By the numbers
The “By the Numbers” series by Bobby Ross Jr. concerning the growth and decline of the church prompts me to share my perspective on this issue. Discussing the decline of the church is a challenging opportunity and is a multi-faceted issue. I would like to look at what I believe are two root causes for this decline.
One is the overwhelming societal changes that have happened over the last 40 years and second; why the church has not been able to respond effectively to these monumental changes.
It can be stated that the downfall of society started with the banning of school prayer in 1962 but that is how we state the issue from our perspective. To understand the issue differently, look at it from the opposite side of the fence. With the banning of school prayer, we no longer needed or were expected to pray to God. In 1973 with Roe vs. Wade, the issue became a woman’s “right to choose”. The gay agenda is rooted in the Declaration of Independence phrase “and the pursuit of happiness.”
A believing Christian will understand and state that we are called to pray, that we belong to God; not to ourselves and that the Bible does not tell us to look for happiness here on earth.
A non believer will deny all three issues based simply on their world view. Not necessarily from in-depth study of their worldview but from the input of the issues presented to them repeatedly by the media; be it the movies, newspapers, television and now the internet.
The promoting of the “Jesus Seminar”, the acceptance of religious plurality and the ability to advertise and promote any lifestyle is the norm for what we pass off as information/entertainment.
Why the church is struggling
As a child I was given a brand new General Electric transistor AM Radio; which in the early 60’s was high tech. I also have a shoulder carried Panasonic Video Camera that was made in 1985. For me to continue to use these tools in the face of the technological advances made in the last 40 years would be completely laughable. Especially from a younger generation that is fluent in technology.
I believe the same situation exists in our church. We have not responded well to the societal changes around us. We continue to be on the defensive with our doctrine when in reality we are no longer being attacked on the doctrinal front. The younger generation has recognized this fact by either leaving the church or starting other churches that reflect the church of Christ name. In the Portland, Oregon area this includes but is not limited to the Agape church of Christ, http://missionagape.com; Renovatus - www.renovatus.com and the Portland Urban Ministry Program (PUMP) http://pumpchurch.org.
I asked one of the church planters why are they planting a new church when the established churches are already hurting. He replied: “New churches reach out to new Christians, established churches reach out to established Christians.”
The non-believing segment of our society is just bypassing the church; an island in our society that is fortified by God, washed with the blood of Jesus and the one place where the name of Jesus can be praised.
It is similar to the U.S. military strategy of ”Island Hopping” in the Pacific theater of World War II. This strategy employed by the U.S. military was to bypass heavily fortified Japanese positions and instead concentrate the limited Allied resources on strategically important islands that were not well defended but capable of supporting the drive to the main islands of Japan.
Instead of attacking the church, the secularists go after more open targets whose world views are not completely Christian and are subject to outside influence. They are using the courts and the media to advance their own agenda. The law of the land is being modified to fit a secular world view and to negate the impact of a Christian world view.
There is and will continue to be much debate over how the church should respond to what is going on in our society. And that is part of the problem. Less debate and more action is necessary at this time.
And the action we need to take is clearly stated in Matthew 25: 35-36. “For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.”
In order to influence our young people and the world, we need to keep our doctrine in our hearts but also create opportunity for ourselves to serve society on their turf whether we are in a “new” or “established” church. We have thought critically, now we need to act critically by showing our children and the world around us that we can serve God sacrificially, with joy and truly have an impact on our “post modern” world.
One is the overwhelming societal changes that have happened over the last 40 years and second; why the church has not been able to respond effectively to these monumental changes.
It can be stated that the downfall of society started with the banning of school prayer in 1962 but that is how we state the issue from our perspective. To understand the issue differently, look at it from the opposite side of the fence. With the banning of school prayer, we no longer needed or were expected to pray to God. In 1973 with Roe vs. Wade, the issue became a woman’s “right to choose”. The gay agenda is rooted in the Declaration of Independence phrase “and the pursuit of happiness.”
A believing Christian will understand and state that we are called to pray, that we belong to God; not to ourselves and that the Bible does not tell us to look for happiness here on earth.
A non believer will deny all three issues based simply on their world view. Not necessarily from in-depth study of their worldview but from the input of the issues presented to them repeatedly by the media; be it the movies, newspapers, television and now the internet.
The promoting of the “Jesus Seminar”, the acceptance of religious plurality and the ability to advertise and promote any lifestyle is the norm for what we pass off as information/entertainment.
Why the church is struggling
As a child I was given a brand new General Electric transistor AM Radio; which in the early 60’s was high tech. I also have a shoulder carried Panasonic Video Camera that was made in 1985. For me to continue to use these tools in the face of the technological advances made in the last 40 years would be completely laughable. Especially from a younger generation that is fluent in technology.
I believe the same situation exists in our church. We have not responded well to the societal changes around us. We continue to be on the defensive with our doctrine when in reality we are no longer being attacked on the doctrinal front. The younger generation has recognized this fact by either leaving the church or starting other churches that reflect the church of Christ name. In the Portland, Oregon area this includes but is not limited to the Agape church of Christ, http://missionagape.com; Renovatus - www.renovatus.com and the Portland Urban Ministry Program (PUMP) http://pumpchurch.org.
I asked one of the church planters why are they planting a new church when the established churches are already hurting. He replied: “New churches reach out to new Christians, established churches reach out to established Christians.”
The non-believing segment of our society is just bypassing the church; an island in our society that is fortified by God, washed with the blood of Jesus and the one place where the name of Jesus can be praised.
It is similar to the U.S. military strategy of ”Island Hopping” in the Pacific theater of World War II. This strategy employed by the U.S. military was to bypass heavily fortified Japanese positions and instead concentrate the limited Allied resources on strategically important islands that were not well defended but capable of supporting the drive to the main islands of Japan.
Instead of attacking the church, the secularists go after more open targets whose world views are not completely Christian and are subject to outside influence. They are using the courts and the media to advance their own agenda. The law of the land is being modified to fit a secular world view and to negate the impact of a Christian world view.
There is and will continue to be much debate over how the church should respond to what is going on in our society. And that is part of the problem. Less debate and more action is necessary at this time.
And the action we need to take is clearly stated in Matthew 25: 35-36. “For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.”
In order to influence our young people and the world, we need to keep our doctrine in our hearts but also create opportunity for ourselves to serve society on their turf whether we are in a “new” or “established” church. We have thought critically, now we need to act critically by showing our children and the world around us that we can serve God sacrificially, with joy and truly have an impact on our “post modern” world.
posted by Glen at 7:34 AM
1 Comments:
Thanks Glen for your post. You have some very good points and I agree with what you are suggesting.
If you get the chance to read the book "Un-Christian" you will see a very sound discussion of this issue. While I agree that our society has challenged the church historically the church has always thrived in a culture such as this. The church never was in political power and has always been a grass roots movement (1 Cor. 1). I find that our churches today struggle because we feel "stripped of our political power and influence" when we never were supposed to have it in the first place. We often blame the "degrading culture" for our losses when the "degrading culture" historically never stopped the church from "turning the world upside down" (Acts 17).
UnChristian suggests that, in interviews with people who have left the church, the church has been guilty of being fake, judgmental, and so focused inward that outward. As a church planter in Portland we have taken the stance that we repent for the sins of the church. I have noticed that this has opened a door for people and many, many, many people have come inside. People continually comment that we do not fit the "typical church mold." They also comment that they see Jesus' moving.
I think we need to admit that we are responsible for people leaving. We also need to repent and become the grass roots movement we once were.
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