Faith Formation in a Multigenerational Congregation

Faith FormationIn the Multigenerational Congregation

Driving Forces

• Declining number of Christians and growing number of people with no religious affiliation.

• Increasing number of people becoming more spiritual and less religious.

• Declining participation in Christian churches.

• Increasing diversity and pluralism in U.S. society.

• Increasing influence of individualism on Christian identity and community life.

• Changing patterns of marriage and family life.

• Declining family religious socialization.

• Aging Baby Boomers.

• Increasing use of digital media & web technologies.

No Religious Affiliation

• 15% of all Americans claim no religious affiliation

• 25% of all 18-29 year

• 10% drop in the number of Christians

• The challenge to Christianity in the U.S. does not come from other religions but from a rejection of all forms of organized religion

Spiritual But Not Religious

• Today, 18% of 18-39 year olds say that are “spiritual, but not religious” compared to only 11% a decade ago

• Religious tinkering & developing a religious or spiritual identity

Declining Participation

• “Membership growth in UUA slows down”—UU World May 11, 2009

• “UUA membership declines for second year”—UU World April 12, 2010

• “UUA membership declines again”—UU World May 23, 2011

Increasing Diversity

• Diversity of ethnic cultures and nationalities

• No single authority exercises supremacy; no single belief or ideology dominations

• Tapestry of religious and spiritual alternatives and choices

• Crisscrossing religious boundaries

• “ Spiritual tinkerers”

Influence of Individualism

• Religious identity is more autonomous and deliberate today.

• Decline in the perceived necessity of communal or institutional structures as constituent of religious identity.

Changing Patterns

• Delaying marriage

• Having fewer children and later in life

• Decreasing number of children in two-parent households

• Increasing number of unmarried couples living together

• Increasing time caring for children

Declining Family Socialization

• Parent Influence: The single most important social influence on the religious and spiritual lives of adolescents is their parents

• Embedded Family Religious Practices: Effective religious socialization comes about through specific religious activities that are firmly intertwined with the daily habits of family life

Aging Baby Boomers• On Jan. 1, 2011, the oldest Baby Boomers turned 65:

Every day for the next 19 years, about 10,000 more will cross that threshold

• By 2030, when all Baby Boomers will have turned 65, fully 18% of the nation’s population will be at least that age (13% today)

• We are witnessing the emergence of a new stage of life between adult midlife–typically focused on career and child-rearing–and old age, traditionally marked by increasing frailty and decline

Digital Media & Web Tech

• 93% of teens & young adults are online

• “ Computer in your pocket”means increasing mobile access via smart phones: iPhone, Android, etc.

• 8-18 year olds spend on average 7½ hours a day with media

Scenario Thinking

Scenarios are built around critical uncertainties about the external environment. That is, the

stories are based on different outcomes of a few key uncertainties that are both most important to the future of faith formation in congregations and

most uncertain in terms of future outcome.

Two Critical Uncertainties

• Will trends in U.S. culture lead people to become more receptive to organized religion, and in particular Christianity or will trends lead people to become more resistant to organized religion and Christianity?

• Will people's hunger for and openness to God and the spiritual life increase over the next decade or will peoples hunger for and openness to God and the spiritual life decrease?

Scenario OneReceptive to Organized Religion.

High Hunger for a Spiritual Life.

People of all ages and generations are actively engaged in a congregation, are spiritually committed, and growing in their faith. They have found their spiritual home within an established religious tradition and a local faith community that provides a variety of ways for them to grow in faith and live their faith in the world.

Scenario TwoResistant to Organized Religion.

High Hunger for a Spiritual Life.

A world in which people are hungry for a spiritual life, but not usually involved with organized religion and established congregations. Congregations recognize that they need to establish a presence in the world of people who are spiritually hungry but not attracted to an established congregation.

Scenario ThreeResistant to Organized Religion.

Low Need or Interest in a Spiritual Life.

A world in which people experience little need for a spiritual life and are not affiliated with organized religion and established congregations. The task of the church is to be incarnational—placing itself in the midst of the culture and the gathering places of people.

Scenario FourReceptive to Organized Religion.

Low Need or Interest in a Spiritual Life.

A world in which people attend church activities, but are not actively engaged in their church community. They may participate in significant church events such as Christmas and Easter and sacramental celebrations involving their families. Some may even attend worship regularly.

Lifelong Faith Formation Network

Shifting from:

One Size Fits All Curriculum & Programming

To:

Personalized & Customized Faith Formation

focusing on addressing people's spiritual & religious growth by offering a wide variety of religious content & experiences

Differentiated Faith Formation


A Lifelong Faith Formation Network addresses the diverse life tasks and situations, spiritual and religious needs, and interests of all ages and generations in the

four scenarios by offering a variety of content, programs, activities, and resources.


A Lifelong Faith Formation Network guides individuals and families in discerning their spiritual and religious

needs and creating personal learning pathways—a seasonal or annual plan for faith growth and learning.


A Lifelong Faith Formation Network incorporates informal learning, as well as formal learning in faith

formation.


A Lifelong Faith Formation Network utilizes a variety of faith formation models to address the diverse life

tasks and situations, religious and spiritual needs, and interests of people:

•on your own•at home•in small groups•in large groups•in the congregation•in the community and world


A Lifelong Faith Formation Network blends face-to-face, interactive faith formation programs and activities with virtual, online faith formation programs, activities,

and resources.


A Lifelong Faith Formation Network incorporates communities of practice to connect individuals and

groups throughout the congregation.

Designing a Lifelong Faith Formation Network

• Form a Lifelong Faith Formation Network Task Force

• Prepare a statement of your church’s vision and goals for lifelong faith formation

• Develop an inventory of your church’s current faith formation programs, activities, and resources using the four scenarios


• Describe the diverse life tasks and situations, spiritual and religious needs, and interests of age groups and families in each of the four scenarios; and develop a profile of the most important needs

• Research people, programs, activities, and resources to address the priority life issues and spiritual/religious needs


• Design new initiatives to address the new spiritual and religious in each of the four Faith Formation 2020 scenarios

• Develop an Integrated plan for the Lifelong Faith Formation Network with all of the programs, activities, and resources organized according to the four scenarios and the six faith formation models


• Develop an online faith formation center for connecting people to each other and to the resources of the Lifelong Faith Formation Network

• Develop a marketing/promotion plan to promote the Lifelong Faith Formation Network

Strategies

• Faith Formation through the Life of the Whole Church

• Faith Formation with Digital Media and Web Technologies

• Family Faith Formation

• Intergenerational Faith Formation

• Generational Faith Formation

•iGeneration (2000 - )

•Millennials (1980-1999)

•Gen X (1964-1979)

•Boomers (1946-1964)

•Builders (1945 and earlier)

• Milestones Faith Formation

• Faith Formation in Christian Practice

• Transforming the World

• Spiritual Formation

• Multi-Ethnic Faith Formation

• Faith Formation for Spiritual Seekers

• Apprenticeships in Discipleship

• Pathways to Vibrant Faith and Active Engagement

• Faith Formation in Third Place Settings

• Empowering the Community to Share their Faith

• Interfaith Education and Dialogue

Strategies in Multiple Scenarios

• Faith Formation using Digital Media and Web Technologies

• Milestones Faith Formation

• Faith Formation in Christian Practices

• Transforming the World: Engagement in and Formation for Service and Mission

• Family Faith Formation

• Spiritual Formation

• Multi-Ethnic Faith Formation

Strategies for Scenarios 1 & 4

• Faith formation through the life of the whole church

• Intergenerational faith formation

• Generational faith formation