New, and until recently unnoticed, military are re-shaping our world. When habitancy think of military that sway the world, pictures of armies, dictators, economies and terrorists come to mind. Renowned research devotee George Barna says it is none of these.
Mr. George Barna, founder and president of The Barna Group, is known as "the most quoted someone in the Christian Church today" agreeing to Tyndale House Publishers. In his most recent book entitled, Revolution, Barna describes the military that are shaping our culture and re-defining the Church in today's world. The shocking news is "that local congregational churches have virtually exiguous to no sway in our culture." The serious and unwelcome examine is, have our churches come to be more influenced by our culture than they are an sway in our culture? Unfortunately, in most cases, the sway has been more face in rather than inside out.
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Barna's research identifies "the seven most dominant spheres of influence. They are movies, music, television, books, the internet, law and family. The second tier of sway includes schools, peers, newspapers, radio and businesses."
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Just as Martin Luther's 95 Thesis posted on the door of the Wittenburg Church in 1517 sent shock waves around the world so are these research findings and the newly emerging revolutionaries presenting a wake up call for the congregational formatted churches of today. For Luther's time the issues were more theological. For the emerging revolutionaries the issue is more about methodology of how the Biblically commissioned unfinished task gets done.
The fact is that the Church is increasingly being defined, not by buildings and programs, but by embedded believers within these tiers of sway who are dispersed in the workplace, neighborhoods and marketplace. This unrecognized shift in believers' mental is redefining the Church both today and for the future. As in music, the lyrics have not changed, but the tempo and venue are rapidly changing.
Millions of believers are recognizing that membership in most institutional churches does not portion up to the dynamic call to relationships and assistance that transcends labels, institutions and denominations. These are the new revolutionaries who are very much alive and growing in their faith and influence.
Where there are two or three believers gathered in Christ's name, be it on the internet, telephone or in the workplace, there is the Church. The Biblical designation of the priesthood of all believers is being recognized as a new force for transformation. "And you will be called priests of the Lord, you will be named ministers of God" Isaiah 61:6 Billy Graham said, "The next great movement of God will be in the workplace."
Barna Group research has projected a dramatic convert in the congregational church as we know it today. By the year 2025 only one third, or 30-35%, of the faith society will be participating in a customary local congregation as contrasted to 70% when we entered the 21st century. An added one third will be active in alternative micro forms of society fellowship, currently the fastest growing segment. These consist of home and workplace fellowship groups and even internet chat rooms and webcast clubs that span the globe. The final one third will foster their faith and fellowship in the media, arts and other cultural forums. There already are as many ministries operating face the local congregations as there are within them. Barna's research notes that while the congregational format is currently dominant, the decline is rapid with change by micro models of house churches, expert and hobby affinity fellowship groups and cyberchurch formation.
Jesus Christ was the superior revolutionary. His methodology did not focus on changing governments or establishing institutions. He did more battle with religious leaders than with any other segment of the population. He was a threat to their establishments. His revolution was all about relationships and service.
We cannot depend on legalism, policies or formats of worship to shape our values, character and lifestyles. Our core beliefs are not considered by what we have, what we do, or where we go to church. Revolutionaries are saying, "It is all about our relationship with God as we know Him in Jesus Christ and the power of His word that moves us. Personel surrender to His authority and will is what influences our choices, our lives, our communities and our cultures."
This revolutionary movement of transformation is here. The course of events is being shaped and influenced by this authentic and fine force that has a ring of authority. The new revolutionaries are not trying to overthrow or replace the existing congregational church. They are redefining the foresight of the Church as being the salt and light face the salt shaker (congregational formatted church) to transform communities.
Malcolm Muggeridge said, "Every happening, great or small is a parable whereby God speaks to us, and the art of life is to get the message." To re-establish the sway of the institutional church the message is clear, "Be the Church in the Monday world." We dare not let the emphasis be about labels, buildings or programs that could displace God's higher values for reaching habitancy in our respective spheres of influence.
Movies top the list of sway in our culture. New revolutionaries are independently producing high definition films of Hollywood capability without the Hollywood morally degenerate smut. There are some reality scenes that may cause some believers to blink but they bridge to link the non-believer viewer to value sorting for good alternative life and lifestyle choices. One of the best ways to convert a degenerate culture is to furnish an moving good alternative where real love, light and life displace the darkness.
The congregational church is presented with the option to see this cultural revolution shift as a perceived threat or as a God anointed movement to fulfill the Biblical mandate in the marketplace and Monday world.
The hallmark of these new transformation revolutionaries is their commitment to learn more about how to love God and people. The movement is not execution driven, but purpose led. These convert agents are First and Second Command performers in the context of their Monday worlds and neighborhoods. Application of Biblical truth and system are their mandate and marching orders. They do whatever is needed to get closer to God and help others do the same. Their focus is on what unites us in Christ, not on what divides true believers.
This movement is international. K. P. Yohannan wrote a similar book well before Barna's, documenting the dynamic movement of God's Spirit among indigenous believers throughout Asia and Africa calling for the new revolution.
To survive and thrive, today's congregational churches are invited to redefine success, their mission and methodology for greater sway in their communities and cultures. Rather than being preoccupied in getting habitancy inside their walls and programs, they will retool to figuratively "tear down those walls" and equip transformation agents for the workplace, the store place and neighborhoods.
Being a part of the revolution or transformation movement is not for the faint hearted, the spectator, analyst, critic or those who select to be entertained or comfortable in a pew on Sunday morning. The movement is calling those eager to love God fervently with a commitment to bringing hope to those face the congregational church on their "turf." Believers connecting and sharing a tasteless foresight in their workplace and neighborhoods are starting to turn heads as a fine force for constructive convert and influence.
Reversing the congregational decline trend will want equipping believers for the work of ministry in the workplace and their neighborhoods, sending them out with their blessing free from reputation seeking. whatever short of a selfless Kingdom building abandonment appears to have diminishing returns. Maybe church leaders are being called to be more the equippers, facilitators and servants than leaders in the new revolution. The greatest minister is a society pastor and equipper of lay habitancy for the work of ministry in the Monday world.
The strategy is simple. Connect and equip intentional believers with the foresight and the encouragement to be salt and light in every tier of influence, custom and neighborhood in every society of our Monday world. John Wesley, a revolutionary extraordinaire, was instrumental in reshaping the culture of England. He said, "For opinions and terms, let us not destroy the work of God. Do you love and serve God? It is enough."
The revolution is happening with, and without the maintain of congregational churches. Too often we are busy with lesser activities and loose sight of the customary mission of the Church. Authentic and increasingly graphic and quantifiable, the revolution is already bringing new hope, curative and life to believers and non-believers in communities nationally and internationally.
This movement of God's Spirit is spontaneous without the need to be cranked, promoted or pumped. It springs up like Yellowstone Park's Old truthful artesian geyser as a fountain of blessing. God's indwelling Spirit in believers fills our "cup" and overflows our "saucer" and never lacks for furnish nor does it run dry. As Tim, a revolutionary, told me "It's bubbling in my soul. I cannot keep it quiet. God's Spirit is bubbling, bubbling, bubbling day and night all around the world. I have never felt more connected with believers and a part of what God is doing both locally and globally. This compelling foresight is a fountain of blessing that transcends the boundaries of labels, institutions and congregations." Being the Church wherever you are 24/7 is to be a new revolutionary. Transformed habitancy transform culture in their "Monday" world.
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