BEYOND BELLS, WHISTLES, & WALLS

Christian Formation Across the Lifespan

STATS, STATS, & MORE STATS …American Religious Identification Survey (ARIS) 2008 Identified as Christian:

1990 – 86% 2008 – 76%

Nones: 1990 – 8.2% 2008 – 15%

Challenge to Christianity not from other religions, but from rejection of all organized religion

Sign of lack of attachment to religion

27% do not expect a religious funeral at their death

STATS, STATS, & MORE STATS …U.S. Religious Landscape Survey (2008) Most Americans:

Non-dogmatic approach to faith Do not believe their religion is only way to salvation Religion is very important, attend services regularly,

pray daily Close link between religious affiliation, beliefs and

practices & social and political attitudes Significant minority:

41% unaffiliated say “religion is somewhat important” across most religious traditions see conflict between

being devout person and living in modern society

“Many religions can lead to eternal life”

Protestant Churches: 66%

Evangelical 57 Mainline 83 Historically black

59 Catholic 79

STATS, STATS, & MORE STATS … Belief in God

92% believe in existence of God or universal spirit

70% absolutely certain God exists Mainline churches: 97% (net) believe in God

62% God is personal 26% God is impersonal force 8% Don’t know

Belief in the Bible 63% it is the word of God

Belief in life after death – 74%

STATS, STATS, & MORE STATS … Diversity of religious practices

54% attend services regularly (1-2/mo) 39% attend services weekly

Evangelical 58% Roman Catholic 42% Protestant 34%

63% parents religious activities with children at home

60% parents send children to religious education Sharing faith with others

36% - At least once/month 47% - Seldom/never

… AND MORE!

Religion, Moral Values, & Modern Society 78% believe there are absolute standards of

right and wrong 52% rely primarily on practical experience &

common sense for guidance re: right & wrong 62% reject idea religion causes more

problems in society than it solves Personal Satisfaction

59% very satisfied with life Weekly worship attenders 65% very satisfied

Stephen Prothero (2002)

Today religious illiteracy is at least as pervasive as cultural illiteracy, and certainly more dangerous …

10% teens can name all 5 major world religions15% cannot name any

60% believe Bible holds all/most answersOnly 50% adults can name one Gospel

Religious LITERACY …

… the ability to understand and use the religious vocabulary, symbols, images, beliefs, practices, scriptures, heroes, themes, and stories that are used in American public life.

Religious ILLITERACY …

makes it difficult for Americans to make sense of a world in which people kill and make peace in the name of

Christ or Allah.

CHRISTIAN SMITH (NSYR – 2005)

AMERICAN ADOLESCENTS: Do not rebel vs. parents’ faith Likely engage in congregation w/ quality

programs Moralistic Therapeutic Deism

God created & orders the world God wants people to be good, nice & fair

but not involved in world except when problems arise

Central goal of life: be happy & feel good about self

Good people go to heaven when they die

9/17/11 – FACT STUDY REPORT Congregations less healthy than 10 years ago

Drops in financial health & attendance Continuing high level of conflict (2 out of 3) Aging membership Decreasing spiritual vitality

Pockets of innovation and vitality Interfaith involvement Worship Use of electronic technology Programming & mission opportunities

MAINLINE to OLDLINE …

75 % Oldline congregations < 10% young adult

Aging congregations have reduced capacity for change

Median weekend worship attendance 130 to 108

One in four congregations < 50 in worship

Spiritual vitality down from 42.8% to 28.4% Rises higher in theologically liberal

congregations

W. Edwards Deming

“Your system is perfectly

designed to give you the results you’re

getting.”

WHAT IF …

Christianity’s primary delivery

system, the local church, is

perfectly designed to give

us the results we’re getting?

CONGREGATIONS

Are competing in a spiritual marketplace for individuals who define their

relationship to the church in terms of their own issues and needs.

(Osmer, 2008)

CREATIVE INNOVATION

CHARTER FOR LIFELONG FORMATION

Lifelong Christian faith formation in

The Episcopal Church is lifelong

growth in the knowledge, service and love of God as followers of Christ and is informed by scripture, tradition

and reason. 

THROUGH THE EPISCOPAL CHURCH

GOD

INVITES

C.S. LEWIS

“I believe in Christianity as I believe that the sun has risen,

not only because I see it, but because

by it I see everything

else.”

THROUGH THE EPISCOPAL CHURCH

GOD

INSPIRES

JANE McGONIGAL

GAMING CAN MAKE A BETTER WORLD

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dE1DuBesGYM

Four Attributes of a Disciple?

Goal of Christian Formation?

How will we know it works?

THROUGH THE EPISCOPAL CHURCH

GOD

TRANSFORMS

DEUTERONOMY 6:4-9

Hear, O Israel: The Lord is our God, the Lord alone. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all

your might. Keep these words that I am commanding you today in your heart. Recite them to your children and talk about them

when you are at home and when you are away, when you lie down and when you rise. Bind them as a sign on your hand, fix them as an

emblem on your forehead, and write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.

SEE THROUGH THE EYES OF GOD?

IMAGE OF FORMATION?

OR THIS?

What really makes a disciple?

FACEBOOK FORMATION

MYTHS OF SOCIAL MEDIA

1. Social media gives power to the people

2. Governments easily monitor & censor social media

3. Facebook and Twitter enabled the Arab Spring

4. Only young people use social media

5. Social media creates a global village

MATTHEW 28:16-20

Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them.

When they saw him, they worshipped him; but some doubted. And Jesus came and said to them,

‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the

Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything that I have

commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.’