Two weeks ago I was having dinner with DJ Chuang, Greg Atkinson and Stephen Shields, and it didn’t take long for us to start talking church and technology. I love being around creative and passionate people who make you feel energized, and when you leave, your head is spinning all night with thoughts and ideas that you can hardly sleep. That was me two weeks ago.
One of the the topics at our table was on innovation and early adopters. I knew there was some graph out there that described them, but I wasn’t sure so I just mentioned it. Of course, DJ was all over it and had sent the link of the chart to all of us before I had even arrived home.
DJ even posted a blog on it here at Leadership Network Learnings.
Here is the graph that Leadership Network put together concerning Adoption of Innovation Over Time.
Much of this work on innovation and early adoption is based upon the work of Everett M. Rogers where he discusses Diffusion of Innovations
According to Rogers(2003) “Diffusion is the process by which an innovation is communicated through certain channels over time among the members of a social System.” In other words, the study of the diffusion of innovation is the study of how, why, and at what rate new ideas and technology spread through cultures. It applies, for example, to the acceptance of new technological products like the wristwatch and the personal computer, foods like tomato sauce and sushi, music styles like opera and bossa nova, dressing styles like the top hat and blue jeans, ideals like democracy or feminism, and so on.
I think it’s a very fascinating theory and I like seeing the chart visually displayed before me.
Where do you think you fall on the graph? Why?
Where does your church fall on the graph? Why?
We often think only of technology when it comes to innovation and early adoption, but what other areas can we discuss it in terms of ministry?
I was thinking the innovation and adoption of Bible study, or small group tools.
Or we can think of it in terms of a theology, (i.e. Reformed, Missional, Emerging). I know those are generic words in many ways today, but they are the words we hear a lot in terms of theology or in terms of the “buzz” in the Church.
What about adoption of a favorite author or speaker, such as Rob Bell, Donald Miller, John Piper, etc.
Or adoption of a style of worship music.
In what areas does the Church and ministry need to innovate and early adopt more?
And in what areas does the Church and ministry need to back away from, slow down, or not adopt?
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I am a fan of early adoption or of at least catching the wave before it has moved on but I would caution the Church to embrace critical adoption where ideas and trends are thought and prayed through.
Too often the Church models society and gets caught up in the newest fashion and so our churches become advertisements for the latest and greatest rather than critically examining how a new approach can enhance lived theology and the proclamation of the gospel.
The Church, broadly speaking, seems to fall into no-adopters, those who stick to what works even though the wider world has stopped noticing or those who, often out of missional motivation, go for the newest fashion. Somewhere in between in the place that requires hard work is where we will find what truly works in any given context.
Sounds like a fun, creative dinner! I am encouraged that there are guys like you out there looking to explore the boundaries and push the church forward. Keep up the quest to make the church more meaningful to us all.
I think the church needs to continually adapt to the way people communicate today, but do so without compromising its core values. The church needs to be able to reach into all segments of society, and these are reached in ever changing ways.
I think the temptation to compromise to a society that does not appreciate a biblical set of values grows daily. The balance of relevance in modern society and faithfulness to biblical truth is a challenge the church faces with ever increasing pressure today.
Great questions. The Church does need to innovate – that’s something I’m very passionate about. I’d love to hear thoughts on where and what we need to innovate.
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