Where have all the young people gone The

Where have all the young people gone? ! The Church in New Zealand society

Opening Devotion Matthew 16, verses 13 to 18. Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is? ” And they said, “Some say John the Baptist, others say Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets. ” He said to them, “But who do you say that I am? ” Simon Peter replied, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God. ” And Jesus answered him, “Blessed are you, Simon, Son of Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven. And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates

Outline of our Lenten Studies We are exploring the Church, and particularly the Church in contemporary Western society, in our society. We will join together for 5 sessions that will seek to address theology, issues, pains, joys and hopes of the contemporary picture. First Session The Church is Declining Second Session The Church is Transforming Third Session The Church is Alive Fourth Session The Church is Here Fifth Session The Church is Relational.

Facing Facts Numbers Affiliated with Christianity 2500000 2000000 1500000 1000000 500000 0 1996 2001 Christians in New Zealand 2006 Anglicans in New Zealand 2013 No Religion

Facing Facts Denominations in New Zealand 700, 000 600, 000 500, 000 400, 000 300, 000 200, 000 100, 000 0 1996 2001 2006 Roman Catholic Anglican Presbyterian Baptist Pentecostal Evangelical 2013 Methodist

Facing Facts The Anglican Position – 200, 000 down in under 20 years 650, 000 600, 000 550, 000 500, 000 450, 000 400, 000 1996 2001 2006 2013

Facing Facts If Current Trends Continue… 90. 00% 80. 00% 70. 00% 60. 00% 50. 00% 40. 00% 30. 00% 20. 00% 10. 00% 1996 2001 2006 2013 Christian 2017 2021 Anglican 2025 2029 2033 Non Religious 2037 2041

What has changed… Anglican and Roman Catholic 650, 000 • It is easy to become despondent looking at numbers like these. • These numbers are the result of centuries of changes. 600, 000 550, 000 500, 000 450, 000 400, 000 1996 Anglican 2001 2006 2013 Roman Catholic • In the comparison with relative strength of Roman Catholics, however, we begin to see clues to a particularly Western social reality.

What has changed in your lifetime? Think over the period of your life to all the things that have happened, have changed and developed. Which of these do you think have most affected Parish life and the place of our faith in society? For example: the Car, the Internet, the World Wars, global travel, scientific theories and discoveries…

Has ‘Man come of Age’? “Man has learnt to deal with himself in all questions of importance without recourse to the "working hypothesis" called "God. " In questions of science, art, and ethics this has become an understood thing at which one now hardly dares to tilt. But for the last hundred years or so it has also become increasingly true of religious questions; it is becoming evident that everything gets along without "God“ and, in fact, just as well as before. ” rich. Bonhoeffer, Lettersand. Papersfrom. Prison, pp. 324 -329

What Does it Mean to have “Come of Age” Bonhoeffer argues that humankind has been under the tutelage of God for much of its existence. We have sought wisdom where we have known limitation. In the past two centuries, humankind has begun to advance to a ‘maturity’, much the same way a teenager begins to drift from their parents tutelage as they begin to understand the world, so we have with God. We are now in a place where must people do not contemplate the possible place of God. Not even the ‘big’ questions of life, death, meaning and purpose necessitate God for many people today.

What is the consequence? “…Christian apologetics has taken the most varied forms of opposition to this self-assurance. Efforts are made to prove to a world thus come of age that it cannot live without the tutelage of "God. " Even though there has been surrender of all secular problems, there still remain the so-called "ultimate questions” death, guilt - to which only "God" can give an answer, and because of which we need God and the church and the pastor. So we live, in some degree, on these so-called ultimate question of humanity. But what if one day they no longer exist as such, if they too can be answered "without God"? ” 329 Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Letters and Papers from Prison, pp. 324 -

The Challenge of this… Bonhoeffer was a devoted Christian. He believed God was real and a knowable presence in the world. The god that ‘immature’ humankind worshipped was never the true God, instead a projection of our insecurities, and answer for our fears – he was the solution to our ignorance. The Church benefited from this for centuries, and tapped into this essential religiosity of humankind. That tap is now beginning to run dry, as people no longer look to God for answers to even the great questions of death and guilt, instead finding answers in themselves or

The Challenge of this… What does it mean to preach the good news in a world that is not concerned about eternal salvation? Can our own faith sustain these changes? Is our faith based more on God as the answer to a question, than on God as a knowable reality? What does Christian evangelism and apologetics look like when God is no longer the answer to the questions people are asking? What are the questions people are asking?

Do we know them to find out? Age Demographic - Whangarei District 0 to 4 5 to 14 15 to 24 25 to 44 45 to 64 65 and Over

Our mission begins and ends with relationship! God is more than an answer to a question we can’t answer. God cares as much about the person who doesn’t believe as he does about the one who believes. When we have a relationship with the God we find in Jesus Christ, our relationship with the world can’t help but change. Our relationship with others is where our faith becomes tangible – do you engage with people differently

What are our barriers? This is all sounds easy enough, but it is harder than any other form of mission the world has seen. Even the martyrs of ancient Rome had a religious audience who wanted to hear the new message. Can we accept the world has changed? Can we accept people who aren’t like us? Can we accept the Church’s most glorious days (in a worldly sense) are behind it? Can we accept that it is upon our generations that this mission has fallen, without abandoning our responsibility

How do we overcome them? It is our calling as a parish within the Anglican tradition to sit and prayerfully consider how we respond to this world, a world we are both well and ill equipped to deal with. How as a Parish do you believe we can: Overcome our obstacles? Find the questions our District is asking and how we can respond? Find news ways of being together that may reach out to the different demographic of this place?

The challenge of Ecclesial Grief Churches have a spirit of their own (Revelation 1 -3) These are often a type of personality that is greater than the sum of its parts. What are some of the church ‘personalities’ you have known through your time?

The challenge of Ecclesial Grief History and events influence the character of a church community greatly. This is particularly true of churches with great histories, or glorious pasts. This history can be a wonderful thing, it can also be a great burden that slowly destroys communities. When you think of your church community, do you think to what can be in the future, or what has been in the past? What are the pros and cons of this?

The past as a blackhole The history of the Parish of Whangarei is powerful and grand. It has been a centre of the diocese, a centre of learning, a centre of community for the city, a place with many clergy and a centre of life and fellowship. Do you believe it is still these things? What true? does it mean for you, and for us all, if it is no longer If we focus solely on our past and look with frustration at our present this community will not survive!

The past as inspiration This is a parish that has done a great deal of good for this city! Where have we been effective in the past at reaching people? Where have we been a loved part of the community of Whangarei? How can be reinvigorate these areas for mission to the city and district once again? If we look on our present as a gift from God, and the future

The hope in Whangarei Religious Affiliation in Whangarei 40000 35000 30000 25000 20000 15000 10000 5000 0 2011 2015 Christian Anglican There are some 8, 691 people who claim a link with the Anglican Church in this district! Do you know them?

Do not lose hope Fear We is not a place from which to act. are not being asked to save the Church. are being asked to participate in a mission that God leads and that God will bring to fruition.

Next Week In the next session we will explore how the Church is responding to these changing realities How have new church movements affected our understanding of Christian spirituality and God? How might we look if we were to respond openly to the call of God to mission?