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Explore the need for churches to adapt in a changing landscape to minister effectively to modern families. Learn how to integrate and streamline programs for a fragmented generation and address dissonance in faith and life.
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The Challenge for theChurch 1 Corinthians 9:19-23
The Challenge for theChurch • Church often has to be reactive to crises • This is perhaps the most challenging time in American history for growing great families • The church (our church) must be PROACTIVE
Time • Southern Baptist churches have had a similar format for many decades • We have been “program based” • We have a similar schedule
Time • Sunday– “Brotherhood” (1X month) early • Sunday School (9, 9:15, 9:30) • Worship (10:30; 10:45:11:00) • CT (5:00 or so) Youth and Children’s Choirs • Worship (6:00-6:30) • Wednesday • Missions Programs; “Prayer Meeting” • Choir Practice
Time • THAT WAS 50 YEARS AGO • What do we see today? • We have kept the same format with a little rearrangement of the deck chairs
Time • The Result? • We are not reaching the current generation • We are not keeping up with the birth rate • We are losing the ones we have
Time • Part of the reason is TIME • The life pattern of the American family has changed; we have not adjusted and we are often trying to force families into models that do not work for them.
Time • What Can We Do? • Study where they are and how we can help them • Expand our format • Cut where necessary • Streamline
Fragmentation • We are ministering to a fragmented generation • People growing up without wisdom of grandparents • People with trust issues • People with ignorance regarding basic family life (life skills)
Fragmentation • Blended families with their own set of problems • We are following models of ministry that reflects an old context • We segment our ministries (Titus 2:3-7)
Fragmentation • We need families together more when we are here • We need to deliberately structure ministry so younger people can be around older people
Dissonance • There is discord in how families today put the faith together. • They don’t see how faith and life fit together • We don’t integrate well the whole picture for them.
Dissonance • That is one reason our families are not holding together in the faith. • We must build models that give them the big picture; We must prepare them for assaults on their faith (apologetics)
Dissonance WE MUST HELP THEM SEE THE MISSION OF THE KINGDOM OF WHICH THEY ARE A PART