Reading the Signs of the Times
The current issue (October) of Outreach Magazine just came out with a list of the 100 largest and fastest growing churches in the U.S. ( you find the lists on our home page). One of their findings is the multi-site trend is no longer a trend- it is becoming the norm for the mega church.
Well, they are correct. But some of us have been saying that for two years now.
Most people wait till a trend becomes the norm before they jump on the band wagon. But, the secret to staying ahead of change is to read the signs of the times before they become clear to most people.
Of course doing that can also cause one to have to eat crow like I did when the mega church trend continued and I was saying it looked like it was coming to a close (2003). I was wrong but I was also correct. I just didn’t see the whole picture.
So, let me SHOUT an observation/prediction I made in 1997 in my book (along with Tom Bandy) Growing Spiritual Redwoods that a lot of people po-poed but will become the norm because it already happening in the secular public - The mega church of the future will be the virtual church.
Consider what has happened since 2000- Facebook, Myspace, and the Alpha church, and now secondlife.com. By the mid 2050 it wouldn’t surprise me if 25-30% of all christians went to church virtually.
The trend toward the faceless world of avatars and virtual communities will continue to escalate in a fragmented world like ours.
However, there is one good thing about it- it will be easier for a person to confess their sins since they dont have to actually do it face to face. but then, avatars do have a face, don’t they?
And what can we say about JohnNasbitt and his ”high touch”? Well, I don’t think he anticipated ”high touch” would be replaced by “virtual touch.” You heard the phrase “virtual touch” here for the first time. i dont understand it but then Im not a ten year old. They do. Is it healthy? Was the jitterbug or the watusi?
So stay tuned. No telling what the next technological and sociological mergers might bring. Could it be that the Virutal Church of the Resurrection is just around the corner? LifeChurch.TV thinks so.