Diana Butler Bass, author of Christianity After Religion (read my review), recently sat down with Chris Yaw (check out my conversation with Yaw on mainline decline) to discuss what the church of tomorrow will look like. This fifty-five minute conversation is a rich resource for those who care about the church, and want to better understand what the church will look beyond an era dominated by conventional religion.
She cites research that shows belief in God has fallen from 99% to 90% over the last five decades, while giving proper emphasis to an emerging generational divide. Currently, people aged 70 and older have incredibly high levels of belief in God while less than half of those aged 40 and younger believe in God.
So What?
As churches look to the future, Diana Butler Bass suggests that “we need to create communities of honest engagement.” As such, the parish must be a place that welcomes doubt and questions.
- Is your local congregation best suited (as it currently operates) for ministry in the past, present, or future? Explain.
- Would most people identify your local congregation as a “community of honest engagement” that welcomes real conversation about matters of faith that matter (including doubt and challenging questions)? If so, what do you feel contributes positively to such? If not, what changes would be needed for this to become a part of your congregational culture?