{"id":21203,"date":"1999-10-01T00:00:00","date_gmt":"1999-10-01T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.christianitytoday.com\/pastors\/1999\/10\/01\/theme-introduction\/"},"modified":"1999-10-01T00:00:00","modified_gmt":"1999-10-01T00:00:00","slug":"theme-introduction","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.christianitytoday.com\/pastors\/content\/theme-introduction\/","title":{"rendered":"Theme: Introduction"},"content":{"rendered":"

We asked Leith Anderson, the pastor and skilled observer who heard and\n defined the outcry for change in the 1990s, to describe the church of tomorrow.<\/p>\n\n

Will the church be large or small? Denominational or independent? Traditional \nor contemporary or razor’s edge postmodern? His answer? “Yes!”<\/p>\n\n

We get it. The church is moving in many directions at once.<\/p>\n\n

What trends will make it that way?<\/p>\n\n

“Yes!” Anderson says again.<\/p>\n\n

We think we know what he means. The same forces that are driving our society\nare propelling the church forward, or should we say outward, at the same\nspeed.<\/p>\n\n

Still, there are discernable forces that will influence the shape of ministry\nafter the millennium’s turn. We invited five experienced seers to scan\nthe horizon and tell us what’s ahead.<\/p>\n\n

“What trend will have the greatest impact on the church in the next ten years?”\nwe asked.<\/p>\n\n

We’re surprised by what they didn’t spot: the impact of technology,\nthe mainstreaming of contemporary worship, demographic shifts, urbanization,\ntrends in church size, the prognosis for the parachurch, megachurch, or\ncellchurch. The future is not about methods or even movements, they say.\nIt’s about people.<\/p>\n\n

Our watchers foresee clashes of the soul: Will the shouts of individuality\ndrown the heartcry for community? What will motivate people after the apparent\ndeath of duty? Can we mediate the conflict between personal experience and\nabsolute truth?<\/p>\n\n

Like our advisers, we’re excited about the twenty-first century. We\nbelieve that through discernment of the present, we have insight into the\nfuture. Commissioned by the Most High God, we are equipped to meet the unique\nchallenges of ministry to our age. In the hymn writer’s words, we have\nstrength for today and bright hope for tomorrow.<\/p>\n\n

Are we ready for a new era in building Christ’s kingdom?<\/p>\n\n

Yes!<\/p>\n\n

Copyright © 1999 by the author or Christianity Today\/Leadership<\/em> Journal.\nClick here<\/a> for reprint information on Leadership Journal.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

We asked Leith Anderson, the pastor and skilled observer who heard and defined the outcry for change in the 1990s, to describe the church of tomorrow. Will the church be large or small? Denominational or independent? Traditional or contemporary or razor’s edge postmodern? His answer? “Yes!” We get it. The church is moving in many Read more…<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":30,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"tax_ctp_authors":[],"tax_ctp_books":[],"tax_ctp_categories":[154],"tax_ctp_field_guide_subcategory":[],"tax_ctp_field_guides":[],"tax_ctp_format":[131],"tax_ctp_multimedia":[],"tax_ctp_point_editor":[],"tax_publications":[663,664,156],"tax_ctp_tags":[3726,4033,4662,5190],"tax_ctp_topics":[],"class_list":["post-21203","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","tax_publications-1999-leadership-journal","tax_publications-fall_1999-leadership-journal","tax_publications-leadership-journal","tax_ctp_tags-culture","tax_ctp_tags-future","tax_ctp_tags-pop-culture","tax_ctp_tags-trends"],"acf":{"scripture_references":null},"yoast_head":"\nTheme: Introduction - CT 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