DenverPost.com: Beer's Grip Slips As Tastes Shif

Another way to look at this article could be ... "What can The Beer Industry teach The Church?" It appears the beer industry is facing a mini crisis. People don't like it as much any more. They want more choices. And for a long time the indurstry was cocky, thinking they were king of the hill and their reign would never end. They admit they got complacent. No wait, was this article about the Beer Industry or The Church? Must be the beer industry. I don't think the church has admitted it is complacent yet. There was one quote that stuck out to me: "Young adults are a generation of people who can alter pretty much everything, or at least customize everything to their life style. And beer is beer," said Neal Stewart, marketing director for the Pabst Brewing Co., the nation's fourth-biggest beer producer. "There's different flavors and brands, but with a mixed drink, you can customize that a million different ways." I read Soul Tsunami by Len Sweet a couple of years ago. Actually I borrowed it from The Revinator and never gave it back. Sorry Rev. In it he, that is, Len Sweet, not the Rev, said something to the effect of, and this is a paraphrase from a foggy memory, "this generation ignores everything without a karaoke handle." I'm not even sure it's right to do, but is there a way to put a karaoke handle on church? Is there a way to offer more customized choices? Not choices as in, "Which gospel do you prefer — with or without Jesus?" or "Which holy book do you want to follow?". But what other things could be choices or customizable? I guess if you're not a megachurch or larger church of a couple hundred, you really have to be one size fits all. Which isn't necessarily bad. Be what you are and do it well. But what if people did come to church and had choices, especially kids. Now I've heard of some churches that do create several options during the service. Off to the side there might be art supplies for inspired, creative expression, or a prayer station with icons, incense, candles, prayer beads, a kneeler & journaling supplies, or an area with a large cross where they can write out their sins and nail them to it or burn them in front of it, or a station where communion is served, or a healing prayer station where one is annointed with oil, or a station with a priest available for confession, or a station for people to renew their baptism. What if a church had a cadre of spiritual directors available after every service? I've seen where some churches to their entrance rituals, the service of the Word and then at communion time people come forward for eucharist and then go back to their seats or another station. Elsewhere I've heard of a variety of these stations being available throughout the service. During the service this past Sunday at Artisan I enjoyed the cheese & crackers and coffee stations in the back of the church. Very refreshing. Are there other ways to put a karaoke handle on the church? How about it's structure and polity? What about it's music? Let's do on-line polling for what songs we want to sing on Sunday and who we want to lead them. Just kidding! What about it's preaching and teaching? What about it's parking and greeters? What about how people participate in the offering or take communion? What about Sunday School? That last one might have some real possibilities that could be done for even smaller churches. There might be a computer center with on-line or software driven courses. Perhaps another class might be watching a movie, lecture or sermon and that's it. No leader, just video. Another class might be a prayer room with options like I listed above. Another class might be just for fellowship and doughnuts. Certainly there would be the mainstay of Bible studies on a topic or book of the Bible and a regular Inquirer's Class is needed. Another class could be one of any of the variety of video curriculums you might see in CBD. Another class could be actual ministry training: how to run a sound board, video projector or camera to be a part of the tech team, or how to be a church treasurer/bookkeeper, or voice, music or instrument lessons for those wanting to serve in the music ministry, or training to be a trustee, deacon, youth leader or nursery worker, or how to do hospital and shut-in visitation, or Photoshop training for the variety of church dtp needs. Sunday School could offer another ministry: job training, interview preparation and resume help. Would it be heretical to offer tutoring in school subjects on Sunday morning. Nah, that would be too much like the original Sunday School started by Robert Raikes, who really did teach them reading and math, not just the Bible, contrary to Wikipedia. These variety of options give people a choice in topics and in format to suit their needs. The classes don't have to be big and they don't all have to meet on-site. And they don't all require teachers. Again, I'm not even a 100% sure it's right to do this to the church but some of this isn't hard or heretical, and might be very meaningful to a new generation of beer drinkers ... er, uh, ... church goers. Perhaps they need a new kind of Spirit.