trends

3 days with Stephen Mansfield this week. Day 1 we discussed 10 current trends that are transforming culture. Found it to be pretty insightful.  

Here are the trends:
1. There is an ongoing liberation in terms of what religion is.
-7 in 10 Americans believe that more than 1 religion provides a path to God.
-Jesus is just a part of their religion along with a buffet of other philosophies.

2. The most vibrant Christianity is non-white.
-revival is happening in Asia, Africa, and Latin America in major ways.
-the center of Christianity is shifting to be somewhere between Africa and Asia

3. Entire nations will change because of immigration movements of Islamic people. Here is an interesting video talking about this.

4. People are emotionally Christian, but not intellectually Christian.
-people flock to the church, but fail to understand basic biblical truths.
-churches have reverted to making Christians rather than making disciples.

5. Mainstreaming of faith as a theme
-rappers who talk about drinking beer and selling dope, then thank “God” for making him successful.
-television and movies that portray “faith” as something cool, compromising truth.

6. Something about denominations. My tiny brain blew a fuse.

7. Rise of neo-paganism
-a rise of people who do not believe in God.

8. resurgence of the religious left
-the religious right include conservative Christians.
-the religious left are people who consider themselves as religious, but hold liberal positions on various issues in society.

9. In 15 years church attendance in America will be 1/2 of what it is now.

10. Formal religious institutions are not the primary place that people find spirituality.
-people are looking for spirituality online and in small groups at local coffee shops.
-people are looking to get away from the “traditional” church, or what they understand the “traditional church” to be.

I am a missionary to the United States.  Anyone else want to be a missionary to my nation?