NEW

Think about all the NEW things that have happened recently to change the face of ... well ... everything.

* New Audiences -- Whole generations are now being reared on MTV, video games, the internet and iphones. There is instant access to everyone and everything. Technological tools have integrated themselves seamlessly into society. We can't even reference a popular TV show today - like "ALIAS" - and expect everyone to have heard of it. (Have YOU heard of it?) That would not have been true 25 years ago. If I'd said, "M*A*S*H*, 95% of the readers would know what I was talking about.

* New Geographics -- The shift is happening away from suburbia and toward both big city and small town life. People are developing a craving for community that small towns and urban neighborhoods provide. The big mall is increasingly frowned upon; the strip mall is packed.

* New Identities and Affiliations -- To many people, being 'purpose driven,' for instance, is more important than denominational affiliation. New churches cut across denominational lines without losing their distinctive that makes them who they are.

* New Communication -- Stationary pulpits, 3-point sermons, and one 'star' speaker are OUT. DVD communication, multi-person teaching teams, narratives and visuals are IN.

* New Methods -- There is a shift from programmed events to grassroots movements and networks. People choose churches on the basis of relationships, not denominational ties.

* New Structures -- Old structures are 'top-down' organizational charts where tasks are delegated downward and authority is tightly managed. New structures are inverted triangles where jobs are constructed with an emphasis on supporting the accomplishments rather than monitoring and controlling them.

* New Fears -- Nothing is the same after September 11th.

What an exciting era to do church in. Wow.

And be blessed.