A Message from the Future
As I've stepped into doctoral work, reflected on my experience of hosting interns, and look towards developing an apprenticeship initiative in the city, I've been thinking quite a bit about how to prepare emerging leaders for a world for which the previous curriculum was just not written. In previous classes at conferences or other other events, I've given an introduction that I sometimes don't think people completely grasp, at least not really. I stand up and say, "Hi, I'm Jared and I'm from the future." Let's take a brief stroll along the pathways of an explanation....
Numerous trends and reports seem to indicate that much of North American culture is moving in directions already true for NYC. Here are some important examples. I've been doing a lot of studying in the area of urbanization lately especially as it applies to urban centers known as 'global cities.' Without a doubt, NYC is in a very small group of cities (London, Paris, Tokyo) at the top of the global urban hierarchy. Now, the realities of globalization that are true for NYC are becoming true at various rates and to various degrees for the rest of North America. As many sectors of U.S. culture attempt to address rising multiculturalism, many New Yorkers might find homogeneity a rather odd social environment. Even as we now live on a planet more than 50% urban, I probably don't need to explain to many how NYC provides the ultimate in urban culture shock for new comers to the city. And as the church in North America seeks to reclaim its identity as a missional community, once again 'welcome to the future.' Many researchers are showing an increasing decline in church involvement across the country even as the church grows by leaps and bounds in the Southern hemisphere. If many of the religious researchers are correct concerning the declining state of institutional religion -- especially concerning western Christianity -- then before the U.S. church scene looks more like Western Europe as some predict it will, it may look a whole lot more like NYC (with the exception of the strong Catholic roots unique to NYC, Boston, and other Northeastern regions). For example, NYC has half as many Protestants as it does Muslims and is already showing the signs of a 'Post-Christendom' culture.
New York has taught me to love lost people. No, I didn't say 'care about evangelism.' I've always cared about evangelism as a natural outcome of my faith. I mean, I have learned to get out of the religious enclave and relate to people who are not like me. I love inviting them into our community or taking our community to them and observing their astonishment at 'the Christ in us.' A place like NYC can teach us to be insulated and put up a fortress to keep ourselves from any of those nasty urban influences, or a place like NYC can teach us to love people, cry for justice, and take off our missional training wheels. There are certainly both responses here.
There are so very few that have gone ahead of us attempting what we are in the city. As I seek to invite emerging servants to live & work in the future, I pray for them. I have discovered that there are many sincere believers that neither grasp a missional vision nor feel prepared for the inevitable future. They desire to bless young emerging leaders but aren't sure how or if they should at all. Pray for these workers crossing cultural barriers and being changed by it. They are only a few, but they decide to walk along side us at the cutting edge. If the church is going to be a missional community in the coming decades, it will need to have a presence in cities like this one. There is a need for a cultural conversion into engagement with cities such as this one where the church has often struggled. The pioneers willing to take the plunge are few and far between. Pray for them to arise by the power of the Holy Spirit. Instruction in theory -- as important as this may be -- will never quite get us there. For those willing to be salt and light in this new world, missional engagement can become a reality.
Pray for us as we seek to equip leaders here in the future.
Numerous trends and reports seem to indicate that much of North American culture is moving in directions already true for NYC. Here are some important examples. I've been doing a lot of studying in the area of urbanization lately especially as it applies to urban centers known as 'global cities.' Without a doubt, NYC is in a very small group of cities (London, Paris, Tokyo) at the top of the global urban hierarchy. Now, the realities of globalization that are true for NYC are becoming true at various rates and to various degrees for the rest of North America. As many sectors of U.S. culture attempt to address rising multiculturalism, many New Yorkers might find homogeneity a rather odd social environment. Even as we now live on a planet more than 50% urban, I probably don't need to explain to many how NYC provides the ultimate in urban culture shock for new comers to the city. And as the church in North America seeks to reclaim its identity as a missional community, once again 'welcome to the future.' Many researchers are showing an increasing decline in church involvement across the country even as the church grows by leaps and bounds in the Southern hemisphere. If many of the religious researchers are correct concerning the declining state of institutional religion -- especially concerning western Christianity -- then before the U.S. church scene looks more like Western Europe as some predict it will, it may look a whole lot more like NYC (with the exception of the strong Catholic roots unique to NYC, Boston, and other Northeastern regions). For example, NYC has half as many Protestants as it does Muslims and is already showing the signs of a 'Post-Christendom' culture.
New York has taught me to love lost people. No, I didn't say 'care about evangelism.' I've always cared about evangelism as a natural outcome of my faith. I mean, I have learned to get out of the religious enclave and relate to people who are not like me. I love inviting them into our community or taking our community to them and observing their astonishment at 'the Christ in us.' A place like NYC can teach us to be insulated and put up a fortress to keep ourselves from any of those nasty urban influences, or a place like NYC can teach us to love people, cry for justice, and take off our missional training wheels. There are certainly both responses here.
There are so very few that have gone ahead of us attempting what we are in the city. As I seek to invite emerging servants to live & work in the future, I pray for them. I have discovered that there are many sincere believers that neither grasp a missional vision nor feel prepared for the inevitable future. They desire to bless young emerging leaders but aren't sure how or if they should at all. Pray for these workers crossing cultural barriers and being changed by it. They are only a few, but they decide to walk along side us at the cutting edge. If the church is going to be a missional community in the coming decades, it will need to have a presence in cities like this one. There is a need for a cultural conversion into engagement with cities such as this one where the church has often struggled. The pioneers willing to take the plunge are few and far between. Pray for them to arise by the power of the Holy Spirit. Instruction in theory -- as important as this may be -- will never quite get us there. For those willing to be salt and light in this new world, missional engagement can become a reality.
Pray for us as we seek to equip leaders here in the future.
posted by Jared | 11:12 AM
2 Comments:
Jared, great and prophetic reflection.
Right now is the time for the church, elders, ministers, Xian college professors, and people of influence to think of their parental role with great seriousness. The future is upon them and most are concerned by what they see (the colapse of Christendom, church decline, postmodernism, etc.). Like any parents, if they react to this "teenage" emerging culture in and out of the church with judgmentalism, distain, disgust, explicit mistrust, and harsh cricitism, they will lose any possible positive influence they can have. On the other hand, if they seek to maintain their parental relationship in gentleness and patience -- no matter how weird and even dangerous the teenager behaves -- they will maintain their influence and work redemption, moderation, and stability in the emerging culture.
It is time for understanding parents to emerge who are not afraid of engagement. They will not participate in or understand the culture, but they will influence, nurture, and empower their "children" within it. Right now, most "parents" of the church and emerging leaders are either reacting negatively, severing ties, or are paralyzed by fear. Wake up! Find those in emerging culture both in and out of the church. Listen to them. Nurture them. Care for them. And you will find out how much influence love has as this teenager of a culture matures.
A smart and caring parent will read up on what their children are encountering. In the same way, missional movements in global cities (like NYC) are your "Dobson book" on how to raise this teenager.
I would love to talk to you about the Bronx Fellowhip of Christ. A group of us are starting a similar work in Miami. I would love to connect with you and hear your story. Peace, Jose
info at emergentmiami dot org
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