Characteristics of the Effective 21st Century Church

By Dr. Stanley E. Granberg, Cascade College


By all accounts the 20th century may prove to be as much of a watershed in the history of Christianity as was the 16th century. In the 1500s Martin Luther, John Calvin, John Knox and others initiated a reform of Christianity which changed the substance of what it meant to be church in the world. But this great theological reform developed, in large part, in response to the great sociological reforms spawned by the Renaissance. In other words, these religious reformers responded to the changes in the world around them so that people found their message relevant and life-giving. And thus the people responded.


The 20th century is characterized by two major sociological events which are also changing the shape of Christianity in the world. The first of these is urbanization. In 1900 232 million people lived in cities, 15% of the total population. Today there are nearly 3 billion city dwellers, almost half of all the people in the world (David Barrett and Todd Johnson, "Annual Statistical Table on Global Mission: 2001." International Bulletin 25, no. 1, pp 24-25). The church of the 21st century must therefore be an urban church. The second major sociological event is the demise of modernity, the rational, structured approach to the world that has under gird western thought for at least the last three centuries. Today, in our post-modern world, experientialism is replacing rationalism. People are not much willing to enter into extended conversations based on logic and linear thinking. Rather, they seek to experience the truth of the issue within the context of their personal lives. In short, when it comes to religion people are more inclined to seek out answers with their hearts and less with their minds. They want to experience the life-giving vitality of religion first, then they may be willing to discuss the reasons behind the religious experience.


Given these two sociological realities, urbanization and experientialism, how is the church to respond so that it will be effective in producing responses for God in the 21st century? From my reading and observations I have identified the following 8 characteristics which seem to be common to churches that are being effective in causing people to respond to God in our world today.



  1. Celebratory Worship. This is worship which touches the heart and gives voice to the full range of human emotions. It predominantly expresses positive emotions such as joy, thanksgiving and serenity. But, celebratory worship is also bold enough to call for sorrow, brokenness and contrition with tears. Celebratory worship, much like the Psalms, is unafraid to touch all the emotions of life. The church which practices celebratory worship must be focused on the current activity of God in the lives of its people, it must be sensitive to the needs of its people and it will be aware of the emotions of the times as people respond to the events of life.
  2. Deliverance Theology. Cities are overwhelming to the individual. There are demands and decisions to be made everywhere. The pressures of the city are both to perform and conform, or be swept away into insignificance. Even the environment of the city with its noise, activity, pollution and density contribute to the feeling of battling for survival which causes a callousness in people. In the city the opportunity for evil and exposure to it abounds. In the radical environment of the city people are in need of radical salvation:deliverance. They are seeking deliverance from fear, from oppression and from sin. Much like the psalmist the people of the city are crying, "Rescue me from my enemies, O Lord, for I hide myself in you. Teach me to do your will, for you are my God; may your good Spirit lead me on level ground" (Ps. 143:9-10). Churches which are effective in the city use liberally the vocabulary of deliverance to provide people hope that they too may escape the havoc of broken relationships, bankruptcy, addictions and the other ravages of life (Col. 1:13; 1 Cor. 4:20; Ro. 8:31-39).
  3. Victorious Prayer. Along with a deliverance theology is the practice of victorious prayer. In Acts 4:23-31 the church was faced with persecution and the potential loss of their leading apostles, Peter and John. Their response was a request for boldness and recognition that God would ultimately prevail. Victorious prayer does not necessarily mean displays of shouting, binding Satan and rebuking the demonic hoards (Jude 9). But victorious prayer does seem to be characterized in these ways:

    1. It takes people's requests to God specifically and immediately with the well-founded belief God will work.
    2. It occurs at the moment the need is revealed, whether publicly or privately.
    3. It follows up the immediate prayer with continuing prayer and counseling with the Word of God.
    4. It celebrates the answer of prayer.

  4. Apostolic Leadership. When we speak of apostolic leadership I believe we should be speaking about the characteristics of biblical leadership, particularly as it is displayed by the apostles. In my reading of the Bible there are five characteristics of apostolic leadership which seem to best convey the spirit of effective leadership for the 21st century church. Apostolic leaders are those who:

    1. Lead as servants but with the authority of Christ (1 Cor. 4:9-16; Jn. 13:1-17).
    2. Are fearless for the Lord and the work to which the Lord has called them (Acts 5:29).
    3. Work hard (2 Cor. 6:3-13).
    4. Give up their personal rights and privileges (the right to privacy, comforts, to keep quiet, not to be abused or accused) in order to minister on God's behalf to God's people (1 Cor. 9:3-6).
    5. Are willing to boldly speak the commands of the Lord as well as applying their own best judgment when appropriate (1 Cor. 7:10, 12).

  5. Empowerment/Boldness. People, particularly the newly reached unchurched, need permission and authority to live victorious lives. People's past--their family histories, bad personal choices and debilitating circumstances--bind them to old, dysfunctional patterns of living. New Christians often times need verbal permission to leave such old patterns for new, victorious ones in Jesus Christ (Col. 3:5, 12; 1 Cor. 3:3; 6:9-11; Rom. 6:1-4). When people are instructed to live boldly, expected to live powerfully and shown how to live victoriously for Christ usually they will.
  6. Youth and Family Focused. While the West is graying, the rest of the world is growing younger. For example, in most African countries half of the population is below 15 years of age. But, even in the US, research shows that growing churches are typically composed of younger rather than older members (John Ellas, Clear Choices for Churches. Houston: Center for Church Growth, 1994). The church for the 21st century must be willing to focus its attention on the youth and their families. One problem we often encounter is that the leadership of many congregations is older with grown children. Sometimes it is easy for an older leadership to forget the struggles and needs of younger people. At other times there may be a strong dislike for the new trends associated with youth. 21st century church leaders will be committed to not succumbing to these temptations and be strong supporters of the youth and families of their churches. And, dare we say, they will be willing to show that support even in the face of potential opposition from their peers.
  7. Life Oriented Teaching. 21st century people do not readily accept doctrine in a non-applied form. Young people may say, "Who cares, it does not apply to me," while their parents simply disappear from the church pew. Paul typically began his letters by giving the theological "whys" (doctrine) and ended with the practical "whats" (application). The 21st century church will begin with the "whats" then move to the "whys." The felt needs principle from missions (which says begin by scratching the existing itch) is also a good principle for the 21st century church. For the American church this may take place in the form of dependency and addiction programs, parenting classes, Moms' program, etc. In order for the church to be relevant it must provide practical, real-life help to the very real problems of the people it is reaching.
  8. Personal Intervention. In Gal. 2:11 Paul intervened quite forcefully in Peter's life. Typically we would look at this as confrontation, but whatever term we may call it, Paul was not shy to meet a problem face to face, neither will the 21st century church or its leaders. Urban living destroys accountability. People develop different circles of relationships, which usually do not overlap. This leads to the feeling that no one sees, none knows and no one cares, a dangerous combination for the moral integrity of today's Christian. The church today must be personally involved in the lives of its members, training them in Christian living and Christian values. This will require lots of leaders in many ministries, and lots of personal mentoring. Church leaders will need to become experts in multiplying themselves or risk the growth/health of their church being crushed by the overwhelming needs of its members. 

Aug. 31, 2001