Meeting Change in Culture and Community
Status Quo wouldn’t be an accurate description of American culture today. In fact, “status quo” is short for “status quo ante bellum,” or “the state before the war.” Status quo is not just how things are today, but a return to things as they once were– whether that is something we want for our culture or not, we won’t be returning to the previous economy, previous credibility in church life, a previous morality or any other old characteristic of our culture. While we might “retro” some fashion or style, that isn’t a real change in our culture, rather just a costume that reflects another era.
When culture and community undergo significant and rapid change, Alvin Toffler identified the human experience as “future shock,” (1970). Our rapid transition from modern to post-modern, local to glocal, leverage to value economy (article), religious tradition to adherence comprised of “freelancers,” has left leaders, structures and followers alike either staggering from the effect or paralyzed with inaction. Failing to adapt to change quickly, we can be left ineffective and culturally impotent.
We must choose whether we want to be “future shocked,” or embrace change with foresight and leadership that is rooted in a sense of confident hope.
If we are effective leaders, we will have to help our calcified institutions adapt quickly and our shell shocked constituents to make effective changes that lead toward a healthier future. In some cases, we will have to abandon completely the modalities that are no longer fit for our mission. The pace of change that is occurring will surely make extinct those institutions that cannot adapt with renewed value and credibility. In the same way, personal impacts among those we serve can be debilitating, rendering those who were effective in days gone by as redundant and ineffective unless we guide them into new and meaningful roles.
Among people that we are called to lead, we cannot allow them to become victims of either planned or unplanned obsolescence, and it is our leadership, and the one in whom we trust that will give them the courage to change. Here are some areas where we can help our organizations and followers embrace the future:
Change across categories- the era of the portable resume and trusted institutions turned junk bond, is allowing us to cross into in categories of service. Business as mission, community service as ministry and a whole variety of connections are occurring that are going to open vast new communities to those who are willing to connect in new ways.
Reach out to those close and far culturally. The change that is sweeping our society opens new opportunities to reach across cultural differences. Some who were culturally distant f, aren’t so far any more. What’s more, we can learn much from encounters with those whose culture is foreign to our own.
Have compassion, but don’t abandon reality. People have been dramatically impacted by economic and culture changes, and that is going to continue. We need to help those who are part of the human toll of change to recover their equilibrium, but we also have to help them deal with the new world around them so they are productive instead of just sentimental.
Discover radical new opportunities. Transition brings opportunity, and with a little confidence we can discover new roles and opportunities that will take us places we could have only dreamed about. Since the rules have changed in so many ways, we can now cross lines that hemmed us in before.
The pace and level of change now occurring in the American culture is allowing those who have a redemptive worldview and purpose to engage people and opportunities that were not open before. New elements of our communities are now open to us, and if we can see with renewed vision given by the creator, we will find doors and whole vistas that have now opened before our eyes.
7 Responses to “Meeting Change in Culture and Community”
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This new site is rockin!
Dave, what a transformation! I love the new site because of its layout, ease of use, information isn’t so buried, and the graphics are amazing!
Hats off to you and the work you are doing! Now you have a website that matches your excellent trainings!
Dr. Mike
Thank you
I enjoyed building it with him!
The assumption that culture change comes from a successful implementation of a community outreach may actually prove a church’s undoing. I would like to hear some examples where a church was able to change a culture that was not already willing or looking for change?
David
Thanks for constantly encouraging everyone! Thanks for all the ways you share your wisdom~ in such practical ways. I love the new layout!
I am not well in english, but i understand Community and Culture it reminds me about Jesus and Paul.
congrats to bring the change and to give the peace to web community.
solomon
In my experience, the Church that Jesus’ founded may be reshaped by its encounter with culture, but never undone. Just redone. Being missional is the definition of being a disciple.