0 5 ù/ I 1 \ ¿ 0 ho s Technology and the Local Church: A Planning and Utilization Manual Jerold A. Garber February,20û1 In partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Doctor of Ministry O 2001 by Jerold A. Ga¡ber i885 This professional project completed by JnnOr¡ A. GARBER has been presented to and accepted by the faculty of Claremont School of Theology in partial fulfillment of the requirements of the DOCron oF MINISTRY Faculty Committee Jack Coogan, Chairperson Marjorie Suchocki Dean of the Faculty John R. Fitzmier May 2001 Due to extenuating circumstances, final edits were not completed for this project. !la- Abstract N{Y STORY: AN ADVENTURE IN FTEARING AND TELLING A Christian Education Curriculum for Young Adults by Robert James Burns Jr. Young adults have, for the most part, been absent from most mainline Protestant churches for the last three decades. This absence stems in part from emphasis on church growth directed at families with young children, and in part from a lack of recognition on the part oflocal churches that young adults have changed from one generation to the next. There is a growing awareness of the unique characteristics of the thirteenth generation which comprise most of today's young adult population, although almost no curriculum resources have been designed for use with these unchurched young adults. Storytelling is emerging in general education as well as religious education as an instructional method. Biblical storytelling is an effective way to communicate tradition as well as address the specific needs of young adults such as need for community, feelings of isolation, and an understanding of selÊworth and value. Ministry to young adults in the thirteenth generation is not only mandated by the Great Commandment, but it also is a necessity if the Church is to transform into an organization that can remain viable in the twenty-first century. This project develops a curriculum for unchurched young adults for use as an extension ministry of the local church. The focus is on persons born between 1961 and 1981 who have no connection with the Church. Characteristics of this unique generation are presented aiong with faith development models in order to design a curriculum that will meet the needs and developmental stages of young adults. Biblicai stories are chosen that address the issues that seem most often to surface in analysis of this young aduit audience. Development of a storytelling theology is presented and biblical exegesis and exposition of the stories used in the curriculum is provided as a study guide. Suggestions for implementing the use of the curriculum, in order to reach young adults outside the church, are provided in the concluding chapter, ,/ lo, sl' P Table of Contents Celebrating the Stories: Theolory nnd Techno|ogyr....i...,.......i,r.......,,..... 1 A Theological Perspective......... I A Social Perspective 4 Add Does Not Mean Eliniinate.. 6 A Histtrrical Persp ective 8 ....1û v) .,., t¿ t4 Refining the Plan.... t6 Planning the Shoot l8 Ðivisions of Labor.. t9 Pre-Production Planning... 20 )) Production Checklist Production Planning ¿J Into the "Field" 28 Remembering the Journeys 30 The Video Interview.,........ 33 Successful Interviewing.... 38 The Intervi€wee..,,..,......,.. 47 Last Minute Checks.......... 49 Roll to Record 50 Editing s2 Shnring the Traditíon............ 56 + Videofrorn the Sanctuary..,....... 59 The Sänctuary Crew 63 A Sumrnarized Sanctuary Production ........... 65 Project............... ........r......... Assembling a ...............¡ 61 Elements of Editing, 67 Audio and Music 7t Production and Editing Terms ...... 74 Video Termino|ogy .....,.......,........ 76 Keep the ïape......... 83 Extending the Reach; The Internet 85 aaa.ra.aa..raaa....r....a.a.raaaarar..laaaa¡a..rr..ar.arrar Identity on the Intemet 85 Uniqueness............... 87 A Clrurch Home Page........" 89 An Inexpensive Start 90 Internet Servrce Providers ^Y1I Web Site Ingredients Y¿ Maintenance and Administration .. 95 . 97 Congregation as Crew 97 Rotation and Training 99 Pride and Conflicts.... 103 ì/ iii 0P Credits and Slatcs. t09 Graphics and Logos lt0 il1 Managing Post-Production .............. The Technologr Task Force at Work....,r..,.r.¡r¡a.... 115 Thc Task Force in the Church Structure... .,115 1r8 + .124 Quality Control 125 Internal Communication "............... Ç|ossûry...,..r..r.........r...r...'.....i.*'.r¡rr Appendices .......... ..rttt.rr.rtr.......tti...trr!..t........r'. I 31 Btbliography ............r....¡....r..r....r,.... or ìv V Table of Contents Page ChaPter .1 Introduction .1 1 Problem .1 Importance .5 Thesis .8 Brief SurveY of Literature . 11 Scope and Limitations ' 72 Integration .12 ABrief Summary . '. 14 1 TheAudience . 16 A Theory of Generations 21 The Automatic Generation 31 Religious and Faith DeveloPment 38 Implications for Curriculum Development 48 J What is a Story? 51 Toward a TheologY of Story 56 Structure and AnalYsis 59 Curriculum Limitations 61 Story as Strata 67 4 The Biblical Stories 67 The Process 69 Criteria for Story Selection 71 Primeval Stories 78 Stories of God's PeoPle ' 84 Parables of Jesus 94 5 Tfuhfye SC,uortyri c-u- lAunm A.dventure in Hearing and Telling .94 .94 About the Program .99 Session One - Beginnings 105 Session Two - Practice, Practice, Practice 108 Session Three - Who Can You Trust? r12 Session Four - What About Cot'enants? 'lilho ' 116 Session Five - Was That Stranger? ' 720 Session Six - Coming Home 1ll a t23 6. Conclusions 123 Ove¡¿iew t24 Successes 725 Failures 12',1 The HoPe We Have . 129 BibliograPhY * tv I Chapter Celebrating the Stories: Theology and Technology We live in tirnes when talk of the decline in church rnembership, at least in the mainline denominations, is cornmonplace. Mairfine Protestant denominations have been in steady decline fcrr nearþ a generation. In contrast to receiving a ne\Ã/ member group of62 people, most pastors today rejoice if they are able to welcome a half dozen new members, and more often than not, these new meml¡ers are apt to be transfers from other churches, not new recruits professing faith for the first time.l Much has been written on the subject and nrany re&sons have been suggested for the dçcline. Some have attributed the problern to a general shift away fiom religious concerns on the part of Americans. Others have pointed to rapidly growing non- denominational churches and suggested a return to more "conservative" values. Still others have said the decline is largely due to the fact that worship styles have not materially changed in hundreds of years and have, therefore, not kept up with a rapidly changing society. I beiieve the latter thought hits closest to the mark. Congregations need to change the way they do things if they are going to reach and hold onto the new generaticns. This especiaþ true about worship styles.2 It may well.be that the willingness to try ne\ry v/ays of doing things is the only thing that will reverse the steady decline. "Where there is no vision the people perish."3 We live in a world that we have come to understand as perpetually changing. From instant to instant nothing remains the same in modern society. Change is so ' Roger S. Nichoison, ed., ix' E !.lq¡h¡ , Þ. A.J I Atbq'. t¿ J ix 2 Nicholson, x. ? 3 Provcrbs 29:18 KIV. I