Paradigms

The e-mail responses just keep coming. I sent out 1,700 e-mails announcing the new radio show yesterday. The initial response was heartening and now it is picking up momentum.

People are starting to see the plight and get a glance at the pending problems. No family in America has been untouched by the Age Wave and its’ rising tide.

Van Mueller is a mentor of mine. He is a thoughtful and brilliant man not only in area of financial services, but in seeing things clearly and simply. I will adapt a great deal of his Three Paradigms discussion in each broadcast.

I will soon be scheduling public seminars to present the three paradigms and let people get personally involved in how they are going to work through events.

Perhaps we should define paradigm. Dictionary.com gives this definition. “One that serves as a pattern or model.” It is the way one comes to view the world and its’ arrangements. However, if we are not alert and prepared, as the paradigm changes we will be caught in a mess.

For example, when people planned retirement for this time and they were making their plans 30 years ago, which ones anticipate, CATV with 500 channels, internet and Google, cell phones replacing land lines and other technological innovations? They make our lives “better’ but also bring additional costs many were not ready to include in their budget.

Another paradigm shift is how people view and adjust to religious or spiritual matters. Dan Sullivan says it well when he talks about many of the institutions we have come to rely upon are going through revolutionary changes. Along with the family, churches today are being up heaved in constant turmoil. Young adults and teens today do not have the “brand loyalty” to faith and denominations their parents grew up observing.

In New Orleans, near our town, thousands of good, loyal Catholics have had their world rocked by the closing and consolidation of dozens of parishes. There is over $100 million in uninsured property damage and 20% of the Catholic population has not returned.

Another big factor is that it is getting harder each year to recruit young men to the priesthood. Their numbers are dwindling and the ones in place are being affected by the Age Wave- they are getting older and living longer.

Among Protestants, where seem to be two trends in the future. Heading toward the “seeker friendly congregation” like the ones pioneered by Bill Hybels and Rick Warren. Many of these have hi tech but not high touch. They can entertain and give one a jolt of encouragement, but there seems to be missing the call to self sacrifice and seeking first the Kingdom.

Another is smaller, home based groups. These are people who are growing tired or do not find the “organized church” attractive or satisfying. There is more in the way of personal encouragement and accountability in these groups.

As someone who has been in “organized” church for my entire lifetime, I see a group that is on the verge of being ignored. Seniors.

In the Baptist churches in which I have belonged, after the church grows big enough o add staff to the pastor they usually look for some combination of music/youth minister. Very rarely do you find addition of a Senior Adult Pastor in many congregations. However, they are the fastest growing segment of our society and the most loyal members and best givers.

More about this later.