June 19, 2012

The Future in Four Parts

Will the Episcopal Church thrive because of social networking sites, or will we wither away because these now serve as an effective alternative to Church? Will our congregations, schools, and camps and conference centers be a refuge to those who have been isolated by these new technologies, or will these institutions simply become irrelevant in the hyper-individualism of our uber-connected world?

The short answer, it appears, is “yes.”

These questions are based on a new resource found on the Episcopal Camps and Conference Centers website called “Building the Continuum: Scenarios for the Future of Episcopal Faith Formation.” Reflecting the input of 70 leaders from across the Episcopal Church, this document offers up four “scenarios” on what the future of our congregations, schools, and camps and conference centers might look like. Interestingly, all four scenarios exclusively focus on the rise of technology.

I’ve briefly summarized the four scenarios below, but be sure to check out page six of the following document for their full descriptions:

  • Christian Formation institutions engage and are enhanced by new technologies: The best case scenario is one in which our Christian Formation institutions use new technologies and social media to “inspire lifelong disciples who are actively engaged in transforming the world.”
  • The rise of new technologies ultimately leads to disengagement with Christian Formation institutions: A growing distrust for organized religion and the abundance of meaningful online communities ultimately results in most people disengaging from our institutions.
  • Christian Formation institutions remain disengaged from new technologies and therefore become increasingly marginalized: Our institutions struggle to find their place amidst the hyper-individualism of a hyper-connected world and become increasingly marginalized.
  • Christian Formation institutions engage people isolated by new technologies:Our institutions deliberately commit to serving as an alternative to the hyper-individualism of our hyper-connected world, helping people to “rediscover creation and the natural world” and “develop new relational abilities and bridge cultural and economic divisions.”

Not only do all four scenarios seem probable, but I believe all four are taking place even as we speak. Episcopal congregations may recognize themselves as alternating between these four scenarios from one day to the next. So how do our Episcopal congregations, schools, camps and conference centers adapt?

After laying out the four scenarios, this guide goes on to offer tips and resources for institutions that find themselves in any (or all) of these scenarios. There are some practical ideas for engaging technologies but there is also a guide for institutions wanting to wrap their minds around the opportunities and challenges that these new technologies represent.

Like any resource, of course, the document has its strengths and drawbacks. (For instance, it’s nearly 70 pages long, so I’d suggest saving your printer ink and read it online.) That said, I think this guide may serve as an effective catalyst for conversations about the future of Christian formation, but it can also generally serve as a starting point for reflecting on how new technologies are changing the face of the Church.