Moving in a Forward Direction

Learning is swiftly shifting to an interactive, global, anytime, anywhere, multimedia experience with countless sources available to explore and test. The experience is unlike the intellectually passive experience of the print and broadcast era.

This digital era will move faith communities in a more participatory direction, demanding substantial changes and new skills for Christian leaders. Ministers, preachers, and worship leaders will have to descend from the high stage and bright lights of the MTV broadcast era and rediscover ways for worshippers to participate in the experience other than just singing.

Buffalo and cattle handle storms in revealing fashion. Cattle turn and run. Buffalo turn their heads into the oncoming storm and face it. When the whitewater rafter hits the rapids he doesn’t slow down, procrastinate and backup. He paddles forward and keeps moving.

Here’s the charge leaders must determinedly pursue: to put their faces, not their backs, to the future and move in the “unfamiliar” forward direction. In these emerging times the chief advantage lies with the offense (anticipatory leadership) not the defense (reactive leadership).