What I do with CM trends

Introduction

Children’s ministry trends, and by extension broader church and social trends, are interesting to observe. Sometimes I even find myself identifying with them, but not always, and not for the reasons some might suspect. I have never been someone who licks my finger, puts it to the wind, and sees where the wind is blowing in terms of where others are going so that I can blend in to the social caravan. Indeed, I tend to relish going against the grain of expectations. Maybe this is why I have volunteered in the church all these years, remained single, and mostly paid for school myself. But I digress.

On the other hand, I have long understood the value of learning from others, even if I do not agree with them on all points. Here are a few cases in point:

1. House church movement: While I do not agree with those who are most strident in their opposition to the institutional church, I will confess they make some compelling points regarding the problems inherent in institutional Christianity, not least certain systemic issues which have no basis in the Bible or the early church, but came onto the scene centuries later, yet now are taken as sacrosanct biblical principles. A bit of humility and growing self-awareness by those of us who remain engaged in the institutional church would help alleviate some of their concerns and maybe even slow the tide of exiting disenchanted parishioners, I am sure. Likewise, I am persuaded that some in the house church movement could be at risk of regressing in ways they may not expect in terms of ministry effectiveness (especially witness to the world if they choose to cocoon themselves within their homes), accountability, legal considerations, cultural relevance, etc. This surely isn’t true of all expressions of house churches, but based on my observations, I am concerned it might be true of some.

2. All things video/wired/wireless/etc: Let’s face it, technology is here to stay. It is a part of the culture. Denying this is not profitable. Criticizing it as a bane of our existence is simply silly. Just yesterday, for example, I read a blog comment from a pastor who labelled blogging as a tool of the devil. Yet he used the medium to share his opinion. Isn’t that ironic? :) Nevertheless, based on the culture in which I am situated locally, I recognize that balance is necessary. The kids need connection with other human beings, face to face. They need to get out into nature to explore and play. They need to connect with their families and not only through technology, although contrary to the contrarians, technology sometimes can help remove walls of awkwardness, helping initiate conversations which otherwise might not have been fruitful. So, don’t discount technology completely. But don’t forget the human and natural element either.

3. Family ministry: Much is being made of this recently. Indeed, I am doing my doctoral dissertation on the topic. I will be paying special attention, in some form, to following Jesus’ example of broadening the tent of what it means to be family. Single parent homes. Widows and orphans. Foster kids. Single adults. Two parent homes. Homes where grandparents raise children (a growing trend which not a lot of people talk about). And so on.

I appreciate those who have led the way in the family ministry conversation, long before I even took notice. Indeed I am a late adapter, mostly because I feel inadequate to the task. Yet God is gracious and I am trying to be obedient in following his direction. I do have some concerns about what I see in family ministry. I will attempt to unpack those concerns in my dissertation. In part, I perceive that some (certainly not all) of what is happening tends to appeal to suburban, affluent (by that I mean at least the basic needs are met; although the percentage likely increases in more affluent homes) homes, at least to a large degree. This may be partly because those who do it well are located in the suburbs in large churches with full-time staff, or if they are in urban areas, they draw people from across the city and suburban areas. So it creates a perception that they appeal to specific demographics which are influenced by their ministries, while other populations remain underserved simply because they do not feel they would fit or because they do not receive the message.

Conclusion

There are other trends I could just as easily have mentioned. These three seem to top the list in terms of conversations I notice in the blog world and other online communities. What trends are you seeing in which you struggle to find common ground? What can you learn from them? Are your concerns cultural? Biblical? Contextual in terms of your ministry situation? Trend watching can be fruitful if properly applied in productive ways. It also can be unproductive if we make sweeping assumptions and statements which are not based on real research, experience or critical thought.