Happy New Year!! Ok, so I know we are more than halfway through the first month of 2023, but the year is still new and crisp and what will be is still unfolding. We do pray that your new year is off to a good start. I don’t know about you, but I’m excited to see what God will have in store for us in 2023. One thing I noticed, with a number of blogs I follow, is how many year end posts try to predict future trends and plans for the Christian church. I don’t know about you, but there are times when I can’t figure out what I’m going to have for dinner, let alone plan for the future of the church. How can we plan for a future when we know that 80% of churches have plateaued or are in decline. I would add, one thing we learned from COVID, is the need to be flexible and nimble.
So instead of trying to figure out what the future of our movement may or may not look like, I thought I would share the characteristics we should embody as a Church, that have the potential to guide us into the future. Of course, not all of this material is original to me, but uncovered through my own reading and exploration, so if you have thoughts to add, please feel free to share.
So there are some traits that I think will not only prepare us for the future, but help us get there (thanks to Micheal Beck for stirring up these thoughts, https://michaeladambeck.com), I believe the Church needs to be a place that is:
- Inclusive. A place that exemplifies and personifies God’s overflowing love for all humanity and creation. A place that truly practices John Wesley’s General Rule to “do no harm.” A place that offers healing and an environment of grace. A place where people feel like they belong before they have to agree to believe anything. A place where “good news” is a reality for all people. Ultimately a place that exists for those not yet a part of any faith community, particularly because they may have previously been neglected by the faith community.
- Accessible. A place that is in the midst of a community, culturally appropriate and speaking the “language” of the community. One that reflects Jesus’ incarnation as the one “who became flesh and blood and moved into the neighborhood” (John 1:14).
- Transformative. A place that empowers people to grow spiritually. A place where they can be honest about their brokenness, wounds, challenges, and the progress of their spiritual growth. A place that embraces them wherever they are on their discipleship journey, but one that helps them discern and take their next faithful step in that same journey. A place that equips all people for works of mercy and justice in their communities, so that they may embody God’s transformative love.
- Connectional. A place where new expressions of faith exist alongside existing faith communities. A place that resembles the nature of the early church and is particularly evident in the relationship between Jerusalem and Antioch (Acts 15). A place that draws the circle ever wider and agrees to play alongside others in the playground.
I truly believe it is a wonderful time to be a leader in the Christian movement. Please know we are praying for you as you move into this new year and prepare for the future.