The Church in Transition?

[!Fluffy!]

I was doing a little research in response to beckysoup's thread about What's a synod..

I went to my brother's website (he's a LCMS pastor in California) and saw this statement he wrote in the "about" section regarding his church:

spiritually:​

We are in a transitional time as are all “main-stream” congregations in America. Our society and culture is not the same as that of our parent’s world. This post-Christian era challenges Christians to change from the traditional parish ministry of the past toward a truly mission oriented Church. This calls for much more than a change of administrative structure or worship style; it calls believers to re-focus their hearts and re-think their expectations to face the reality of these end times. At CLC we are seeking to do this.
No longer can a believer in Jesus assume that American culture is supportive of their faith or receptive to their values. The world we live in is no longer spiritually benevolent, nor even spiritually ambivalent. Instead, we find our society increasingly malevolent toward the beliefs and values of Christianity. The love we believe in, the love that forms the foundation of our values, must prevail by the strength of spirit living in every believer’s heart. Spiritually, our times challenges us to mature in the precepts of love. God is love. Ultimately, we reach out into the darkness with that light to those who have not heard of this God of love. At CLC, we are seeking to do this.
More esoteric rhetoric and pious palaver? We are not carrying around signs and banners of “DOOM!” or “The End is near!” We are simply heeding the call to be vigilant; to watch and be ready to give an account of our Faith in “evil times.” We do so with genuine joy because we are learning to pursue our spiritual mission with a peace from God that surpasses understanding. What God gives is unaffected by the surrounding circumstances we live in; wealth, poverty, peace, war. However, the mission we pursue must recognize those “circumstances” and address them. At CLC we are searching for God’s guidance to do this!


and I agree, no longer can a believer in Jesus assume that Amerian culture is supportive of their faith or receptive to their values. And that "The world we live in is no longer spiritually benevolent, nor even spiritually ambivalent. Instead, we find our society increasingly malevolent toward the beliefs and values of Christianity".

Any thoughts?

 

[cturne]

I agree. And it's only going to get worse the closer we get to the end times.

 

[PHOTOTAKER]

we live in a time where there is much good and much help needed, the world is not ending but growing, the news media magnifies that bad in ways that are harmful to all of us the news gets us concerned about things we have no control over but we have control by helping our neighbors, the kid down the street or serving our fellow men we can do something in our own communities, this is the Christian way to endure all things until the end. Need not concern yourself about the worlds problems but concern yourself by being prepared and helping you friends be prepared. We live in a glorious time that will prepare the way for the coming of the Lord, even Jesus Christ.

 

[!Fluffy!]

So === what would the new "mission" type of congreatation be like? What will a truly successful church look like? How would it differ from our concept of church, from our parents' kind of church?

I would think, more outreach. More of a street oriented rather than building oriented church. Which to me is the exact opposite of mega-churches like Joel Osteen's, the Crystal Palace, etc.

Any thoughts?

 

[Katzpur]

I liked what your brother had to say, Moon Woman. Thank you for posting that.