Second portion of the PDF on the Internet in 2009 is attached.

These references in conjunction with the two preceding messages constitute as recent information that exists in considering shifts in patterns. Even so, interpolating what the shifts mean to organizations such at TMBC, and more importantly, how TMBC can shift (again) while remaining both relevant and principled is not an exact process. Before considering options available to TMBC, some observations regarding societal shifts are:

Concurrent with the decrease in participation by people under 30 in traditional church activities (worship, Sunday School and others) there is an increase in their use of the Internet to encounter information in general.

Church is a purveyor of information.

If we assume that most individuals time is already occupied, any increase in time in one area means a decrease in time in some other area.

There is a constant competition for people's time (of all ages).

Success in garnering time for people under 30 is very different than for people over 50.

The similarities in the Pew study between persons commitment of time between 12-17 and 18-29 is both remarkable and suggestive.

Start-up churches, mostly constituted by people under 40, have as many (but different) issues as churches steeped in heritage and tradition.

Facebook, which claims 350 million people that is likely to be 400 million soon, has an over-statement of people to the extent that persons have more than one Facebook profile (see Pew Study graph on page 18). Note: The Pew Study was limited to folks in the US; the Facebook statistics are global.

Facebook, today, is more relevant to effective communications by folks under 30 than MySpace or Twitter or email. So Facebook and texting are currently the communication tools of choice, but moreso by people under 30 than people over 50.

Currently, in traditional churches with long-term members, physical attendance at scheduled meetings is decreasing.

Summarized Issue: Less people actively participating in church functions while more people are actively participating in social connection.

Possibility: To the extent that these are the same people learning to 'do church' using their tools of choice may be a way engaging folks under 30.

Summarized Issue: Local, anecdotal evidence suggests that start-up churches (some intentionally avoiding permanent facilities) are more successful in connecting with folks under 30 than more mature, (some with excellent facilities) denomination related churches.

Observation: Decision making in the former is much freer than in the latter, since there is less assets to 'protect' and less tradition to consider.

Possibility: Make participation as exciting and unencumbered as practical.

Summarized Issue: The most effective recruiter of participation by someone under 30 is someone under 30.

Possibility: Expend real energy trying to mobilize persons under 45 to become active in recruiting until enough people under 30 exist.

Summarized Issue: Both Facebook and texting are biased towards persons who are comfortable communicating in writing. Many persons, of all ages, have difficulty with written expressions.

Possibility: Conduct seminar(s) for folks over 50 directed at helping them be more effective without threatening them. Effective communications without an age bias means aged folks should become efficient with the tools of folks under 30.