June 5, 2009

The 21st Century will see an unexpected resurgence in religion, the dying of fundamentalism, and the move away from creeds, beliefs, and unresponsive institutions.

In their place and leading the way into the new century will be more emphasis placed on the movement of the Holy Spirit, greater intimacy among church members and their leaders, and creative approaches to worship.

That was the message that Diana Butler Bass, a senior fellow at the Cathedral College of the Washington National Cathedral, told a group that met recently at Western Theological Seminary in Holland, Michigan.

Among those who attended was Ben Becksvoort, head of the Great Lakes Team for Christian Reformed Home Missions, and Leonard Vander Zee, editor-in-chief of Faith Alive Christian Resources, the CRC's publishing agency. Both say they were impressed by what Bass had to say.

"I think her assessment is helpful," says Becksvoort. "Old ways of viewing and doing things no longer work with many of the folks we are seeking to reach. People, especially younger people, want religion that means something to them and to their lives right now."

What North American Christianity faces is a complex, ever-changing world in which the answer for churches is definitely not a wholesale return to methods of teaching, preaching, and even worship that took place in the old days, said Bass.

Because there are new challenges and demands confronting current denominations, congregations, and church structures, a new theological and relational mindset is on the rise. Rooted in a deep knowledge and feeling for God, this is a mindset that sees that nothing stands still and that people's needs are in flux and works to address the changes.

Bass also said that the line between what is a conservative and what is a liberal church is blurring. By defining churches as being in camp or another misses the point. By saying conservative churches are growing and liberal ones are declining also fails to describe a new reality.

Bass says the conservative/liberal split is a holdover from an era that is passing. "The new division is more along the line of what she calls conventional religion and intentional religion," says Vander Zee. "Conventional is focused on institutions and creeds, the intentional on practices and community. " Bass said she had no easy answers, but suggested that church leaders develop "the capacity to detect patterns and opportunities, to create artistic and emotional beauty, to craft a satisfying narrative to combine seemingly unrelated ideas into something new," said Bass.

Approaches to creating a vibrant church that leaders should consider include developing an ability to empathize with the challenges that people face, understanding the subtleties of human interaction, finding joy in one's self in order to elicit it in others, and stretching one's self to better understand what has purpose and meaning for those you serve, said Bass.

Successful congregations do not do everything – that is, have many ministries – or necessarily even participate in a range of ventures, but they discern what to do in the here and now and they do it well, said Bass.

Growing churches, she said, are those that intentionally involve themselves in the lives and challenges of their members, she said.

Bass is also the author of several books, including Christianity for the Rest of Us, Strength for the Journey, and The Practicing Congregation. For more information, visit: http://www.dianabutlerbass.com/.

Christian Reformed Church in North America