Why Faith Church should plant a Missional Church in or around Chicago.(Part 1 of a 4 part series)

(This is the beginning of an essay written to the leadership of Faith Church to give background, rationale, and practical application for a missional multi-site).

Introduction
In the last 50 years, the culture in the United States has experienced a major sociological shift. Previous to this shifting, the U.S. was ensconced in a Christian culture that dominated the “institutions of society.” So, even though not everyone was a regenerate Christian, largely everyone was Christianized—they agreed with the values of Christianity, spoke its moral language, and desired that public institutions be molded by a Christian ethic. This reality is commonly referred to as “Christendom”.

It can be stated clearly that the United States is now a post-Christian country. Christendom is all but gone. This can plainly be seen in cities, and on either coast. The shift is less pronounced in the “heartland [where the] remnants of old Christendom society [still reside]” but it is happening all around us. In this post-Christian society there is a growing group of people who are economically vibrant…., morally relativist, urban-oriented, culturally adventuresome, sexually polymorphous, and ethnically diverse.

When Christendom ruled, “The Church’s job was to challenge persons into a vital, relation to Christ.” It rightly assumed “that a stream of ‘Christianized’, traditional/moral people would simply show up in services.” Now, in a post-Christian world, the church must come to grips with the reality that its neighbors are in no way part of Christendom; its neighbors are post-modern and are critical and skeptical of Christian religion. These post-moderns do not speak our language, they do not have our values, they see the world wholly different than we do and they do not know our story. Jesus desires to reach this Post-Christian world.
Faith Church is strategically located by one of the largest areas of post-Christian culture in the United States: Chicagoland. Because of proximity, resources and vision, Faith Church should plant a missional, multi-site in or around Hammond, Indiana.