Brett (bfam)

· In America, 3500 – 4000 churches close their doors each year
· Half of all churches last year did not add one new member through conversion growth
· Churches lose an estimated 2,765,000 people each year to nominalism and secularism

Furthermore, in Europe Christian Research has previously suggested that churches may be heading for extinction by 2040 – with just two per cent of the population attending Sunday services and the average age of congregations rising to 64. (2)

And when it comes to the "the traditional means of communication," as previously stated there are many ways to communicate the message and I believe preaching is primary mode. However as I mentioned we do live in a visual world and are a Post-Literate Society. I've been apart of Marketing and Advertising Focus Groups which fully back up that statement. But will throw in something more Scientific and Mesasuarable. Basic knowledge is learned through one of the 5 senses and is the primary method used by academia day in and day out.

· Seeing 83 percent
· Hearing 11 percent
· Touching 3 ½ percent
· Smelling 1 ½ percent
· Tasting 1 percent

Now the U.S. Department of Health, Education and Welfare has shown that we learn best by doing. People learn best when they hear, see and do. People generally remember: (3)(4)

· 10% of what they read
· 20% of what they hear
· 30% of what they see
· 50% of what they hear and see
· 70 % of what they say as they talk
· 80-90% of what they hear, see and do

1. George Barna, Twentysomethings Struggle to Find Their Place in Christian Churches, http://www.barna.org/
2. Ekllesia, February 28, 2006 Survey, http://www.wwrn.org/article.php?idd=20629&sec…
3. Kline’ M., Mathematics, A Cultural Approach, AdisonWesley Reading, 1962.
4. CIA, Psychology of Intelligence Analysis, Chapter 10, https://www.cia.gov/library/center-for-the-study-…

· In America, 3500 – 4000 churches close their doors each year
· Half of all churches last year did not add one new member through conversion growth
· Churches lose an estimated 2,765,000 people each year to nominalism and secularism

Furthermore, in Europe Christian Research has previously suggested that churches may be heading for extinction by 2040 – with just two per cent of the population attending Sunday services and the average age of congregations rising to 64. (2)

And when it comes to the "the traditional means of communication," as previously stated there are many ways to communicate the message and I believe preaching is primary mode. However as I mentioned we do live in a visual world and are a Post-Literate Society. I've been apart of Marketing and Advertising Focus Groups which fully back up that statement. But will throw in something more Scientific and Mesasuarable. Basic knowledge is learned through one of the 5 senses and is the primary method used by academia day in and day out.

· Seeing 83 percent
· Hearing 11 percent
· Touching 3 ½ percent
· Smelling 1 ½ percent
· Tasting 1 percent

Now the U.S. Department of Health, Education and Welfare has shown that we learn best by doing.
People learn best when they hear, see and do. People generally remember: (3)(4)

· 10% of what they read
· 20% of what they hear
· 30% of what they see
· 50% of what they hear and see
· 70 % of what they say as they talk
· 80-90% of what they hear, see and do

1. George Barna, Twentysomethings Struggle to Find Their Place in Christian Churches, http://www.barna.org/
2. Ekllesia, February 28, 2006 Survey, http://www.wwrn.org/article.php?idd=20629&sec…
3. Kline’ M., Mathematics, A Cultural Approach, AdisonWesley Reading, 1962.
4. CIA, Psychology of Intelligence Analysis, Chapter 10, https://www.cia.gov/library/center-for-the-study-…

Good post….I'm really looking forward to Cultivate. I love its size, and I think we are going to have some really great discussions among each other.

I'm a part of the PCUSA, and if I'm correct, they were the fastest declining denomination last year. I'm sure there are many reasons for that, but one of the reasons I believe was failure to be more creative in how we communicate God's Word, rather than spending that time locked up in political battles over the Book of Order. But that's just my two cents.

I have always loved St. Francis maxim to "preach the gospel at all times, and if necessary use words." I've heard many critique that before as if it implies that words are important…but I think St. Francis gets at the heart of the matter, in that our actions, those things that people see us do, speak as loud as anything we can say.

Rhett

Curious – where do you find the stat about so many churches closing their doors?

Also I"m not sure I would agree that the "traditional means is not effective." – "Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God" – curious how that text "plays" in to our method. We need to be sure that our teaching is from the text, and we are preaching the text not preaching illustrations, or stories.

What makes me sad is that no matter how industrialized we have become, our current landscape is very similar to Christ time. Back then culture was Pre-Christian and Pre-Literate. Today we are Post-Christian and Post-Literate. Hum! People are not picking up books and are turing to screens and images.

Not sure what Paul would think of this, but I have a feeling he would be analyzing it to death.  And would probably say, we live by faith not by sight (2 Cor 5:7)  Yet I think of what Jesus would think or even do for that matter.  The key for the communication of the word is as poignant now more than ever. No matter how you cut it, Jesus was a master "narrowcaster." He would reach into culture by telling memorable stories, often with humble imagery, each with a single message to appeal to certain demographics of people. The end of the day everyone walked away with a nugget; a memorable moment. Those moments today can come in many shape, sizes and colors.

I was trying to make the point that traditional means or mode of communication is not effective. And see a day that if no radical moves are taken to be more culturally relevant than the Church will continue to slide. So how do we communicate the saving grace of our Lord in this new age? I’m not sure, I do think there needs to be more diversification in our method of communication. We live in a PULL verse PUSH culture now. People regardless want what they want, when they want it.
What we cannot do is not remove the inspired word or the book because we need that as the point of continual reference.

Additionally believe we’ll always need to preach the word. But I firmly believe diversification (through as many avenues as possible) is the key to reach people today.