The Nature of Pastoral Training

So i just finished reading a couple of articles about the shift towards cloud computing and different organizational approaches towards app consolidation in a magazine called Information Week. Before that I read a chapter of Sun Stand Still by Steve Furtick, and now I am going to continue reading in Ecclesiastes where I left off yesterday. As I was staring at my desk and considering the sources of information it all hit me at the same time...the nature of pastoral training has to continue to shift as our culture continues to shift.

Since arriving at church this morning, I have already had a conversation with one staff person about where they moved our DVD/CD duplication tower, another about how to maximize the use of their SD Card in their smartphone, and a third staff member about the potential liabilities of partnering with a certain organization by allowing them to use our facility for a meeting. And just now I had to stop typing because someone came in my office to share with me that they just got off the phone with someone who called to get more information about our church because of the message that was scrolling on our electronic sign. PTL!

I say all this to say that when I was in training for ministry, many of these things weren't even on the churches radar yet. What will church look like in 10 years? 5 years? Perhaps the more important question is, "What will society look like in 10 years? 5 years?" Because my concern is that ten years from now, most churches in America will finally be excited to have a working website, and perhaps a server.

Having been through seminary, it was my experience that by the time formal education adapts to the cultural trends, the culture has already shifted again. In a world of stream lined information, instant communcation, and social networking, we must redefine our training to reflect the redefined culture.

The reality is that the gospel never changes. The content of the message must never be compromised, adapted, or forgotten...but the language in which it is communicated is ever changing...and so should the training in how we, as the Church, will mobilize to meet the people where they are!

I will leave you with this thought...the best book about church growth strategies that I have ever read was "Tipping Point" by Malcolm Gladwell. It is not about church, and it is not about Christianity, and it isn't even sold in Christian bookstores. But it is about people in our culture and how movements gain traction. I have implimented some of his concepts in our approach towards church growth and have seen amazing things happen!

Something to think about.