With all the talk about learning to be a twentyfirst- century church, is there a place for our church in the twenty-first century? The oversimplified answers are yes, no, and maybe.

Before we address these answers, let’s look at the situation.

Many congregations have at various times since World War II had one or more periods of great vitality. They have also had one or more periods of wandering in the wilderness.

A general rule is that congregations more than one generation old--approximately twenty-two to twenty-seven years old--have institutionalized their pattern of ministry. They have solidly identified who is attracted to their congregation and do not--perhaps cannot--change this identity without strong intentional action or some type of spiritual revival.

Here in the early years of the twenty-first century, many congregations are plateaued, declining, and/or aging. They do not have the vitality they wish they had. They do enjoy and have appreciation for the patterns of the past that are highly meaningful to them.

Change is a threat. It will move them outside their comfort zone. They are afraid of their church’s becoming totally irrelevant and perhaps dying at some point in the future. Some changes would be fine if they help the church survive or to have a promising future in the twenty-first century.

Church leaders are disheartened by what it takes to actually make change happen. They are disturbed by the styles and methods they see being expressed by those churches that do seem to be relevant and vital in the new century.

Recently they have begun to hear about the new book by George Barna called Revolution. They have isolated, from what they have heard about the book, the idea that traditional churches such as theirs will be increasingly irrelevant, and will probably die. This makes them both sad and angry.

Now they are hearing reports that almost 20 percent of adults have tried out a nontraditional house or cell congregation during the past five years. If this trend continues, they wonder if anyone will be attending their church ten to fifteen years from now.

What they want is some concrete answers. Is it yes, no, or maybe about their future?

The answers are more complicated than the scope of one article, but here are some beginning points. Perhaps you have other answers to these questions you would provide to me at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Yes, There Is a Place for Your Church If . . .

. . . you have a theological framework that believes all people need a transformational relationship with the Triune God. This relationship provides for them a focus to continually grow spiritually as a Christian disciple. They apply their Christian principles in their daily lives with a globalocal perspective.

. . . you have a clear focus on whom God has called you to serve. If you are able to align your worship, programs, ministries, and activities with the spiritual and life needs of these people, then you will be successful and relevant in the twenty-first century.

. . . you are willing to continually modulate your worship style so that it connects with the spiritual search of the people God has called you to serve. Modulating the style is not the same as changing the theological substance or the liturgical structure of worship. It is about changing the style, methods, and content to communicate the substance within a structure loyal to the tradition of your congregation.

. . . you are willing to execute patterns of leadership development and involvement that make sure a minimum of 25 percent of your elected and appointed lay leaders have been members of the congregation less than five to seven years. Their leadership will allow you to continually take a fresh look at the patterns and practices of the congregation.

No, There Is Not a Place for Your Church If . . .

. . . you lack a theological framework that believes every person needs a transformational relationship with the Triune God. You believe there is everlasting goodness in everyone. You would not want to speak in any theological terms that would imply exclusion of anyone. While living a Christian life of your heritage is important to you, it may not be necessary for newer generations.

. . . you do not have a clear focus on whom it is that God has called your congregation to serve. Without a clear focus on whom you serve, you will fall back into a position of serving whomever you have served in the past. This will typically lead to diminishing numbers and decreasing quality of service.

. . . you believe your style of worship is sacred and that the methods and content must remain the same or you cannot worship God. However, worship in the 21st century must be increasingly multisensory, interactive, and faster paced. Refusal to accept this may condemn your congregation to being a 20th century congregation.

. . . you believe new people have to earn the right to have leadership positions in the congregation. Earning the right includes discovery--without your telling them--of how we do things around this congregation, so that although some new leaders will be in the place, the culture of the congregation will remain substantially the same.

Maybe, There Is a Place for Your Church If . . .

. . . you are seeking to rediscover the theological framework for the life and ministry of your congregation. Just being faithful to the ethos of your denomination, the gospel message as communicated in and through your congregation, and the childlike faith your parents instilled in you had always been enough. Now, however, you realize the need of emerging generations for a more personal expression of faith, and you are seeking to discover that for yourself.

. . . you are in a substantially unchanging context where the people served by your congregation for the past generation or two are also likely to be the people served for the next generation or two. The risk here is you assume the worship, programs, ministries, and activities expectations of the younger generations will be met by only incremental, typical changes in the life and ministry of your congregation.

. . . you are willing to bless the beginning of a new worship service with a style that connects with the people among whom God has called your congregation to serve. Continue the worship service that is most meaningful to you, but fully bless the new worship service. Even allow them to use the sanctuary at the best time on Sunday to reach their target group.

. . . you do nothing intentional to block new members from moving into leadership positions, and you find ways to affirm their ideas even though they may be difficult for you to accept. If their leadership is not feeling a little awkward, you are not giving them enough permission to lead and letting them take enough risks to succeed or fail.

What’s the Verdict?

Is there a place for your church in the 21st century? How many of your answers were primarily yes, primarily no, or primarily maybe? What needs to transition and change in you personally for you to make a place for your church in the 21st century? What needs to change in your church?

What positive actions can you contribute to the life and ministry of your church that will empower it in the 21st century? Where are the yes votes in this situation for your church? How can you strengthen and build on the things to which you can already say yes?

by George Bullard
senior editor
Net Results

Copyright 2006 by Net Results: www.netresults.org.
Bullard is senior editor of Net Results and Ministry Partner and Strategic Coordinator, The Columbia Partnership, Columbia, South Carolina.