wfn.org | [PCUSANEWS] Church called to lead a reformation in the electronic

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Note #8636 from PCUSA NEWS to PRESBYNEWS:

05071
February 3, 2005

Church called to lead a reformation in the electronic revolution, futurist
tells APCE

Rewired brains require new ways of learning, communicating, Sweet says

by Jerry L. Van Marter

VANCOUVER - Because it seems to be part of Presbyterians' genetic makeup to
lead reformations, renowned United Methodist futurist Leonard Sweet said here
today, they should be leading the current worldwide digital transformation.

	So why aren't they? Sweet asked the 900 North American Presbyterians
gathered here for the annual conference of the Association of Presbyterian
Church Educators (APCE). "Those who master the current media form to the
greatest degree have the most trouble moving on to the next form," he said.
"Presbyterians have so mastered the book culture they seem now to be the most
challenged by the electronic revolution."

	That revolution, he continued, "is completely rewiring our brains ...
changing forever the ways we learn and know."

	Sweet outlined four key elements of the electronic revolution - it's
experiential, participatory, image-rich and connectional - and said the
church must embrace this acronymical EPIC if it is to be a transformational
force in the world.

	The greatest cultural metaphor for this revolution - and how to
creatively adapt to it, he said - is Starbucks. "Why are we willing to spend
$3 for a cup of coffee that we would only spend 50¢ for 20 years ago?" he
asked.

	"It's because they're not selling you a cup of coffee, they're
selling you the experience of coffee," Sweet insisted. As Americans have
become more isolated from each other, Starbucks has willingly become the
country's "front porch" - a place where people feel they belong and can "just
hang out," he said.

	"You see," he continued, "the culture has no problem believing in
things. It just believes in the wrong things and is desperately hungry for an
experience of the transcendent. The Bible doesn't say, 'Intellectually
comprehend that the Lord is good.' It says, 'Taste and see that the Lord is
good.' Starbucks understands that concept. The church has forgotten it."

	To a chorus of groans from the crowd, Sweet said "reality" television
is here to stay. "Digital culture is participatory. Television is passive.
What we're seeing with reality TV is the digital revolution transforming the
medium of television." Interactivity in media means that success will
increasingly be measured "not by the quality of the performance but by the
quality of the participation."

	And images have replaced words as the conveyors of meaning, Sweet
continued. "Every Starbucks cup looks the same, all the stores have the same
look and feel - they don't need to tell you anything with words. Same with
Nike - you see the swoosh and that's all you need to know."

	Therefore, Sweet said, "every church should have an image statement.
There is no logos without the logo."

	And finally, he told the educators, "the church must rediscover that
it is in the 'connection' business." Starbucks' willingness to be America's
new "front porch" and its success at being the connecting point in countless
communities should be a lesson to the church that there is a desperate need
for connection, for relationship. "And when the church fails to provide that
connection, the culture will surely find ways to do it instead of us. ...
Just look at Dr. Phil and Oprah."

	The church must give people experiences of God, because people are
going after the wrong experiences, Sweet said. Further, the church must
create participatory experiences that connect people with each other in
meaningful relationship. "Ask your young people whether they find more
meaningful connection in their Internet chat rooms on Saturday night or in
the pews of your church on Sunday morning."

	And the church must give the culture the right images, Sweet said,
"because we're dying as a result of all the wrong ones.

	"God didn't send us a principle, God sent us a person. God didn't
send us rules, God sent us a redeemer. And God didn't send us a statement,
but a savior who invites us all into a relationship and an experience of
God."

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