Carl Westerlund
Barbara and I visited Seoul, Korea. We saw virtually no houses, only clusters of high-rise apartments -- most of them being 21-50 stories high. My reaction was – how does the church reach these for Jesus Christ. The little church on the corner probably will not accomplish that.
Booming World Population
My second reaction was what do we do to prepare for changes in our own world. Increasing world population will affect our culture. Here are some estimates from Wikipedia.
*World Population Prospects 2017 (United Nations Population Division)
**We need to think how current trends impact the church.
Land Availability:**
Increased population results in more expensive land. When I was first in the pastorate, I would jog by houses and wonder how people could afford them at $30,000. Today those same houses are being sold for over $800,000. It is all about land. Because of land value, I find many new churches having a hard time finding a place to meet. Many will end up living in high rise buildings, which will have its own culture.
Digital Impact:
CONTENT
Beside the impact of mounting population, we have the impact of the digital age. Much good is coming from it. Many people look to the internet to get content. For example, many obtain college education on-line. In the Christian world many are substituting internet Bible teaching for attending church. While getting content is good, the internet does not substitute for the body life of church.
LONELINESS
An impact of the cell phone age can be loneliness. Just hearing a voice may be impersonal.
We have increased communication with diminished relationship. So much of communication consists of body language, which can’t be seen without face-to-face contact. Today more people are working out of their homes and shopping by internet. The need for relationship may not best be met at church by looking at the back of people’s heads.