blindspot

 

Reaching a Blindspot

NEW VERTICAL brings the gospel into a cultural blind spot. In 1972 the majority of Americans (90%) identified as Christians. The natural result was a social momentum toward organized Churches. If you wanted to be elected to office or better understand your community, then integration into a local congregation was the way forward. At that time, Kingdom growth was done with a "if you build it they will come" mindset. This strategy works well when social norms foster Church growth. The graph below illustrates this attractional dynamic.


 
But a blind spot in our culture has developed. We are still operating on this attractional model. The actions of many American Christians demonstrate a belief that Sunday mornings are the most relevant time for Kingdom growth. Two realities push against this. 
  1. Pastors (even those with a passion for local missions) are stretched to capacity with congregational needs. (Church Leadership)
  2. 75% of present and future generations (millennials and Gen Z) have no interest in attending a Church gathering. (Gallup)
The result is an expanding gap. Within the next generation the numbers of Americans identifying as Christian will drop to below 30%. Expectations of Church attendance by proximity or attraction are not realistic. Assimilation into community life will not include the Church. (Pew Research)

 

Supporting the Church

The Church is not broken. But she does need resources. The problem is in our expectation that Sunday is the epicenter of cultural engagement. New Vertical supports Churches (and Church plants) by engaging communities beyond the walls of Sunday Morning through a missional model. (in contrast to the attractional model above)

 

A process that helps

Through strategic engagement New Vertical steps into the expanding gap, supports local pastors and engages community leaders with the gospel. 

 

THE HARVEST IS NOW

Some might see the expanding gap as discouragement. While it is something we should be concerned about, there is a tremendous opportunity. Yes. 75% of the next generation says "no thanks" to Sunday. But 74% of emerging leaders express deep spiritual hunger. They know they have a soul and long to learn about it. (Barna). 

In the Gospel of John chapter 4 Jesus proclaims: "look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest." This Gap is a harvest!

Some have referred to this moment as the greatest spiritual awakening in generations. We have the treasure in jars of clay.  A recent Barna study revealed that among those resisting Sunday morning, 80% are spiritually open.

WE NEED A TEAM.

Long-term our vision is a sustainable funding model. But the immediate need is to raise 2-3 years of support. We are praying our extended network can join us in giving monthly. This is a new work. We must raise 100% of our support.  


 

New Vertical
(at a glance) 

Several folks have asked for a quick way to explain New Vertical. This title is new for some, so below are some quick descriptions:
  • Think RUF (or Campus Outreach / CRU) to the business and community leaders. Even the strongest Churches will struggle to reach a college without a dedicated campus pastor. Likewise, most churches struggle to purposefully engage the business community. NEW VERTICAL can support the local Church and fill a huge unmet need by serving as a local missionary.   
  • Picture the names on the banner in the outfield. NEW VERTICAL engages the leaders of those businesses. These are the operators who employ and care for so many in our community.
  • New Vertical bridges the gap between the work sector and the church by engaging the marketplace with the gospel, supporting the Church and seeking the flourishing of Christ's Kingdom.

Finally.  extra info. 

We are an official non-profit and all gifts are tax deductible.

Additional information:
  • Nonprofits are not required to file for 501C3 status. This past week we received funding to pursue this process. This is a slow process with the IRS. However, all present contributions are still tax deductible.  
  • We are on LinkedIn
  • We are on Instagram
It is exciting to see things coming together. Since we have taken this step, we have received an influx of business and ministry leaders reaching out. But ministry can't be done until the support is raised. Building a support network is an essential part of the process and by faith we will return to full engagement of the community as soon as possible. 

Please Pray

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