Podcast Episode #187
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We examine the first half of my 16 trends to watch for in 2016. We will cover the second half of the trends in podcast #188.
Some highlights from today’s episode include:
- Some churches say they can’t afford security measures. You can’t afford not to have appropriate security measures.
- Sometimes I think church worship centers are second only to college football stadiums in their limited usage.
- Pastors and leaders who avail themselves to coaching typically have the healthiest churches.
- More people are going into gentrified communities, and as a result, more churches are being planted there as well.
- I celebrate the renewed emphasis of classical theological training in seminaries.
- An all-Anglo church seems abnormal to many Millennials.
- The Homogenous Unit Principle is a reality in many churches but should not be a strategy.
- Church plants need to be strategic at the onset about not being homogeneous.
The eight trends we cover today are:
- Church security as the fastest growing ministry.
- Decrease in worship center size and capacity.
- Increase in successfully revitalized churches.
- Rapid growth of coaching ministries for pastors and church staff.
- Increase in the numbers of churches in gentrified communities.
- Increased emphasis on practical ministry training.
- Increasing emphasis on groups in churches.
- Fewer segregated churches.
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Your statements on church security are right on target. Even small churches, or those congregations who think they can’t afford it, can put effective security measures in place. At my last pastorate, a church of 80-100 people, we did what I thought was a good job of providing church security using volunteers. During each service there was always someone patrolling the parking lot for any suspicious behavior. They were known as “The Barney Fife Patrol.” They were also responsible for making sure the doors leading to the nursery wing of the church were locked once the service started. In fact, once the service began, they only way into the church was through the main sanctuary doors. All other doors were locked (This meets fire codes provided doors are equipped with crash bars for easy exit in case of a fire). The men kept 2-way radios so they could be in constant communication with nursery workers should a problem arise.
This worked well and small churches can effectively put such security measures such as this in place. I trust this is helpful.
“An all-Anglo church seems abnormal to many Millennials.”
You don’t start a church with the intent of seeming normal or abnormal to the Millennials. You center your church on sound solid Bible preaching and teaching that gives Jesus the preeminence and welcome anyone who desires sound solid Bible preaching and teaching that gives Jesus the preeminence. The moment you start targeting a group other than those who desire sound solid Bible preaching and teaching that gives Jesus the preeminence you cease being a church and become a religious institution.