART AS IT IS WHEN GATHERED TOGETHER. LIVING CHRISTIAN MEANS BEING GOD'S LOVE IN THE WORLD - CREATIVELY AND REDEMPTIVELY.

  48. 2020

  49. CLOSING

More Related