Christianity in Crisis

Thom Rainer the president of LifeWay Christian Resources did a survey recently and uncovered some disturbing statistics.  The following are the percentages of those considering themselves Evangelical Christians by generation according to the survey:      

19?? – 1946              %65

1947 – 1964              %35

1964 – 1976              %15

1977 – 1994              % 4

1995 – Present         % ?

 George Barna’s research is equally as bleak regarding the next generation’s spiritual lives. 

 My question is simple.  Why?  What’s going on that is creating this rapid decline in the percentage of those that consider themselves born again Christians? 

Is it the pluralistic nature of the US now?  Is it the anemic condition of the western church at large?  Is this the great falling away?

 Is there anything that we can do to stem the tide?

 I believe that it’s time that the church come out from behind it’s four walls of protection and isolation and serve the people that Christ died for.  Instead of fearing contamination, let us be those that influence this next generation.

The church must give up the isolationist policies and the expectations that if we open the church doors, the world will come flooding in, to understand that Jesus went out to serve people in the “highways and byways”.  He went to where they are and didn’t ask them to come to where he was.  He met them at their point of need.

Instead of trying to get people into the church, let’s try to get the church to go to the people.  That’s how Jesus did it.

It’s what the younger generation is looking for.  A church that’s willing to get its hands dirty.  A church that is there to serve, not to be served.

 Let’s not be so heavenly minded that we’re no earthly good. 

 See you in the streets… 

Until next time…

JPF

a new day has dawned…

 The 21st century has brought many challenges to the church. If the church (as we now know it) is going to survive, we are going to need to make some wholesale changes. No more can we open our doors and think that people are going to come in because we’re there. We are living in a post-Christian society, therefore we better have something to offer worth people’s time, energy, and resources.

At our church we are simplifying our ministry and reinventing ourselves with a lean ministry philosopy in mind. People’s lives are frenetic in general to say the least. There’s no time to spend unprofitable hours at the church. We’re going to be lucky to get people for a couple hours a week. We better make them count. We’ve developed a strategy to accomplish a new paradigm for a new era.

We’re propagating a three-fold process to help people keep a balanced lifestyle. It’s simple: Receive… Relate… Serve… In order to keep it simple we recommend to our folks to attend one service per week. Attend one small group per week. And serve others one time per week. It’s simple, but it’s a discipleship process that fits the 21st century.

The day of asking people to be at church every time the doors open is effectively an expectation of the past. This is a battle that we WILL NOT win. We must change our expectations to survive and flourish.

Remember this; it’s as simple as loving God (receive), loving people (relate), and serving the world (serve).

Simplicity is in… Complexity is out…

Your thoughts?

JPF

Online and Offline Communities

I love technology.  I’m a techie in a boomer’s body.  I love computers.  I love electronic gadgets. I love social networking and business networking. I love new developments in software.  Anything to make life easier.  Or should I say more complex.  It depends upon your vantage point.

 I read an article that challenged me and I’m still digesting it.  Are online communities able to replace real community where we interact offline face to face?  As much as I love the networking with friends from high school and college, I think that we need to realize that the world isn’t a virtual world, but a real world with real people.

 My concern surrounds the fact that we are developing “Christian chat rooms” that are no better than our churches.  We fellowship with each other in the faith, but it isn’t a place that’s safe or inviting for the unchurched.  Aren’t we developing Christian ghettos online like the ghettos that we have offline in our churches?  Aren’t we once again separating ourselves from those that need our message the most?

Can we really become close knit friends in 6 months by interacting with someone online daily.  I’m afraid that we “think” that we know someone well because we communicate with them online on a regular basis.  Is this the same as becoming friends or dating others in person?  I’m not sure that it is.  I’m not sure that people know us as well as they think they know us.  It’s easy enough to deceive someone face to face, how much easier is it to mislead someone online?

 As I said from the outset, I love technology.  I just don’t think that technology is a replacement for old fashion face to face communication and real friendship.  My recommendation is simply this; don’t give up your online social networking, but make sure that you add to it the old fashion way of developing relationships and that’s face to face. 

 Online or offline, that is the question.  Truly, it’s not either or, but both and…

 Thoughts anyone?

 JPF