Although I live in Abbotsford with almost 100 churches, seven of which have an attendance of 1,500 to 5,000 on a weekend, I also live in British Columbia where 30 per cent of the population does not believe in God and 60 per cent does not attend church or any other faith institution at any time during the year.
A number of people have asked me what I think is the greatest challenge that faces the Presbyterian Church in Canada. My answer is another question: are we able to lead anyone who does not believe in anything that smacks of some kind of religion or spirituality to believe in God? It is an important question for every Christian church worth their “salt and light” to consider. In this post-Christendom, post-modern age, will the Christian church persist? Does the Christian church have anything to say to the new, emerging generations and cultures? It's not only a question of whether our children and grandchildren will have faith, but also whether our neighbours will.
There is no doubt in my mind we've entered a time of massive paradigm shift. Current generations think, act and believe much differently than the earlier generations to which we “oldie goldies” belong. People in the past were committed to the church, or to its programs; now people are more interested in relationships or finding a hospitable community. Long-term denominational loyalty is gone; people are more interested in short-term commitments, missions or causes.
Fortunate is the church with enough expertise to offer support groups to different generations, or to focus on marriage or divorce care, or on other family issues, or on local or global social issues. Every church today must offer entry level courses, such as Alpha, for easier consideration of the Christian faith, as well as intermediate level discipleship courses for growth in one's faith, and advanced level leadership development courses for service in the church, community and the world if they're to minister effectively to the different kinds of people who may happen to cross the doorstep of their building.
I asked a 20-something parishioner what he looked for most in the church. Number one on his list was “real hospitality.” He didn't want to be centered out as a visitor; he only wanted some people in the church to notice he was new, and perhaps to invite him out for coffee or have him over to their home for a meal. Just being warm and friendly at church during the initial greeting, or at the coffee hour after the service, wouldn't cut it.
Number two on his list was a church that was making a “real difference” in the community. Is your church engaged in any meaningful contact with the local situation in which it finds itself, or somewhere else in the “global village” in which we all live? People want to be involved in meaningful causes. They will spend time and money for something that makes a difference in this world.
And, he said, he was looking for “real, orthodox, biblical preaching and teaching,” which would help him experience God's presence and apply the message of the Bible to the issues of his day. He would listen to a pastor who was authentic and whose message was congruent with life.
In my last trip through southern Ontario, I saw a brief video of some Canadian young people and their current concerns, produced by Shauna Simmonds of MakeYouThink Studios. This young woman seems to have found out what young adults want from their churches. Here is the list: community, authenticity, mentorship, passionate leaders, interactive environment, involvement, relevant engagement, intellectual challenge and a technology and internet presence. (The video is available from the Evangelical Fellowship of Canada at 1-800-302-3362 or www.evangelicalfellowship.ca).
I lament the recent departure of people from Trinity Presbyterian in Oro, Ont., because we have lost gifts, abilities and experience which connected us with a younger generation, including those who do not believe in God, that we can ill afford to lose. I regret, rather than condemn, that they have shifted their theological stance and ecclesiology to suit what Martin Marty called the “baptistification” of society (Christianity Today, Sept. 2, 1983). We need every gift and passion we can muster to reach our generation for Christ.
