How to Know When a Buzzword Has Passed Its Prime

How do you know a buzzword is past its prime? The latest issue of Leadership answered that question tongue-in-cheek.

Here are some buzzwords in church leadership circles. You've heard most of 'em if you've been to at least one church leadership conference recently:

missional
formation
community
journey
resonate
emerging
authentic
narrative
metanarrative
story (your, my, our)
visioning
Christ-follower

Now, according to Leadership here's a sure-fire way to know when one of these phrases has gotten a bit long in the tooth:

• When your denomination creates a division promoting it.
• When Chuck Colson writes a column condemning it.
• When your mother gives you a magazine titled that word plus "Today."
• When your board adds it to your job description.
• When Baptist Press uses it in a headline.
• When it gets its own website at ChristianityToday.com