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10 Emerging Trends of the 1990's
Recently I found some notes from a l989 conference that I attended on "Ten Emerging Trends in the 1990's." The leader was the well-respected church consultant, Lyle Schaller. How did he do with his projections? You be the judge:
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Emergence of a new world religion - Mormonism. (First new religion since Islam in 7th Century).
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Dying of a generation that has been very loyal to the church (he didn't use Tom Brokaw's phrase 'The Greatest Generation' but said as much).
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Impact of those born after 1968 - they will attend church where they perceive 'their needs are met'
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Demise of the 'ma and pa' church - rise of the 'shopping mall church' (what we now call the 'megachurch')
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Two audiences: people born before 1955 want cognitive/intellectual sermons; people born after 1955 want emotional sermons.
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Division in the church will not be between singles and marrieds but between people with children and people without children.
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Interfaith marriages will continue to increase. Many people will attend more than one church.
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Community no longer defined by zip codes - the age of the commute; people will drive for what they want.
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Be prepared for changes in music. The bigger the church, the more young people in worship, the greater will be the need to have music that speaks to them.
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Source of conflict in congregations between generations - let the elderly pay for the new elevator, let the young parents pay for the youth worker, etc.
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Seven things that will destroy us:
wealth without work,
pleasure without conscience,
business without ethics,
knowledge without character,
science without humanity,
religion without sacrifice and
politics without principle.
Gandhi |
