Culture Changes Quickly
I once heard it said…defining your culture is like hitting a moving target.
-In the Middle Ages, culture took hundreds of years to shift.
-In the 1800’s, cultural changes were integrated in about 100 years.
-In the early 1900’s, cultural change took 25-30 years.
-In the mid to late 1900’s, cultural change every 10-15 years.
-Believe it or not, we are down to about 3-5 years.
We Are Living in a Different World
In 1963, marriage was practically universal and divorce was very rare…only 3.5% of American households were single parent…today 28%
In 1963, rate of births to single mothers was 3%, now 40%
In 1963, 18 arrests per 100,000 for drugs, in 2010 it was 100 per 100,000
In 1963, 98% of men in 30’s/40’s were part of the workforce, 2014 that number was 85%
In 1963, Beverly Hillbillies had a rating of 34.9…34.9% of households would be watching
As a result of these facts, society was relatively monolithic...we were much more culturally cohesive as a culture. We no longer live in those days!!
We can’t just settle into our ministry groove and think that the way we reached our community 20 years ago will be the same way that we reach our community today. We shouldn’t be alarmed by that! There is a huge difference between changing our message and changing our methods. Our guest today is Treg Spicer, Pastor of Faith Baptist church of Morgantown, WV.
General Discussion Questions
Our discussion today surrounds connecting our methodology with our theology...
whether we know it or not, it is connected…you can’t separate the two
what you believe drives what you do
1. In a day that so many ministries/methods/philosophies define themselves as gospel centered…how do you define the “gospel?”
2. There are many “social causes” that are often labeled as “the gospel” as well. How do you narrow down what is truly gospel-centered ministry vs social programs?
3. What are some ways that you would say that “what we believe" and "how we do ministry” are related?
4. Can you describe one or two changes you have made at your church…and how your theology drove those decisions?
5. Tell me about the process that you went through to walk your congregation through that change.
6. How have these adjustments affected your church…affected your reach into the community?
As pastors and ministry leaders, our calling is to connect the never-changing good news of the gospel to the lost culture that is rapidly changing around us. This means that we can’t just settle in to ministry and expect that the way that we reach our community today will be the way that we are able to reach them tomorrow. I pray that you will use this conversation to help guide you as you lead your ministry to effectively reach your community for Jesus!
God bless!
Pastor DJ Harry
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