by George Barna
But make no mistake about it: God is still active in the lives of those people who are wholeheartedly devoted to and searching for Him—no matter what door they enter on their journey to Christlikeness.
Chapter Seven
A New Way of Doing Church
A CENTURY AGO, carmaker Henry Ford professed his willingness to give people choice in their selection of color for his cars. “People can have a Model T in any color they want—as long as it’s black.” That’s pretty similar to the view of many Americans regarding how people should pursue spiritual growth—through any means they want, as long as it is connected to the efforts of a local church.
As previously noted, however, the Revolution is changing the way in which people anchor their faith pursuits. For some Revolutionaries, their congregational experience is the linchpin of their faith journey. For many others, a local church plays a minor role in their journey. For millions of others, the local church is nowhere to be found on their agenda. Yet a majority of Revolutionaries are involved in some form of “church.”
If this sounds like one of those brain-teasing Mensa puzzles, it’s not. The church connection has to do with the new models of “church” that are being conceived, developed, explored, and embraced by millions of Americans, including many Revolutionaries. The congregational model, which is the dominant form of the “church” experience today, is rapidly being joined—and, for millions of Revolutionaries, replaced—by various alternatives.
Reasons for the Shift
The congregational model of the church—a definable group of people who regularly meet at the same place to engage in religious routines and programs under the guidance of a paid pastor who provides doctrinal teaching and organizational direction—has been the dominant force in people’s spiritual lives for hundreds of years. So why is it so rapidly losing ground at this moment in history?
Perhaps the major reasons are people’s insistence on choices and their desire to have customized experiences. The issue of choice is remaking many facets of modern experience. Whether you examine the changes in broadcasting, clothing, music, investing, or automobiles, producers of such consumables realize that Americans want control over their lives. The result has been the “niching” of America—creating highly refined categories that serve smaller numbers of people, but can command greater loyalty (and profits). During the past three decades, even the local church has undergone such a niching process, with the advent of churches designed for different generations, those offering divergent styles of worship music, congregations that emphasize ministries of interest to specialized populations, and so forth.
The church landscape now offers these boutique churches alongside the something-for-everybody megachurches. In the religious marketplace, the churches that have suffered most are those who stuck with the one-size-fits-all approach, typically proving that one-size-fits-nobody. Whether the niche-orientation of a church was designed to provide yet another alternative to choose from, to satisfy an underserved market (i.e., create a customized experience), or to address previously unmet or misunderstood needs (i.e., provide relevance), new models hit a hot button in a need-meeting culture.
But the motivations for seeking new models do not stop there. Other drivers behind the move to new models include the preference for practical faith experiences, rather than generic, conceptual faith; a quest for spiritual depth and breadth, rather than settling for one dimension or the other; a penchant for novelty and creativity, rather than predictability in religious experiences; and the need for time-shifting, rather than inflexible scheduling of religious events.
One outcome of the multifaceted push for new spiritual models has been the rise of unique, highly personalized church experiences. Few people now have the same faith development patterns and resources that comprise their journey. Two decades ago, typical Christians went to Sunday school at nine o’clock Sunday morning, then flowed into the worship service at eleven. They might have participated in a Bible study group or maybe a family service on Wednesday evening at seven. And many believers prayed before meals and at the beginning or end of their day, and read the Bible a couple of mornings before settling into their daytime routine.
Now it’s virtually impossible to craft a “typical” spiritual pattern, especially among people under the age of forty. Growing numbers of young adults, teenagers, and even adolescents are piecing together spiritual elements they deem worthwhile, constituting millions of personalized “church” models. The proliferation of new elements available through the Internet, television, radio, diversified social networks, community action cooperatives, and via live arts environments is ensuring that future models of “church” will be almost impossible to categorize or market.
Two Variations on a Theme
One way of understanding the impact of the Revolution on the local church is to see how it is introducing a universe of faith-based models into the mix. Some of these are “macro-models”—that is, all-inclusive faith communities that address the complete array of passions that lead a person to a Christlike life. Other expressions are “micro-models”—narrowly focused assemblies that commit to genuine growth in relation to one of the seven spiritual passions in particular.
There are four macro-models of church experience resident in the nation today. The dominant force is the congregational form of the local church. House churches—some call them “simple church” fellowships—are yet another holistic model. These are small aggregations of people who meet in someone’s home on a regular basis to fulfill all the functions of a traditional congregation, especially elements such as worship, teaching, fellowship, and stewardship. (Note: these are not the same as the widespread small groups, cell groups, and home fellowships that are spawned by local churches to supplement what occurs on the local church campus.) The family faith experience is a third holistic model, in which the family becomes the primary spiritual unit and pursues faith matters together, with parents and their children (and, often, members of the extended family) becoming a close-knit faith community. The fourth holistic model is the cyberchurch. This refers to the range of spiritual experiences delivered through the Internet.
It is worth noting that the two fastest-growing macro-models of church are the house church and cyberchurch formations.
But it is the micro-models that are growing the fastest of all. These might be considered the distributed models of faith. These models promote growth in a specific aspect of the seven passions, expecting that the energy released through that focus will motivate the believer to incorporate growth in the other areas of passion as well.
One of the best examples of micro-models is the popularity of independent worship events that occur throughout the nation. Not associated with a specific church or denomination, these gatherings feature one or more “worship gypsies”—individuals like Chris Tomlin, David Crowder, Matt Redman, Tim Hughes, and dozens of regional favorites—who constantly travel to gatherings of believers, playing extended sets of worship music for audiences who had no prior connection to each other. The events are designed to help people connect with God through an intense worship experience. Often, the event leads those who participated to not only upgrade their worship quotient but also get more serious about other aspects of their spiritual life. The event makes no attempt to build a congregation or enduring local ministry of any type. The effort is geared toward getting people to worship God and grow from that foundation.
Other distributed models include marketplace fellowships, coaching communities, and narrowcast Internet-based faith groups, as well as the prolific number of parachurch ministries that are generally unidimensional in their focus. A hallmark of such distributed models is that they are not simply one-time events but are part of a larger ministry effort designed to supplement the person’s incremental spiritual growth.
Future Models
Will there be a macro-model, similar in magnitude to the congregational format of the local church, to replace that dominant but declinin
g model? It does not seem likely. In fact, some extensions of the congregational model, such as the “emergent” or “postmodern” congregations, really are not new models but simply minor refinements of the reigning model. Ultimately, we expect to see believers choosing from a proliferation of options, weaving together a set of favored alternatives into a unique tapestry that constitutes the personal “church” of the individual.
While this patchwork of spiritual experiences and expressions will produce a seemingly incoherent and indecipherable religious landscape, it will also render people’s spiritual lives more exciting because they’ll be able to respond to immediate needs and possibilities. The fragmented nature of the new approach to spirituality, often lamented by analysts as an unfortunate consequence of our disjointed culture and spiritually illiterate population, will become the advantage that facilitates a deeper commitment to spiritual focus by millions of young people.
As for the Revolution, it is composed of millions of people who have already embraced the freedom and excitement introduced through new macro- and micro-models. The central message of the Revolution rings out from these experiences: Revolutionaries will respond to the presence and principles of God whenever and wherever possible, without regard to historical or societal inhibitions. The standard that concerns Revolutionaries is simple: does the mechanism provide a way of advancing my faith, without compromising Scripture or any of the passions of a true believer?
Chapter Eight
Jesus the Revolutionary
EARLIER WE NOTED that Webster defined a revolutionary as someone committed to the thorough replacement of an established system of government in the hope of seeing radical change in society and social structures.
Various historians have argued that Jesus Christ was the most significant person in history, having the deepest and broadest influence of any person ever. Few profiles of world-changers leave Him out of the mix. Whether He gets the top ranking or not, the fact that people around the world continue to recognize His lasting impact on humanity some two millennia after His departure from earth is evidence of a revolutionary life.
We also noted that Jesus Christ is the focal point of the life of every Christian Revolutionary today. It is His call to revolutionary living that beckons us and guides us on this path.
His effect on the world is undeniable. You and I would not be interacting on these matters if it had not been for His life. But what made Jesus a Revolutionary? Since we are commanded to be imitators of Christ, what should we learn from His example?
Christ’s Perspective
Two crucial insights into the revolutionary lifestyle can be gleaned from how Jesus behaved on earth.
The first relates to the objective of replacing an established system of government. We know that Jesus was not a political reformer in the sense of seeking position or power in the public arena. But He did want to reform government—self-government. His message was clear: You cannot rely upon public policies and the enforcement of laws to shape your character and lifestyle. It is not your title, fame, fortune, or network that gives you lasting influence; that comes from who you are, in light of your character, your values, and your core beliefs. It is those components that drive the decisions and activities in your life.
So if you are a Revolutionary, it is because you have sensed and responded to God’s calling to be such an imitator of Christ. It is not a church’s responsibility to make you into this mold. It is not society’s job to push you in this direction. You are responsible for who you are. The choice to become a Revolutionary—and it is a choice—is a covenant you make with God alone. The commands and admonitions provided by Jesus to all who would listen were designed to facilitate self-governance that makes each disciple a revolution in progress.
The second insight relates to how an appropriately self-governed follower of Jesus is expected to live. In John 17, Jesus spoke to His followers regarding their responsibility, giving birth to the widely known but inadequately invoked calling to “be in, but not of, this world.” In other words, through consistent devotion to biblical principles manifested in a noticeably different mind-set and lifestyle, the disciple is called to influence the world rather than to be influenced by it (see Romans 12).
In a similar manner, then, you and I are called to be Revolutionaries by conforming to the will of God and letting that affect every life and decision within our reach. We are not Revolutionaries because we join a community of like-minded people, although such ties are integral to our personal development and our spiritual identity. We become Revolutionaries through our absolute commitment to think and behave like Jesus in order to show our love for God, and to love other people through our positive influence on their lives.
What does a Revolutionary’s life look like? Jesus showed us that our strategy is evident through our priorities. His example teaches that the weapons we use are our demeanor, character, and the presence of the Holy Spirit of God working through us. And His words instruct us that the mark of success is the identity and the commitment we bring to the role.
Jesus’ Follow-Through
No person ever practiced what he preached better than Jesus did. If His assignment for us is to be Revolutionaries, we have an intimate knowledge of what that means largely through His earthly example. He was relentlessly self-disciplined. The consistency of His words and behavior transformed every place and every person He encountered.
I encourage you to take some time to read the Gospel accounts of Jesus’ life with the intention of discerning the attributes and actions that gave Him this power to transform. Too often we write off His influence, protesting that He was, after all, God, and therefore His ways are beyond our grasp. But that’s just an excuse we hide behind to avoid the challenge of Revolutionary living. His life is our model. A true Revolutionary accepts the challenge to be fully Christlike, as impossible as it may seem at the start of that quest. Remember, nobody starts out a champion; only those who are single-minded in their determination to reach lofty goals become unrivaled leaders.
As you study the Gospels for lessons and clues, notice that Jesus ignored customs, expectations, and even laws in order to be all that God intended. His focus shows us, in the flesh, what is possible and how to make the most of every opportunity provided by God. Let’s take a brief look at His life, seen in the book of Matthew, to discover how you can transcend the moral and spiritual gravity of this world to enter a Revolutionary orbit.
His Identity
Jesus had the right to have a chip on His shoulder. But from the moment we meet Him, all we find is humility. Think about His choices and how He responded to various circumstances. He was baptized by someone whose very salvation was dependent upon being forgiven by Jesus. He refused to accept titles or even simple accolades. He did nothing to call attention to Himself; in fact, He generally shunned the spotlight and avoided situations that would bring notoriety and acclaim. He consistently exhorted people to demonstrate humility and to realize that their stature is determined by God, not by what they or others say.
Despite the human tendency to proclaim and prove one’s independence, Jesus recognized and freely acknowledged His total dependence upon God. In both His public ministry and His private life, He lived as a servant seeking to be used by God the Father. His self-worth was not based on His own performance; it was based on how faithfully He did the will of God and operated in the power of the Spirit.
Unlike many people who assume power or influence, Jesus was never under the delusion that His service to humankind would produce universal applause and adulation. Aware that He was a warrior in the invisible spiritual battle, the Man from Galilee went to great lengths to preach to His colleagues and prepare them to embrace their inevitable social standing: targets for misunderstanding, hatred, discrimination, and persecution. The picture He painted for fellow Revolutionaries was appallingly unattractive—and it reflected His acute awareness of His place on earth.
One of the most intriguing insights into Jesus
is His recognition that He was a person in process. He perceived the many trials and challenges He endured as a means of demonstrating His worthiness and shaping His character. As Jesus the divine Son, He was truly complete; but as Jesus the Deity made human, He underwent many of the same growth pains that we experience. Perhaps that refined sense of timing enabled Him to have greater patience with the daily battles He faced.
The most compelling aspect of His self-image, though, is that He understood His role to be a twofold mission: to love God and to love people. That perception is simple but not at all simplistic. As the embodiment of love, Jesus tangibly modeled various facets of love—compassionate love, tough love, enduring love, forgiving love—as well as the dramatic impact authentic love has on the world.
Our self-image creates the infrastructure through which we respond to the world. What are the lessons for you and me in how Jesus, the Savior of the world, saw Himself?
His Priorities in Life
You devote yourself to doing what you believe is the highest priority in life. Sometimes you may protest that you’re a victim of circumstances or others’ expectations, but your choices reflect what you believe to be most important.