There is a certain irony in the following observation about change:
“The amount of time necessary to keep up with change increases as the rate of change accelerates.”
It exposes a challenge for western society, especially churches. There is no time to waste in figuring out congregational strategies to address this challenge.
Change Gets Up Close and Personal
A good example of this principle surfaced a couple years ago. A number of churches and our District were sending electronic newsletters to subscribers. This delivered news to members and participants much more quickly than traditional mail. It also allowed participants to quickly share the content.
After years of using the same email programs, newsletters abruptly stopped appearing in some email “inboxes.” But it didn’t affect all the readers. It took weeks, even
…show more content…
It took longer to identify and solve this problem than it would to resolve issue with a traditional newsletter.
Applying the Principle to Churches
Churches are among the oldest institutions in Western society. This impressive longevity is possible in part because churches are extremely resistant to change. As the rate of change in society increases, churches are among the institutions least likely to spend more time monitoring changes.
A great example is congregational funding. The Builder Generation, and most of the Boomer Generation, donated congregational “general fund.” Generation X started the shift to giving to specific causes and needs. The Millennial Generation has taken this practice to the next level. Churches have seen a decrease in funding while costs increase.
Yet almost every church I work with relies on offerings to the general fund as underwrite a vast majority of congregational costs. It’s taking generations for churches to adapt to changes in Americans giving habits. Just how much time will church leaders monitoring the rapidly emerging opportunities in online