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Christianity or .... ................................ Paganism The old battle continues .... as many go to Church . The Challenge of the Environment . Potential Opportunties and Threats.
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Christianity or .... ................................ Paganism The old battle continues .... as many go to Church ... The Challenge of the Environment
Potential Opportunties and Threats The environment is changing ... Visioning requires that we understand what is going on and forge an appropriate response. .... It cannot be business as usual
Potential Threats • Post Modern Gnosticism • Moralistic Therapeutic Deism • Commercialisation and Monetisation of the Gospel • Parental Disintermediation – Breakdown of traditional family/marriage...multicultures. • New Destructive addictions – Games/Entertainment/Lusts/fashions • Online/ Internet Church – New Prevalence of Unqualified Ministry
Post Modern Agnosticism • Postmodernism openly endorses religious pluralism • Pagan cults/esoterism going public • East & West combine to produce a new compelling interfaith spiritism. • Doctrine gives way to Social Justice ideology/Spiritism • Deconstruction of gender • Christianity at a cheaper price – absorbing worldliness (see video on A Gnostic Gospel)
A Gnostic Gospel Gnosticism is the essence of revival of Religious Paganism to snuff out the true Christian message… Watch video @The Gnostic Gospel by Peter Jones (click to link)
Struggle for TRUTH There is a struggle for Truth inside the Church and outside the Church …. This is the threat…the occult and the esoteric is no more hidden but is now more boldly going public…
Religions unite … There is an attempt to bring all religions together under a new umbrella of modern gnosticism…. New truths are resuscitating ancient gnosticm. • The wisdom of the Pagans are producing philosophies that are coming into the Church through new teachings and interpretations… to unite all faiths …
New types of Thinking There is a rejection of God the Creator and previous accepted Christian Truths and Theism … for new types of thinking … so called wider expressions of Christianity.
… A new Post-Christian Culture Secularism has given way for a marriage of Eastern Mysticism and Western Technology – to create a new Post-Christian Culture … attacking traditional truths …. Mother Earth and other religious symbols replacing the worship of the Heavenly Father.
New respectability • Modern day Gnosticism enjoying a New Respectability and acceptability by intelligentsia, global leaders and modern institutions…. • Pagan occult spirituality and psychology attacking bible truths and doctrines. The opposition is massive, extremely intelligent/brilliant, very organised and scientific …
Two pronged strategy 2 things identifying the new civilisation…attacking faith • Interfaith mysticism • Social justice ideology Doctrines giving way for social justice ideology … “no need to believe the same thing…we can still share the same spiritual experience… as long as we serve in a just and fair form and agree what is just …” Experience … is now being rated higher than scripture …
No more Business as Usual We can not see things as “Business as usual”…indeed there are modern real threats to sell the Christian faith at a cheap price … through gnostic heresies … Planning must be cognisant of these realities …
Moralistic Therapeutic Deism • A god exists who created and ordered the world and watches over human life on earth. • God wants people to be good, nice, and fair to each other, as taught in the Bible and by most world religions. • The central goal of life is to be happy and to feel good about oneself. Self Esteem • God does not need to be particularly involved in one's life except when God is needed to resolve a problem. • Good people go to heaven when they die.
Monetisation and Commercialism of the Gospel • Gospels focused mainly on Prosperity • Unclear boundaries between commercial roles and spiritual activities. • Especially compelling in poorer third world assemblies • Materialism on the pulpit • Emergence of Spiritual Financial “Giants” exploiting congregations.
Parental Disintermediation – Breakdown of traditional family • Different cultures as youths/parents disconnect • Breakdown of traditional marriage • Role of fathers blurred • Abnegation of parental responsibility to Church/School/Government • Youths led by Youths ...
New Destructive addictions – Games/Entertainment/Lusts/fashions • Online addictions... • Games • Addiction to Entertainment changing how we do Church • Lusts • Fashions and worldliness overrides devotion
Online/ Internet Church – New Prevalence of Unqualified Ministry • Elimination of barriers to entry • Lack of qualification • Internet opens up wide possibilities and access to leaders that are not “known” • Prevalence and low cost of ministry makes every one with a computer vulnerable. • Controversial Activism ... New pastors • Do it yourself paradigm
Potential Opportunities • Hunger for new Reformation – A new Calvinism (Ideas changing the world right now) Time Magazine March 2009) • Social media – new Evangelism • Emotional Brokenness of Post Modern Society • Unusual shakings and Disasters ... Increased societal uncertainty • Gaps in social responsibility/community • Increased financial scrutiny / demand for accountability
What is Social media Technology? • Media designed to be disseminated through social interaction, created using cheap,highly accessible and scalable publishing techniques. It supports the human need for social interaction, using Internet- and web-based technologies to transform broadcast media monologues (one to few) into social media dialogues (many to many). It supports the democratization of knowledge and information, transforming people from content consumers into content producers. • Social media can be said to have three components; • Concept (information). • Media (physical, electronic, or verbal). • Social interface (intimate direct, community engagement, social viral, electronic broadcast or syndication, or other physical media such as print). • Every Church is already in a way a social network - I believe God released this technology for the end-time Harvest in the Church. This tool was developed to expand on what we already know how to do best...
The old way – must not to be discarded People have to find what they want ...limited choice ...less integration ...lack of dynamism ... Slow reach • E-mail • SMS • Fliers • Billboards • Static Websites • Satellite Broadcasts • TV/phone technologies • MP3 • Video on Demand • Fliers • News release • Door to door • Word of mouth • Paperbased tracts etc.
The message finds People ...unlimited variety but the same message ...full integration ... Dynamism... Incredible scale, Impact is instant, Distance irrelevant, growth is viral Social Media • Facebook • Twitter • Blogs • Youtube • Myspace • Technoratti • Wikipedia • Online forums
Social media is not a toy but a powerful enabler that speedily bypasses old Paradigms • Social Media Technology is a revolution that combines low costs, volume, speed, two way dynamism in spreading information causing fast social change • It is only a tool…waiting for a message… • Social media puts power back in the hands of ordinary people (requires little skill) – gives them alternatives, encourages peer comparisons and promotes understanding and selling to people’s issues • It kills bigotry, arrogance…and distance…and embraces ideals at jet speed…But which Ideals ??? • Person to person communications technology is leading to a new flat society…1 man can talk to millions everyday at almost no cost….(if people want to listen)…people will determine what they want…
Relevance to Ministry • Leadership can be felt and distances bridged with blogs, direct 1 to millions communications. Rumors and myths vanish. People want to be close and copy/imitate/know their leaders. Only social media makes this possible at scale. Bad leaders will fade as people vote fast • Churches/parishes/ministries can be more relevant in advocacy...people want to know how the church sees the issues and what is endorsed or not..Society is impacted by well written blogs • Parishes will consolidate their congregation with love/interconnectedness/information and strong direct messages • Parishes will extend (building on and not replacing) their outreach ( every church is a social network)...this new tool will lead to viral growth across geography, normal barriers • Church events can spread much faster on a viral platform egfacebook events. • Christian education will be better embraced..needs driven – not everyone wants to be a parish pastor...the pull from the congregation will improve training acceptance/interest in Christian knowledge. Relevant training finds people. • A platform to spread the good news of the gospel creating revolutionary impact.
Social media has its challenges • Absolute global and permanent exposure for submissions has its disadvantages if mistakes are made..confidentiality and secrecy considered “old”. This is manageable • The people assessed the Bible and it emerged the no. 1 bestseller...equally, negative perceptions are very very costly on social media. • Security/integrity of information challenging to maintain...Media forum moderators require new skills. Security of identity (false messengers can attack easily) • Power shifts from leaders to people needs to be managed & leads to a “mob” or “populist” theology.
But there are vital benefits • Ministry is improved because we learn directly from people we want to reconcile To God. Communication is greatly enhanced (easy, viral,ubiquitous) • People can find exactly what they want 24*7. Connecting is improved • Christians feel like a unique community. It a new way to create and communicate love and care. • Contribute • Collaborate • converse • Call to Action is easier • Prayer • Evangelism • Giving • Mobilisation of resources • Messages for action eg fasting communication Call to action connecting
But what happens if we ignore the social media revolution? • We must take the gospel & bombard the web with God’s truth. If we don’t, someone else will soon offer something compelling.. • As people are inundated with alternatives 24*7...we may lose our congregations. People will drift away... • Negative perceptions/suspicions will attach quickly to those that shun the openness that social media offers. • As other older and more expensive communication models eg Newspapers are already now reducing in popularity – if not gradually fading. Our capacity to reach out will fall if we cling to these older models. • Already the “so called”” emerging church movement” ( a clever apostate alternative) has already targeted social media as its tool...
Getting it done • Encourage interest in Technology • Every member must have e-mail (costs nothing) • Invest in IT infrastructure – bandwidth/web experts/social media organisation • Education and awareness on the possibilities • Develop and implement a Social media plan ( set up a thinktank)…and team. • Set pilot projects
Finance/Accountability • Use of general or customized financial management software. • Budgeting and appropriation. • Appoint a church board to be responsible for approval and revision of administrative and legislative policies. • Appoint an external auditor to perform annual audits to be reported to the congregation. • Appoint a finance sub-committee to oversee all revenue and expenditure. • Hold regular meetings to brief congregation on financial position. • The spiritual leader, as far as possible, should be seperated from the accounting. • EXPECTED OUTCOME:A TRANSPARENT ACCOUNTING SYSTEM.
ECFA Standards • The Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability (ECFA) objective is to promote responsible stewardship. The standards, promotes financial and other operational conducts that reflects those generally accepted biblical truths and practices. • The standards cover issues of doctrine, financial oversight, financial statements, use of resources, financial disclosure, conflicts of interest and fundraising. • Global trends suggest over time financial accountability may soon be legally mandatory
ECFA guidelines demystify Church Finances • Finances reflect generally accepted biblical truths and practices. • governed by a responsible board with enough independence. • required to submit accurate audited financial statements. • provide reasonable assurance that resources are used in conformity with applicable regulations to accomplish the intended exempt purposes • provide a copy of current financial statements on written request and other disclosures as the law require. ...including financial information, on any specific project for which it is soliciting gifts. • shall avoid conflicts of interest. Transactions with related parties may be undertaken only if specific cautionary measures are observed: • shall comply with strict rules defined by ECFA Standards for fundraisingwhich adequately protects givers.
