Re-imagining Mission for a spiritual Age

Steve Hollinghurst June 10

Re-imagining Mission Re-imagining Mission for a spiritual Agefor a spiritual Age

Listening to the Spirit of the Listening to the Spirit of the AgeAge


Double listening Double listening (Mission-Shaped (Mission-Shaped Church)Church)

Two ears one mouthTwo ears one mouthUse accordingly in missionUse accordingly in mission

Failure to enter the other persons world leaves us like the Failure to enter the other persons world leaves us like the tourists who keep speaking louder in their own languagetourists who keep speaking louder in their own language

To the Mission Context

To the essence of the Christian Inheritance


Post-modernity?Post-modernity? Modernity toModernity to PostmodernityPostmodernity

I tell my story

I choose my beliefs

I buy my identity

The logic of consumerism


0

10

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0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100

Age in 2005

perc

enta

ge o

f pop

ulat

ion

under 15

monthly

Post-Christendom?Post-Christendom?

9% monthly

26% De Churched

65% Non Churched

76% of New Christians Come from 26% De-Churched finding faith today 1992

This section of the population is older and decreasing over time

Church attendance 2005


Post-Christendom?Post-Christendom?Not just about church attendanceNot just about church attendance– Grace Davie, Grace Davie, - Believing without belonging and vicarious - Believing without belonging and vicarious

faithfaith•But changing beliefBut changing belief•Fading of occasional officeFading of occasional office•Decline in Christian identityDecline in Christian identity

– Stages in the decline of Christendom not a Stages in the decline of Christendom not a new way for it to persistnew way for it to persist


Belief in GodBelief in God

0

10

20

30

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50

60

70

80

90

100

1947 1981 1990 2000

life force

personalGod


Infant Baptism C of E 2007Infant Baptism C of E 2007

0102030405060708090

100

1900 1910 1920 1930 1940 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010

percentage of births by year


Church Weddings 2007Church Weddings 2007

0102030405060708090

100

1900 1910 1920 1930 1940 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010

percentage of marriages by year


Christian Affiliation UKChristian Affiliation UK

0102030405060708090

100

1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010date

perc

enta

ge o

f pop

ulat

ion


Christian Affiliation 2001Christian Affiliation 2001

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20

30

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50

60

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90

100

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100Age in 2001

perc

enta

ge o

f pop

ulat

ion


Christian Affiliation Christian Affiliation

0102030405060708090

1981 1999

15-2930-4950 +


Not belonging to any religionNot belonging to any religion

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

45

18-24 25-34 35-44 45-54 55-64 65+


Builders (born 20s+30s) in Builders (born 20s+30s) in 20052005

0102030405060708090

100

raised inchurch

nowattend

monthly +

christianaffiliation

raisechildren

to believein God

believe in

life force

personalGod


Boomers (born 40s+50s) in 2005Boomers (born 40s+50s) in 2005

0102030405060708090

100

raised inchurch

nowattend

monthly +


raisechildren

to believein God

believe in

life force

personalGod


Gen-Xers (born 60s+70s) in 2005Gen-Xers (born 60s+70s) in 2005

0102030405060708090

100

raised inchurch

nowattend

monthly +


raisechildren

to believein God

believe in

life force

personalGod


Gen-Yers (born 80s+90s) in 2015?Gen-Yers (born 80s+90s) in 2015?

0102030405060708090

100

raised inchurch

nowattend

monthly +


raisechildren

to believein God

believe in

life force

personalGod


Post- Secularism?Post- Secularism?• Post-modernity - multi-faith in a post-secular agePost-modernity - multi-faith in a post-secular age

– Post-modern move from truth as fact to truth as Post-modern move from truth as fact to truth as experience - From universal truth to true for me may experience - From universal truth to true for me may be different to true for you.be different to true for you.

– Rejection of objectivity for subjectivityRejection of objectivity for subjectivity– Personal belief re-enters the public squarePersonal belief re-enters the public square– Any and every belief …. All are equally unprovableAny and every belief …. All are equally unprovable– All of this much to the annoyance of Richard All of this much to the annoyance of Richard

Dawkins…….Dawkins…….and Christians?and Christians?

– Religion once more on the agenda but any religion with Religion once more on the agenda but any religion with no way back to Christendom …..indeed is Christianity no way back to Christendom …..indeed is Christianity disadvantaged compared to the alternatives?disadvantaged compared to the alternatives?


The MediaThe Media• Growth in TV shows on the supernatural, Growth in TV shows on the supernatural,

spiritual and paranormal –spiritual and paranormal –– Fiction … supernatural, sea of souls, Buffy, Fiction … supernatural, sea of souls, Buffy,

demons, Hex, charmed, Sabrina the teenage demons, Hex, charmed, Sabrina the teenage witch, apparitions, treu blood, the vampire diarieswitch, apparitions, treu blood, the vampire diaries

– ‘‘fact’…..haunted homes, most haunted, healers, fact’…..haunted homes, most haunted, healers, Britain's psychic challenge, documentaries on Britain's psychic challenge, documentaries on mediums, Pagans, teenage witches etcmediums, Pagans, teenage witches etc

• Move from ‘Scooby Do’ approach where the Move from ‘Scooby Do’ approach where the ghosts are found not to exist to an approach ghosts are found not to exist to an approach where the balance is to believe in themwhere the balance is to believe in them

• Replacement of the priest with the medium, Replacement of the priest with the medium, investigator or demon hunter.investigator or demon hunter.


‘‘Spiritual’ experience in 2000 Vs Spiritual’ experience in 2000 Vs 19871987

55% saw a patterning of events – up 90%

38% felt God’s presence – up 41%

37% had answered prayer – up 48%

29% felt sacred in nature – up 81%25% the presence of the dead – up 39%

But what are they But what are they experiencing?experiencing?

25% the presence of evil – up 108%

1987 48% report a spiritual experience - 2000 risen to 76%


Belief in God or higher powerBelief in God or higher power

0

10

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90

18-24 25-34 35-44 45-54 55-64 65+


Children to be raised with belief Children to be raised with belief in Godin God

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90

18-24 25-34 35-44 45-54 55-64 65+


Believe in the soulBelieve in the soul

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80

90

18-24 25-34 35-44 45-54 55-64 65+


Believe in an afterlifeBelieve in an afterlife

0

10

20

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50

60

70

18-24 25-34 35-44 45-54 55-64 65+


Believe in restless spiritsBelieve in restless spirits

05

101520253035404550

18-24 25-34 35-44 45-54 55-64 65+


Believe in KarmaBelieve in Karma

0

5

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35

40

45

18-24 25-34 35-44 45-54 55-64 65+


Experience of fortune telling, Experience of fortune telling, Tarot, astrology, psychics, Tarot, astrology, psychics,

palmistspalmists

05

101520253035404550

18-24 25-34 35-44 45-54 55-64 65+


I have more faith in astrology than I have more faith in astrology than organised religionorganised religion

0

5

10

15

20

25

18-24 25-34 35-44 45-54 55-64 65+

agree


Believe in magicBelieve in magic

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

16

18-24 25-34 35-44 45-54 55-64 65+


Australian Gen Y – like Britain?Australian Gen Y – like Britain?

Floating 46 %

‘new spiritual’ 23%

Religious 17%

Non believing

14%

Rationalist humanist

Includes neo pagans and followers or frequent participants in the esoteric/occult

Moral relativism, pick ‘n’ mix, truth in all religions but not just one, something ‘out there’ occult and paranormal experienced

BUT open rather than committed or seeing as important


Japan BritainJapan Britain

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100

religiousattendance

reigiousaffilitaion

belief inGod

religiousattendance

religiousaffiliation

belief inGod

percentage population 2000

annual

festivals

monthly


Steve Hollinghurst Oct 08


























Consumer Christianity?Consumer Christianity?


Consumer Christianity?Consumer Christianity?• God the cosmic therapist?God the cosmic therapist?• Cruise liner – or Battleship? Cruise liner – or Battleship?

John WimberJohn Wimber• Church shopping?Church shopping?

– Looking for what I get out of itLooking for what I get out of it– Looking for the one that does things my way Looking for the one that does things my way

• Buying religious product?Buying religious product?– Occasional officesOccasional offices– RosariesRosaries– RetreatsRetreats– Spiritual directionSpiritual direction

Documents

Re-imagining Mission for a spiritual Age