I love myself…now change me
I’m reading through Barna’s recent research and thought I’d share some insight from the first theme:
- Americans are very satisifed with themselves … and they want to change
- Growth is not planned but a result of spontaneous experiments
- People desire to be a part of the mainstream but they don’t want to lose the feeling of self
- We want to be connected but we feel very lonely and isolated
So what to do with this information?
Think about the first two on Sunday as you stare into your congregation wondering if anyone is listening. Remember that though it may not seem like it they are looking for change, but it will happen spontaneously and when they have a sense that it is good for them. Also ask yourself what types of opportunities for spontaneous experiments are you creating?
The next two points shows that even though we are very into ourselves we want to be a part of a whole. We tend to do a great job at creating the whole (small groups, marriage retreats, dinner with friends) but I wonder if we try to make everyone the same instead of celebrating our differences. If people want to connect, while not losing the feeling of self, and are feeling lonely could there be a pull between the two? In order to connect do we, the church, require people to be just like us?
What else can we learn from this information? I look forward to digging through the rest of the report and maybe we’ll talk about the rest of the findings later on.
