Skip to main content

What of the future

Every church makes a fuss about recruiting new members in the Church Family.  We've all heard someone say "We're all growing older, who's going to replace us when we are gone?" The prevailing assumption appears to be that new members are needed to preserve the church as it is today - or for those who don't like what the church has become - the church as they like to think it used to be.  it is possibly the wrong question.  it assumes that today's church - or yesterday's church - is the perfect and final expression of what church should be.

Would this be a better question? "What kind of church will people want to belong to say, in 50 years?"  Go back in time, if you can.  Television was in its infancy, no mobile phones or home computers, the internet had not been invented, video games hadn't appeared.  Most people didn't have cars, telephones, fridge-freezers or even foreign holidays.  There was no professional sport on Sundays.  In many places there was no amateur sporting events organised, retail outlets were not open.  On Sunday "church" was the only game being played, but today it is just one of many alternatives.  When people wake up on Sunday mornings, they make choices of what to do with their Sundays.

Now fast forward 50 years.  What kind of choices will people have on Sunday morning - that is if Sunday exists in 50 years time? There may not be an answer to this question, but no doubt there will be some directions. It is a sure thing that people will have many choices.  As, over the future years, change accelerates, we may be connected directly into each other's thoughts, even be able to transport ourselves to a different location, even to another time.  Sounds very much Science Fiction - but it will certainly be possible through virtual reality on computers.

Unless religious institutions of all faiths - be they Christian, Jewish, Muslim or Hindu for example - can offer something which is distinctly different from the many choices available, they will most likely suffer attrition.  all of the faiths are at risk of becoming religious cults and ritualize the past, and make claim into the future.  People will gather together and seek personal intimacy which they cannot get electronically - a willingness to share the deepest core of who they are without fear of ridicule or rejection.  Sadly, this appears to happen better on electronic networks than it does in most churches.

When all talk is done, we will still want the solace of shared liturgies and rituals.  a shared commitment to a common vision closer than even a family.  A sureness of power which is greater than the sum of all our individual parts, and a feeling of togetherness collectively, to its demands.  (If I'm right) if that's the church of the future, we should seriously consider creating now.  Not just preserving buildings and denominational labels.

(These are the thoughts of Ralph Milton, a Canadian minister in British Columbia, Canada)

As you read this article what do you think?  Is he right in what he writes or is there some disagreement?

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Message from the Link

D ISSUE 16 OCTOBER 2012 ear Friends How many times have you heard people say in your church ‘Well, I didn’t know about that!’  Quickly followed by, ‘Well, if you read the notices …’ Communication within churches can be wonderful, it can be a little frustrating and it can be never quite what we had hoped.  The same is true across the Circuit, and very soon we will be reviewing methods and means of communication.  Part of this review may include looking at ‘The Link’ and ‘Outlook’ in the light of our focus upon Mission.  For example, it may be that we move more towards what has happened and how it worked to encourage churches to think about the stories that they have to share, rather than being a notice sheet of things to come. Which leads me to ask, have we ever wondered about who it is we are trying to communicate to, and about what?  For example, there have been many adverts in ‘ The Link’ about coffee mornings and cake....

Fairtrade Summer Fair - 31 May 2014

Did you know that it is Fairtrade ’s 20th birthday this year? Yes, 2014 marks 20 years since the first Fairtrade product was sold in the UK. In that time, Fairtrade supporters have helped make huge progress, so that millions of farmers, workers and their families now have a brighter future. To celebrate this milestone, we will be having a: Fairtrade Summer Fair at Calverley Methodist Church on Saturday 31st May from 10 a.m. to 12 noon.  Please come along and give your support. There will be refreshments, Fairtrade tasting, a quiz with prize and lots of lovely Fairtrade products for sale.

The Spirit of the Christmas Truce of WW1 Relived

The Spirit of the Christmas Truce of WW1 Relived During the 1st World War on Christmas Day1914 an amazing thing happened. There was a truce just for that day. Germans and the British stopped fighting and started singing carols. They came out of their trenches and shook hands with the enemy. Photographs of families were shown to each other, small gifts were exchanged. Then they played a game of FOOTBALL! Just for that day it was PLAY not WAR! In remembrance of those men, and, their hopes for the Peace to come: Football Match 1.30 pm - 4.00 pm Sunday 10 November 2013 Bradford's Centenary Square Reflections, Poetry and Music on the theme of peace and war 7.30 pm - 9.00 pm The Delius Centre, Great Horton Road Come and join us!