Church in the Wild: How to Reach Nones and Dones
Featuring Michael Beck
Air Date: February 2, 2022
W
e live on a new and uncharted frontier. The land of the so-called “nones and dones” -- the “de-churched and the no-churched.” “Nones” is a term used to describe people who claim no religious affiliation or practice. “Dones” describes people who once practiced a religion, but no longer do. The “nones” are the fastest-growing group in USAmericanited States. In 2021 fewer than half of Americans identified as belonging to a house of worship for the first time.
We have built it, and they have not come. Churches have been largely focused on competing for the dwindling population of “already Christians.” In some ways we have neglected the larger opportunity of forming new Christian community with the “spiritual but not religious.
In Painting with Ashes, experienced practitioner and thought leader, Dr. Michael Beck, calls for a “Church in the Wild.” In this webinar he will present practical frameworks, principles, and practices to cultivate “fresh expressions of church” in the “wild” with this growing demographic of “nones and dones.” It’s focused on forming new forms of church with the spiritually open in the places where they do life. Christians can find a fuller life in Jesus by cultivating these new Christian communities in their everyday spaces and rhythms.
The Webinar
This free webinar describes the state of the church in America today and what church leaders need to do to begin to reach those who need the gospel of Jesus Christ, yet who may never come in the door of a traditional, "inherited" church environment. Click below to listen to this one hour webinar for free:
Key points
- For many churchgoers, following Jesus is like playing basketball without a hoop, or soccer without goal posts. You pass the ball, but to no purpose. After a while you get bored, wander off the court or field, and melt into the crowd walking by. Often Christians merge into everyday life and become discipled by the world. Cultivating contextual communities can give a focus to our Christian lives.
- Discipleship is the lifelong journey of becoming a “little Christ,” someone who lives, walks, talks, and loves like Jesus.
- Jesus’ discipleship took place in the ordinary places and rhythms where life happened.
- We must reconnect the Great Commandment to “love God and neighbor” (Matt 22:35-40) with the Great Commission “as you go make disciples of all nations (Matt 28: 18-20).
- Many Christians today articulate feeling like something is lacking in their faith. They want to impact their communities, friends, and loved ones in meaningful ways but feel like “church” is in some ways confining.
- Discipleship means as we grow in our faith, we long to share it with others. It is “missional.” It must eventually focus on cultivating community with others. Churches in the wild give us a vehicle for this.
- This webinar is filled with practical examples that make the principles and practices real.
About the Speaker
Rev. Dr. Michael Beck is a United Methodist minister, professor, and author. He came to faith as a street-kid, redeemed by Jesus from a life of incarceration and addiction. He serves two traditional United Methodist congregations in North Central FL in which his laity have cultivated a network of new Christian communities throughout the area. Michael also serves as the Director of Fresh Expressions Florida, Director of the Fresh Expressions House of Studies at United Seminary, and Director of ReMissioning for Fresh Expressions US. He is the author of seven books, including his latest Painting with Ashes. Michael helps church leaders across the globe follow Jesus in new and exciting ways.
About the Book
In Painting with Ashes, Michael Beck tells his raw and powerful story of overcoming addiction and becoming a pastor on a mission to rethink church as a healing community that is safe, accessible, and real. Through his story and stories of others who transformed their weakness into their superpower, Painting with Ashes will inspire you to reimagine faith and remind you that the experiences you most want to hide or erase are the very experiences that God uses to bring healing to others.
A can’t-put-down, gut-wrenching story that I couldn’t recommend more, Michael Beck’s Painting with Ashes shows how God brings beauty out of the most desperate places. By weaving his story together with that of others who rose from difficult circumstances, Beck proves that each one of us is qualified to become a wounded healer. Beck also exposes what not just we, but also the church can be at our best. It is a necessary book for anyone looking to find their place in God’s story and teach others to do the same.
