I am currently awaiting the publication of an article I wrote related to the kinds/areas of cultural change that need to occur within the church. These areas will be addressed more fully when that article is hopefully published. But in the meantime, here are the areas addressed that I believe need to be considered in doing cultural change.
Be watching for more in these areas. Also make any suggestions you might have in the comments.
McNair
14 Areas for Cultural Change
1. The typical worship service
2. Who is invited to friendship
3. Religious education/faith development - practice
4. Religious education/faith development - goals
5. Religious education/faith development - outcomes
6. Affirming what should be affirmed in our culture
7. Facilitating presence of persons with disabilities
8. Providing opportunities for involvement/roles
9. Creating platforms for prophetic voices
10. Seeing needs and addressing them
11. Understanding programs versus relationships
12. Evangelizing people with disabilities and discipling them
13. Broadening acceptable social skills in the church
14. Ecumenical cooperation in supporting people with disabilities and their families
Be watching for more in these areas. Also make any suggestions you might have in the comments.
McNair
Posts
4 comments:
Thanks for this post! Looking forward to the article. My thought is less of a "what" cultural change is needed but more of a "how" they culture can change. It has been in my experience (at least in evangelical churches) that the lead pastor of a church must embody these cultural values in their preaching, understanding of scripture, and heart. Without the full support from the top leadership, the efforts are likely to remain on the margins.
I think those are great examples of areas that need cultural change in the church. As I was reading a few blog posts of yours, I appreciated your strong opinion that was included in each post and I also liked using the opinion that I have created from all of the information that you have provided to us during the time in your class as well as in the other blog posts to really think about each of the areas that you deemed needs change. After finishing Church and Disabilities 1-2, I learned very quickly that the churches that I have been involved with are excusing themselves by being "open" to individuals with disabilities who are able to get themselves there. After talking to a few pastors, I realized there is practically nothing that is facilitating any involvement. They are proud of those who have disabilities involved in their congregation currently, but I did not see any supports facilitating this involvement for any individual who are not able to do it themselves. The fact that they are proud of something that is cheating others is mind blowing, so I believe that should be the focus of culture change in the church.
I appreciated the points you brought up as far as areas that need change within churches. Some that stood out to me most and that I see a need for in my own church are those of changing the typical worship service and broadening acceptable social skills in the church. I think these two concepts correlate quite a bit. If worship services could perhaps involve more of a sensory environment, I think that would benefit persons with disabilities. This would require that different types of social skills be deemed acceptable within the worship setting. True worship is focused on the Creator and His glory, that is the main requirement.
It has been in my experience (at least in evangelical churches) that the lead pastor of a church must embody these cultural values in their preaching, I think these two concepts correlate quite a bit. If worship services could perhaps involve more of a sensory environment, I think that would benefit persons with disabilities.
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