from Ed Stetzer
The Dangerous Church in 2010
Cautions
1. Don't Believe the Hype.
Many who promote bad news have a program to fix it.
If those that tell you have a need and then try to sell you the solution, you should be cynical.
For example, people keep telling me the era of the megachurch is over. They have data. They say this is the final year. And, then this year there were more than last year. You have to have over 7000 weekend attendees to qualify to be in our LifeWay Research / Outreach top 100 list (it was in the 5000s three years ago).
Well, turns out that they don't like megachurches. Like it or not, your current views impact your future predictions.
2. Be more cynical.
Too many believe the "next big thing" will fix the church. Instead, we need to be more cynical.
The church will not solve all its problems by emerging, having 5 purposes, moving into a house, or announcing itself missional. And, we tend to just be too ready to believe these things contain all the answers.
3. Be People of Issachar (1 Chronicles 12:32).
-There are trends we can and should watch.
I always like the name that Leadership Network used to use, "Scouts for the Emerging Church." They don't like to talk about that phrase as much today, but we need to be constantly looking for where God is at work so we can join him in it. Or, to quote my friend Reggie McNeal, we need to look at the present future.
-Skate Where the Puck Is.
Too many look at the trends and think they understand today-- they skate where the puck is. That is a start.
But, I think it is more than knowing today. We have to look into the future. (To quote Gretzky: we skate where the puck is going to be.)
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