The Challenge of the Environment Christianity or ....

................................ Paganism

The old battle continues .... as many go to Church ...

Potential Opportunties and Threats

The environment is changing ... Visioning requires that we understand what is going on and forge an appropriate response.

.... It cannot be business as usual

Potential Threats

Post Modern GnosticismMoralistic Therapeutic DeismCommercialisation and Monetisation

of the GospelParental Disintermediation –

Breakdown of traditional family/marriage...multicultures.

New Destructive addictions – Games/Entertainment/Lusts/fashions

Online/ Internet Church – New Prevalence of Unqualified Ministry

Post Modern Agnosticism

Postmodernism openly endorses religious pluralism

Pagan cults/esoterism going publicEast & West combine to produce a new

compelling interfaith spiritism.Doctrine gives way to Social Justice

ideology/SpiritismDeconstruction of genderChristianity at a cheaper price –

absorbing worldliness (see video on A Gnostic Gospel)

A Gnostic Gospel

Gnosticism is the essence of revival of Religious Paganism to snuff out the true Christian message…

Watch video @The Gnostic Gospel by Peter Jones (click to link

)

Struggle for TRUTH

There is a struggle for Truth inside the Church and outside the Church …. This is the threat…the occult and the esoteric is no more hidden but is now more boldly going public…

Religions unite …

There is an attempt to bring all religions together under a new umbrella of modern gnosticism….

New truths are resuscitating ancient gnosticm.

The wisdom of the Pagans are producing philosophies that are coming into the Church through new teachings and interpretations… to unite all faiths …

New types of Thinking

There is a rejection of God the Creator and previous accepted Christian Truths and Theism … for new types of thinking … so called wider expressions of Christianity.

… A new Post-Christian Culture

Secularism has given way for a marriage of Eastern Mysticism and Western Technology – to create a new Post-Christian Culture … attacking traditional truths ….

Mother Earth and other religious symbols replacing the worship of the Heavenly Father.

New respectability

Modern day Gnosticism enjoying a New Respectability and acceptability by intelligentsia, global leaders and modern institutions….

Pagan occult spirituality and psychology attacking bible truths and doctrines. The opposition is massive, extremely intelligent/brilliant, very organised and scientific …

Two pronged strategy

2 things identifying the new civilisation…attacking faith Interfaith mysticism Social justice ideology

Doctrines giving way for social justice ideology … “no need to believe the same thing…we can still share the same spiritual experience… as long as we serve in a just and fair form and agree what is just …”

Experience … is now being rated higher than scripture …

No more Business as Usual

We can not see things as “Business as usual”…indeed there are modern real threats to sell the Christian faith at a cheap price … through gnostic heresies …

Planning must be cognisant of these realities …

Moralistic Therapeutic Deism

A god exists who created and ordered the world and watches over human life on earth.

God wants people to be good, nice, and fair to each other, as taught in the Bible and by most world religions.

The central goal of life is to be happy and to feel good about oneself. Self Esteem

God does not need to be particularly involved in one's life except when God is needed to resolve a problem.

Good people go to heaven when they die.

Monetisation and Commercialism of the Gospel

Gospels focused mainly on ProsperityUnclear boundaries between

commercial roles and spiritual activities.

Especially compelling in poorer third world assemblies

Materialism on the pulpitEmergence of Spiritual Financial

“Giants” exploiting congregations.

Parental Disintermediation – Breakdown of traditional family

Different cultures as youths/parents disconnect

Breakdown of traditional marriageRole of fathers blurredAbnegation of parental responsibility

to Church/School/GovernmentYouths led by Youths ...

New Destructive addictions – Games/Entertainment/Lusts/fashions

Online addictions...GamesAddiction to Entertainment changing

how we do ChurchLustsFashions and worldliness overrides

devotion

Online/ Internet Church – New Prevalence of Unqualified Ministry

Elimination of barriers to entryLack of qualification Internet opens up wide possibilities

and access to leaders that are not “known”

Prevalence and low cost of ministry makes every one with a computer vulnerable.

Controversial Activism ... New pastors

Do it yourself paradigm

Potential Opportunities

Hunger for new Reformation – A new Calvinism (Ideas changing the world right now) Time Magazine March 2009)

Social media – new Evangelism Emotional Brokenness of Post Modern

Society  Unusual shakings and Disasters ...

Increased societal uncertaintyGaps in social responsibility/community Increased financial scrutiny / demand for

accountability

What is Social media Technology?

Media designed to be disseminated through social interaction, created using cheap,highly accessible and scalable publishing techniques. It supports the human need for social interaction, using Internet- and web-based technologies to transform broadcast media monologues (one to few) into social media dialogues (many to many). It supports the democratization of knowledge and information, transforming people from content consumers into content producers.

Social media can be said to have three components; Concept (information). Media (physical, electronic, or verbal). Social interface (intimate direct, community engagement, social viral,

electronic broadcast or syndication, or other physical media such as print).

Every Church is already in a way a social network - I believe God released this technology for the end-time Harvest in the Church. This tool was developed to expand on what we already know how to do best...

The old way – must not to be discarded

E-mail SMS Fliers Billboards Static Websites Satellite Broadcasts TV/phone technologies MP3 Video on Demand Fliers News release Door to door Word of mouth Paperbased tracts etc.

People have to find what they

want...limited

choice ...less integration ...lack of dynamism... Slow reach

Social Media

FacebookTwitterBlogsYoutubeMyspaceTechnorattiWikipediaOnline forums

The message finds People

...unlimited variety but the same

message ...full integration ...

Dynamism...Incredible scale,Impact is instant,

Distance irrelevant, growth is viral

Social media is not a toy but a powerful enabler that speedily bypasses old Paradigms

Social Media Technology is a revolution that combines low costs, volume, speed, two way dynamism in spreading information causing fast social change

It is only a tool…waiting for a message…

Social media puts power back in the hands of ordinary people (requires little skill) – gives them alternatives, encourages peer comparisons and promotes understanding and selling to people’s issues

It kills bigotry, arrogance…and distance…and embraces ideals at jet speed…But which Ideals ???

Person to person communications technology is leading to a new flat society…1 man can talk to millions everyday at almost no cost….(if people want to listen)…people will determine what they want…

Relevance to Ministry

Leadership can be felt and distances bridged with blogs, direct 1 to millions communications. Rumors and myths vanish. People want to be close and copy/imitate/know their leaders. Only social media makes this possible at scale. Bad leaders will fade as people vote fast

Churches/parishes/ministries can be more relevant in advocacy...people want to know how the church sees the issues and what is endorsed or not..Society is impacted by well written blogs

Parishes will consolidate their congregation with love/interconnectedness/information and strong direct messages

Parishes will extend (building on and not replacing) their outreach ( every church is a social network)...this new tool will lead to viral growth across geography, normal barriers

Church events can spread much faster on a viral platform eg facebook events. Christian education will be better embraced..needs driven – not everyone

wants to be a parish pastor...the pull from the congregation will improve training acceptance/interest in Christian knowledge. Relevant training finds people.

A platform to spread the good news of the gospel creating revolutionary impact.

Social media has its challenges Absolute global and permanent exposure for

submissions has its disadvantages if mistakes are made..confidentiality and secrecy considered “old”. This is manageable

The people assessed the Bible and it emerged the no. 1 bestseller...equally, negative perceptions are very very costly on social media.

Security/integrity of information challenging to maintain...Media forum moderators require new skills. Security of identity (false messengers can attack easily)

Power shifts from leaders to people needs to be managed & leads to a “mob” or “populist” theology.

But there are vital benefits

Ministry is improved because we learn directly from people we want to reconcile To God. Communication is greatly enhanced (easy, viral,ubiquitous)

People can find exactly what they want 24*7. Connecting is improved

Christians feel like a unique community. It a new way to create and communicate love and care. Contribute Collaborate converse

Call to Action is easier Prayer Evangelism Giving Mobilisation of resources Messages for action eg fasting

communication

Call to action connecting

But what happens if we ignore the social media revolution?

We must take the gospel & bombard the web with God’s truth. If we don’t, someone else will soon offer something compelling..

As people are inundated with alternatives 24*7...we may lose our congregations. People will drift away...

Negative perceptions/suspicions will attach quickly to those that shun the openness that social media offers.

As other older and more expensive communication models eg Newspapers are already now reducing in popularity – if not gradually fading. Our capacity to reach out will fall if we cling to these older models.

Already the “so called”” emerging church movement” ( a clever apostate alternative) has already targeted social media as its tool...

Getting it done

Encourage interest in Technology Every member must have e-mail (costs

nothing) Invest in IT infrastructure – bandwidth/web

experts/social media organisationEducation and awareness on the

possibilitiesDevelop and implement a Social media

plan ( set up a thinktank)…and team.Set pilot projects

Finance/Accountability

Use of general or customized financial management software.

Budgeting and appropriation. Appoint a church board to be responsible for approval

and revision of administrative and legislative policies. Appoint an external auditor to perform annual audits to

be reported to the congregation. Appoint a finance sub-committee to oversee all revenue

and expenditure. Hold regular meetings to brief congregation on financial

position. The spiritual leader, as far as possible, should be

seperated from the accounting. EXPECTED OUTCOME:A TRANSPARENT ACCOUNTING

SYSTEM.

ECFA Standards

The Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability (ECFA) objective is to promote responsible stewardship. The standards, promotes financial and other operational conducts that reflects those generally accepted biblical truths and practices.

The standards cover issues of doctrine, financial oversight, financial statements, use of resources, financial disclosure, conflicts of interest and fundraising.

Global trends suggest over time financial accountability may soon be legally mandatory

ECFA guidelines demystify Church Finances

Finances reflect generally accepted biblical truths and practices.

governed by a responsible board with enough independence.

required to submit accurate audited financial statements.

provide reasonable assurance that resources are used in conformity with applicable regulations to accomplish the intended exempt purposes

provide a copy of current financial statements on written request and other disclosures as the law require. ...including financial information, on any specific project for which it is soliciting gifts.

 shall avoid conflicts of interest. Transactions with related parties may be undertaken only if specific cautionary measures are observed:

shall comply with strict rules defined by ECFA Standards for fundraising which adequately protects givers.