1. The Challenge of Mission in Contemporary Culture
“My hope is that the church could once again capture the imagination of this country’s people.”
–Rowan Williams
Archbishop of Canterbury

2. A Dramatic Shift

3. General Belief/Church Attendance
1980
90% said they believed in God
(comparable countries: Ireland, Saudi Arabia, Iran)
66% identified as Protestant
24% identified as Roman Catholic
2% Jewish
8% “None of the above” or “other”

4. General Belief/Church Attendance
Present Day
69-80% say they believe in God
18-40% weekly attendance at worship
28-50% rarely or never attend
50% identify as Protestant
22% Roman Catholics
12% other world religions
16% None of the above, includes atheist, agnostic, a-religious, etc.

5. General Trends
Declines in membership, money, and attendance:
Mainline Protestants
Roman Catholics
Evangelicals – Southern Baptist, Missouri Synod Lutherans, PCA
African-American Churches

6. General Trends
Only significant increase (4%): non-denominational
Slight, but statistically insignificant increases: Mormons, Assemblies of God, Church of God
Across all the denominations (general trend): Congregations with ASA > 125 are growing Congregations with ASA < 125 are declining

7. “Faith Mixing” Today (Pew forum)
37% attend one place almost exclusively
35% attend multiple places
28% seldom/never attend
49% Have “had a mystical experience” ( %)

8. “Faith Mixing” among Churchgoers
Liturgical
Evangelical
Charismatic/ Pentecostal
Liberal Protestant
Movement among the various traditions
Means great fluidity of church membership

9. Youth Attitudes toward “Christian”
(Barna, 2007)
Outside Inside the Church the Church
91% 80% anti-homosexual
87% 52% judgmental
85% 47% hypocritical
75% 50% too political
72% 32% out of touch with reality
68% 27% boring

10. Emergence of “Spirituality”
Are you spiritual or religious? (Washington Post/Newsweek 2005)
25% Spiritual
55% Religious and spiritual
8% Religious
12% Neither

11. Associations with “Religious” and “Spirituality”
• Organized
• Systematized
• Institution/buildings
• Doctrine/dogma
• Budgets
• Authority
• Liturgy
Spiritual
• Experience of God
• Nature
• Centering Prayer
• Labyrinth
• Transcendence
• Awe/Wonder
• Mysticism
• Jesus
• Yoga
• Liturgy
• Eucharist
• “Eating and Gathering”

12. Trends in Church and Culture
Denominational Loyalty  Religious Shopping
Larger Church Identity  Congregational Identity
Supply Driven  Need Driven
Clergy Only  Clergy and Laity
Faith Traditions  Spiritual Realities
Trust  Suspicion
Institutional Authority  Personal Authority
Foreign Mission  Local Mission
Reasonable Spirituality  Mystical & Experiential

13. Characteristics of a Missionary Community
• Sense of being led – we exist for a reason
• Awareness of uniqueness
• Training, nurturing, educating, forming – for purpose of mission
• Development of supportive community of accountability
• Sympathetic study and appreciation of mission field
• Fearless engagement with the world