Some years ago, I stumbled on the work of futurist Paul Saffo, and I began to see how unity through collaboration could reshape ministry and community. He argued that American life after World War II was shaped by the industry of production, giving us what he called a producer economy. This state of mind gave way in the ’70s, ’80s and ’90s to a consumer economy. Instigated by the financial crisis of 2008–2009, this eventually gave way to what, in an article for McKinsey Quarterly, Saffo called a future of collaboration in church planting.
This shift in social consciousness that moves through producing, consuming and creating not only rings true, but it explains some of the dynamic changes we have all experienced but often struggle to explain. I believe that the creator economy will be (and is being) replaced by what we could call a collaborator economy, a development already visible in the citywide collaborative church movement and in efforts focused on cultivating partnerships and collaboration.
Of course, there will be significant cultural overlap between creating and collaborating. Just as builders became consumers, and consumers became creators, creators will soon become collaborators. The work of creation is even now being reimagined in light of collaboration. The act of co-creation will continue to capture our imagination and ultimately become a primary engine that drives ministry, business, charity and even social environments, as seen in discussions about the great collaboration in church planting and considerations around selecting networks for collaboration.
One of the dynamics of the overlap between creative and collaborative work is that it represents the last gasp of a consumer sensibility. Of course, all these dynamics are still at play, but the sun is setting on consumerism as a meaningful way of gathering people. That means, among other things, that new relationships will emerge between churches and ministries. People and brands that have been positioned as competitors will now be seen as potential collaborators and allies in the work of co-creation.