Christendom names the social alliance of Christianity with cultural power/institutions. The government opens its Congress with a Christian chaplain praying, stores are closed on Sunday respecting that many employees want to go to church, various Christian forms of sexual morality are either encouraged by society/school systems or actually written into the law. These are some examples of a Christendom society. Because of these various reinforcing structures, the average citizen of said culture understands the Christian Story, gives Christianity an inherent respect (even though he/she may not believe or practice) and looks to go to church when feeling the need for God. For years America has been a nation under such cultural conditions.
Churches in the United States have conducted themselves for years as if we are still living in a Christendom. For many parts of U. S. and Canada however, this culture is vanishing. Much of the U.S. is in transition. NOW THERE’S NOTHING WRONG WITH CHURCHES MINISTERING IN CHRISTENDOM!! (at least I am not arguing this right now – I’m waiting for this book here). Christendom ain’t done yet! And there are a lot of cultures where these social conditions can be played off of successfully (whatever that means!) and to the furtherance of the Kingdom. Yet I think we should at least acknowledge that this is what we are doing as churches and that these Christendom conditions are rapidly in decline. Where Christendom has disappeared, the church that still operates out of Christendom assumptions ends up largely talking to herself. We end up providing answers to questions nobody’s asking (as Rick Cruse reminds me on my facebook thread).
With this in mind, here’s 3 recent signs in my neighborhood that Christendom ain’t dead yet. The question we need to ask in each case, by engaging in these practices, are we the church largely talking to ourselves? Or is there engagement with those outside the church for the gospel – folks I will call for lack of a better term – secular.
THREE SIGNS CHRISTENDOM AIN’T DEAD YET
1.) Greg Laurie Crusade
The Greg Laurie Crusade happened over the weekend in Chicago suburbs. In what seems like a resurrection of the Billy Graham crusade strategy of the 50’s – 70’s, a reportedly 2 ½ million dollars was poured into advertising, renting of a large stadium, bringing in first class musicians to “attract” a crowd. Several hundred churches backed the crusade with funds, volunteers and vehicles that bussed their people into the stadium. Christians were encouraged to invite a friend. The messages by pastor Laurie where driven towards inviting people to make a decision based on the question “where are you going when you die?” I listened intently to the internet stream.
The obvious question is, would the average secular person be remotely interested in attending another mega church service at a stadium to hear a gospel evangelistic sermon? Would a questioning Muslim come to something labeled a “Crusade”? As good as this was! Just asking? Was this stadium filled with mostly churchgoers? Just asking eh?
Growing up in Canada as a boy, we invited our neighbors to the Billy Graham Crusade in Toronto. They came. They had a mainline church background and had largely drifted away. That Crusade had a positive impact on their lives. It was a day when Billy Graham was a culturally interesting (in some sense a “must see”) “event.” I have no doubt that there were many of these folk who came to the Greg Laurie Crusade. They were maybe ex-Christians, or people who grew up in some form of Christian church who simply had never been challenged to follow Christ in a committed way. There were many people like this I suspect who were positively affected by this Crusade. In this way, the success of the Greg Laurie Crusade is a sign that Christendom ain’t dead yet.
My question is: Are these kind of situations diminishing? Is it worth spending 2 1/2 million dollars? How many “decisions” were actually new ones from people outside the faith? How many were lapsed Christians? Was this in essence a bunch of Christians getting together to feel good about our message? (I heard rounds of applause every time Greg Laurie mentioned eternal life). In other words, was this the church talking to itself and feeling much better about the success of its version of Christianity? Do any of you out there know of non-Christian conversions? Did any of you invite secular person? A Muslim? An atheist? Seriously, no negative take here, just asking.
2.) The Alpha Program
Ok, I’m driving by the local Baptist this week. They are putting up a flashy sign in the front of the church announcing “The Alpha Course Here!” I like the Alpha Program, a program set up basically to operate out of the neighborhood (I like that!), to invite neighbors to ask questions about God (I like that!). It is a program of a set number of weeks, getting people to commit to a journey. It emphasizes the work of the Sprit in our lives (Again I Like that!!). I have seen many curious people on the edges get initiated into the faith via Alpha. It comes from U.K. a post Christendom place in many ways.
And yet I know few people who are secular who come to such an invitation. They would view it with suspicion. The ones who would come have backgrounds in Christianity and have come to a point in their lives where they are seeking intensely a connection to God in Christ. This is cool. But again, my question is: Is this a strategy dependent upon Christendom? Yes or No? tell me, you folks out there. Are you successful on your block getting secular people to come over for an “Alpha Course”? Or would you be more successful inviting someone over to your backyard for a barbeque? BTW that wouldn’t even work for several of my secularist friends. To me, the Alpha program is a sign that Christendom ain’t dead yet. It has been good for the church operating on the edges of Christendom. But will it succeed in the new cultures of post Christendom? Or will it become another example of the church talking to herself?
3.) One on One Tract Evangelism in The Park
Recently I’m sitting in the local park with some friends who are either post Christian secular or post Muslim secular. I see a group of young twenty-somethings praying in the corner of the park. They then break (like a huddle in a football game)and spread out over the park. I knew what was next so I went and sat on a bench where two older unsuspecting people were sitting to take in what was happening. One of the “young evangelists” approached the people where I was sitting and asked, “Do you know where you are going when you die? We’re all going to die right? So it’s an important question. Would you agree?” (They were handing out a million dollar bill with Obama’s face on it with the million-dollar question on it). I then proceeded to listen as this zealous young evangelist tried to convince this man to join him in what amounted to “the sinners’ prayer.” The man being evangelized, it turned out, was a disillusioned ex-presbyterian who was gentle, kind and willing to listen and debate. He was asked at least 5 times, “would you let me pray with you right now …?”
I returned to my friends about twenty minutes later only to hear one of them run up to us and say, “I was here last weekend. We’ve got to get out of here now. These people are rude and pushy.” I inquired some more and we had a bit of a conversation about how their approach is unfortunate. As we left, I looked over the park and I saw a mass exodus of people leaving the park area.
This experience leads me to conclude that a.) Christendom ain’t dead yet. There was an older ex-presbyterian who was willing to engage in serious conversation. b.) Time may be running out on this form of evangelism because there are less of these people, already familiar with the terms of the claims of Christianity, sufficient to make sense of this version of the gospel. Furthermore, it is a version of salvation so reductionist that it is questionable whether it communicates the right things to people uninitiated into the assumptions necessary to make sense of this version of the gospel. To me the question is, is this form of evangelism vastly becoming another example of the church talking to itself?
I, and others, have argued for a revamping of the way we think about evangelism, the gospel and witness. You can start by looking at these posts here, here and here. There’s more elsewhere on the blog. For now, I am interested in your reflections on these three experiences over the weekend. Are these signs that Christendom ain’t dead yet? Are these examples of the church talking to herself?
______________________
Notes on what’s coming next:
I aim in the next two weeks to begin a promised series of posts engaging the Neo-Reformed Missional efforts which include Tim Keller, Jim Belcher, Acts 29, The Gospel Coalition etc. I’m doing it off of reading this book here. Thanks Gordie for the heads up.
For those interested in Missional, Don’t forget the Missional Learning Commons coming up. It’s free (except for 10 bucks to help for children’s care).
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David thanks … I like the sharing of a meal … period .. anywhere … What part of the country do you hail from?
Adam, would it be safe to assume that those "fantastic atheists…, etc" who attended had already built significant relationships with whomever invited them? That would make good sense. Or, did they simply come in response to a sign posted somewhere? The former has a significantly missional flavor while the latter would indicate that the "attractional" is not completely dead.
Yesterday, I was in a coffee shop with my MK son who (after 12 years in Christian school and 4 years in a Christian university) is now a self-professed, card-carrying, evangelistic atheist whom I deeply love (and am loved in return). I was wearing an "In and Out" (great West Coast hamburger place). Unbidden, the man behind me used that as the launch point for his question to me: "Did you know that the owners/founders of In and Out are Christians? They have John 3:16 printed on the bottom of their soda cups." Getting no response from us, he said good-bye with a "God bless you." My son's response was "I don't mind getting into conversations with people like that. Once I announce myself as an atheist, they usually end the discussion." I was less charitable, hoping (in the flesh) that the unknown man would ratchet up the conversation so I could make a thoroughly uncharitable response. He didn't. My problem was simply that he had no idea of my son's (or my) story. He had no idea of how deeply wounded by Christians my son has been. Perhaps people still genuinely come to Christ when the person in line behind them at the bank shares the four spiritual laws. If so, praise God. But, how much better to actually know the person, then trust God to do his work through our real friendships.
I have some sympathies with approach #2 above, and hope that Alpha and/or similar ministries will still have an impact among post-Christendom people. Not because of the sign outside the church, but because of the discerning friend that makes the invite, and the communal, dialogue-driven nature of the program. Emphasis on the "discerning" in discerning friend. As witnesses we need to be "wise in the way we act toward outsiders," as Paul says. This includes noting where a friend is in their receptiveness to the gospel and acting accordingly. For the secular person who has genuine curiosity into the faith, wants to learn in a setting where they can interact and push back, journey with others who are also curious, etc., it may be a good invite . . .
David,
I'm from Wichita, KS… and coming from what I would guess is a more "Christendom" leaning area of the country… I still think that you are correct, David – the church is for the most part talking to itself. I wouldn't dare invite most of my neighbors to our church, but did to Alpha (especially Alpha in a bar) and they responded well. Partly because of what Rick assumes above – Yes, many or all of the participants are in a relationship with one of us that invited them to Alpha… we did little to no advertising (no billboards!).
[Interesting side note] – for a missional "they like Jesus but not the church" guy, I've been amazed at how people in our Alpha group are okay with God (or some version of spirituality), but not Jesus – because its too narrow/exclusive.
The church is only talking to itself it it first does not talk to God.
May I suggest that Intercession is the missing key in many of these dead program events that are based on 'human principles' and hyper-mysticism. The most fruitful evangelism I have experienced was founded in long hours and sometimes weeks of prayer. Stereotyping another move of the spirit will only bring reproach on the message we proclaim; in fact, it is not our message anymore if we stereotype it. God is looking for prototypes, people willing to seek Him for divine strategy and align themselves to his specific will and design in our context of service.
I have little experience with crusades but can comment on #2 and #3
#2
We held an Alpha event a few years back after many weeks of prayer and intercession at 5am on Tuesday mornings. We started with a small group and the few non-believers that an evangelist in our church had developed relationship with. The few non believers that came were devoted disciples by the end of the 15 weeks; then 10 week 'next steps' coarse we offered. These few then brought friends and in turn just under 30 people had become disciples in just over a year. our Alpha had 60+ people in it the last session, and was now in the church basement. We closed it down after the 3rd coarse as we felt the Lord leading us to other endeavors.
#3
Also a few years back a few of us began meeting regularly going for hikes. As we hiked we prayed together and sensed the Spirit leading us to pray for souls. This led us to begin to tactically pray for creative ideas to share our faith with people; either, people we knew or otherwise. One day we bought several boxes of lifesavers and began just giving them out for free in the mall; suggesting to people we would pray for them if they wanted. We also asked the Lord to lead us while giving water bottles out for free on the beaches in our sunny beach town during the summer. We gave roses to prostitutes in the evenings and even had artists go down to the boardwalk and do free art, portraits and sketches, for people. All under the desire to ask the Lord to speak to people as we served and did AOK's (acts of kindness). We often simply prayed prayers of blessing if people allowed us to pray for them; other times we sensed words of encouragement specifically for family or circumstances. All in all, our College & Careers community sent 120 people out over 4 months, leading 50 people to Christ; which we encouraged to find a church, and go back to their friends and family telling them what the Lord said to them. Our community itself grew by 17 salvations that year; with 4 baptisms int he lake.
I will never forget one afternoon, 3 of us randomly met at our church building. We all sensed it was a divine appointment. So we asked the Lord what he was up to in a brief 30 second prayer. The young woman with us sensed we ought to go downtown. So we did. We ended up meeting a young homeless woman that wanted to show us her 'bird'. I was a bit freaked that she wanted us to follow her down an ally to see this bird , as she looked like she had some "problems". Two minutes into the ally she turns to us and asks, "Do you guys think about God?" We stated we were Christians and that we knew God. She became a bit excited, asking, "You know God then? Tell me" And my friend with us asked if he could pray for her, she immediately said yes. He didn't even pray; for as he went to start, he looked at her and bound a demon of death. I was a bit taken back as she fell to the ground. She then jumped up and said she wanted to be free from drugs; therefore, as my family had pioneered a Mens and Womens Drug and Alcohol Recovery Community in another city, I told her we could connect her to a safe place that would help her get 'free'. She was on a bus in 5 days, and an intake appointment was set up. She settled into being a new client and began exploring more of this new faith she had.
To David and others. I'd suggest to say that yes, 'Christiandom Ain't Done Yet'; however, Christianity will never be done. In the midst of dead works programs and methods, our God is still moving and desires to move. "If we ( seek his face and will), then god ( will lead us ) … As God ( moves ) , then we..( respond )"
I have always loved the blog and I hope I was not to weirdly forward with this. Sometimes the discussion around institution and Christiandom tweeks a bad taste in my mouth. In my eyes I think we are just discerning dead works, and it propels me to prayer. Currently my wife and I are in a season of prayer as we wait on the leading of the Lord for more defined fruitfulness. Cheers…
Casey …
These stories are always welcome … and the issue of intercession, prayer, openess to the voice of God in our lives together … is well received here … as the last post on "What is God saying"… indicates … we're seriously seeking out how to nuture this kind of openess in our community ..
Blessings!!
David, thanks for the post. My pastoral confession is that through my Constantinian-inspired training, I feel completely unequipped to talk casually with non-Christians. I have dedicated years now to reading and thinking through a lot of the things you point out here . . . the only thing lacking? Time to go and be salt and light . . . overcoming those Constaninian impulses in myself is a challenge . . . attempting to expose them to my church and work at overcoming them is nearly impossible.
Christendom is alive but not well, as evidenced by, as you pointed out, the reality that a lot of what passes for evangelism is just the church talking to itself. Christendom still has many adherents, dollars, political sway, etc., but these are not necessarily a sign of vitality. Christendom has become a subculture (complete with its stadium crusades, lame trademark infringing T-shirts, and cult heroes) that has little or no relevance to the postmodern world in which we find ourselves.
There is a substantive relational disconnect in many of the church's evangelistic strategies (crusade, tract hand out, etc.). And the worst part is many in the church don't even realize it. I was speaking in a church earlier this year about the mission of the church and said that I'm not sure we have any business sharing the gospel with someone until we at least know their name. Afterward someone in attendance took serious issue with my statement saying that it isn't necessary to know someone's name to share the gospel with them.
Dear Dave,
I saw your article posted on line regarding the Greg Laurie Crusade and your theme "Christendom aint dead yet" and I wanted to correct some of the facts and answer the questions you put forward.
While there were about 220 churches involved and over 5,000 volunteers trained throughout the crusade process, the actual budget for the event was $900,000, not $2 1/2 million. The value of bringing together nearly 50,000 people for a presentation of the gospel and seeing some 4700 people come and make professions of faith can be debated, but I know of no other organization achieving similar results at those costs. Bear in mind, its not just the weekend of ministry, but over a year's worth of bringing churches together and training believers in how to share the gospel. A "crusade" or "Harvest" as we refer to them, have many ancillary benefits from unifying the church to making a clear statement in the local media for what Christians believe and what it means to follow Christ.
While its difficult, actually impossible, to quantify the value of a soul, its easier to view the results of a Harvest in terms of how it impacts the local church. What we know is that the church is NOT "talking to itself" as you questioned in your article. Our statistics demonstrate, based on our follow-up program, that more than 80 percent of the people who respond to the message are actually brought to the event by a Christian friend. Inevitably, they end up in the church of the person that brought them. This may be the most misunderstood aspect of what we call "proclamation evangelism." The fact is, non-believers DON'T just decide to show up. There is a very strong relational aspect to our preparation and to assuring that Pastor Greg isn't "preaching to the choir." While we utilize the best of contemporary Christian music to create a program that is interesting and compelling, the grass roots work done among the people in the pews is what separates a successful evangelistic outreach from the typical Christian concert. Are there primarily Christians at the event? Absolutely! But if we've done our job right, 20 to 30 percent of the audience are there because they were brought by Christian friends, or people who for a number of reasons may have considered themselves "believers" but are not. We've never found it possible to accurately define whether a person is making a first time commitment or a re-dedication. Our view is that what matters most isn't so much what they thought "being a Christian was", but that they understand what it means to be born-again and what is required to move forward in their Christian faith.
I'm happy to answer any other questions you have and I do want to agree with you that "Christendom ain't dead yet." To the contrary, I believe the efficacy of the simple gospel is just as it was when the church first began. More than ever, we need to be unashamedly proclaiming the message of the cross. After all, as Paul stated, "it pleased God, through the foolishness of the message preached, to save those that would believe." In our minds, that hasn't changed and we will continue to put that message forward regardless of the cost, cultural hurdles, or doubt among those in the church.
Dave,
If "bridge building" is done then the answer, "Will secular friends come to Alpha?" is "Yes!" We don't use the ministry, but do use, "Exploring Christianity" with great success. If you put a sign on your lawn and put an ad in the paper, then people obviously won't come. But we've used a different strategy….we invite friends with whom we've built long standing relationships though a bundle of neighborhood focused ministries and community interactions. The response has been very positive. Last year, we witnessed six individuals make confessions of faith in Christ and several of them are now involved in local missional opportunities in serving the homeless and more. I have a sense that some of the other approaches can also work IF we building connections FIRST and not hoping that slick marketing campaigns will do the job. Chuck
Thanks John for posting your comment,
for those reading it … John is Executive Director Harvest Ministries working for pastor Laurie's Crusades …
I have to run to a class, but I'd just like to say that I got the 2 1/2 million dollar figure from some local pastors involved in the Crusade. Thanks for clarifying.That figure is not infallible but before I call em and talk to them, I guess we'd have to ask what moneys we're talking about. Money the Crusade spent, the churches themselves spent etc… I don't know. But it's probably not worth the exercise .. and it;s not the main point. Thanks for correcting. You give a good response to the post and the issue of whether the crusade was an example of the church talking to itself. I have only two things maybe to add before I run to teaching … I continue to think Crusades like pastor Laurie's are effective for those who are already somehow initiated into the assumptions of Christianity, much like the Billy Graham era. I think it's a valid ministry in many respects. For me, it is questionable how effective it can be beyond this realm. Is that fair? Secondly, what was noticeable, was the vibrant applause of the audience at things I think already committed Christians of a certain kind (like where the hope of salvation is primarily located in heaven) would be clapping so enthusiastically about. Now I have no problem with being excited about heaven, it just leads me to be suspcious eh? This was largely a crowd of evangelical Christians … it sures eems that way eh? .. anyways … I'm just asking … I think these questions are important as we think about where we expend time, energy, money and life itself in witnessing the gospel in our culture..
Again thanks for coming on the blog in a charitable way … and blessings on your labors for Christ
peace bro!!
OMG – hate to be the one to crass the party, but if something [i.e., Christendom] really is dead but there are those who act like it isn't, umm … isn't that actually Zombie-anity? Just askin' …
Something can be dead and gone and smellin' like Lazarus after three days, but is someone's whiffer don't work, they can't smell the truth even if it's quite apparent to those who can. In this case, the only difference between "obvious" and "oblivious" is a big ole LIE in the middle, right?
Okay, enough humor for the mo.
Might I suggest that Christendom will always have a following because some disciples will always want to colonize other people in the name of a kingdom, and make it sound "jesus-ish."
But that doesn't mean that all three things are necessarily evidence that Christendom is alive and "well." From my experience, other things might be at play. For instance, I live in Marin County, California, which has been labeled by more than one researcher as the/an "epi-center of post-Church America" (e.g., *The American Church in Crisis* by David T. Olson, 2008). And yet, there are a few churches around the county that have had Alpha "work well" but you have to consider the overall context to see that it isn't necessarily Christendom at work, but something else.
Statistics over the past 20 years at least show Marin as vying for the highest percentage of adults in the U.S. going to some kind of therapy and/or some kind of 12-step or similar type of support group. (It also typically has about 3 or 4 towns here on the top 20 most expensive places in the U.S. to live, so there's a lot of fundage floating around here.) (But since when have dollar$ guaranteed emotional health?) With that many support groups going, there aren't always a lot of locations open for rent to handle them all. And church buildings happen to be one of the few sources of rentable space. So, one or two churches here previously tied in Alpha with recovery/support groups successfully, with significant impact as people sought to relate to some "higher power" as they “worked their programs.”
In one church where I served as a consultant, I did what I could to inject some "anti-Christendom DNA" – such as where Alpha states, "No question is too simple," I added, "… and no question is too complex." I sought to explain to leaders how atheistic or agnostic seekers were often very different from spiritual seekers in their assumptions, values, and how they process information. And so, that might call for adjustments in communication with people, such as how small group questions are asked, responses being customized and contextualized for different backgrounds, etc. Also, in about 2002, a team of 20-something leaders at this church adapted the standard adult Alpha curriculum and ran it for post-modern/post-Christendom youth – and this was when the only Youth Alpha resources were just beginning to be developed, mostly in Australia and New Zealand. In my interpretation of later actions at this church, ultimately Alpha tanked and died when the leadership reverted to a modernist/Christendom default and ran it as a program instead of customizing it more for those already spiritually oriented. (This county is well known for being spiritual, and NOT Christian OR athetistic/agnostic.)
So … could it be that the key factor in detecting the presence of Christendom is a strong disregard for contextualization – or the flip side, a strong predisposition to colonize/control culture or to syncretize/succumb to culture. And that can happen in all kinds of activities, regardless of whether it was sourced in Christendom or “emerging” or “Emergent” or “missional.”
P.S. Forgot to say earlier that with the Alpha outreach at this particular church in Marin County, many (if not most) of the people who came were from a 12-step group and were invited by a friend or neighbor who'd gone through Alpha already. So it was almost like an extension of recovery processes, and there was a built-in network of relationships. So, this place had a rather communal culture for what could otherwise be an individualistic program.
P.P.S. (I should know better … but thots posted after midnight will often need follow-up clarification.) Also, neglected to get to one of the points about the 20-something group (plus one then 40-something mentor) having created a Youth Alpha curriculum, is that they reconfigured the entire approach to be what we were then calling "post-postmodern-friendly." For instance, it was very interactive instead of lecture style. It assumed spirituality on the part of the middle-schoolers and high-schoolers, not skeptuality. It structured learning by embracing experience and then processing it (action-reflection) instead of by explaining the theory and then expecting experience will follow (theory-into-practice). I guess the point is, you can take the exact same material and present it from completely different epistemologies and organizational structures.
You want to keep continuity with modernity? Use big groups, lecture, experts as the only legitimate presenters, passive listening by audience members, abstractions into applications … etc.
You want to reach toward post-post-post-modernity? Use boutique groups, interaction, co-learners on the journey as presenters, active listening and cross-commenting by participants, immersion learning with sifting through it afterwards … etc.
Just about anything can be structured to be modernist-/Christendom-friendly – and there may be some venues where the conventional approaches still "work" because the cultures are still traditional. But are we intentional in using Christendomistic approaches in those cultures? Because we're sure gonna have to do more than stay on auto-pilot to connect incarnationally with tomorrow's people in those cultures, within their own frameworks, as they change to post-Christendom. Revert to the old wineskin ways like this church I'm mentioning did, and eventually it collapses …
[...] parable, “The Death Rattle of Christendom,” Dave Fitch is right in saying that, “Christendom Ain’t Done Yet.” But man oh man, I for one wish it would hurry up and die already so that we can stop [...]