During a regional Board of Laity Zoom call a few weeks ago, Martha Stokes, our new Conference Lay Leader, shared a blog from Carey Nieuwhof, the founding pastor of Connexus Church in Canada. Remember Carey, he was our keynote speaker for Bi-District Training Day a few years ago. I found the blog to be very thought-provoking and want to share some of its highlights. I’ve bolded the eight specific trends here and encourage you to visit the blog to read more about these trends.
- The majority of attenders may no longer be in the room.
- Growing churches will shift their focus from gathering to connecting.
- Some pastors will try to fill auditoriums while others focus on fulfilling the mission.
- Growing churches will see the internet and their buildings differently.
- Content alone won’t cut it – community and connection will.
- Generational differences will become clearer than ever.
- The political and ideological churches will lose influence with the unchurched.
Blessings,
John Meeuwissen