Okay, so post one we said we'd be honest. Post two we looked at statistics which reveal that less and less Americans are going to church. From 1990 to 2006 the percentage dropped from about 26% to somewhere between 18 and 20%. The number continues to decrease and it’s expected that in 2050 there will be 10% or less of Americans in church.
So today it all comes together. Ready? (You’re not. You really don’t want to read this.)
- Question: How many churches grew into the thousands between 1990 and 2006?
- Answer: Tons of them. (For instance, from 2000 to 2005 the number of churches with attendance over 5,000 doubled).
- Question: How many churches were started between 1990 and 2006?
- Answer: Tons of them. (Approximately 21,000)
So riddle me this: If, since 1990, hundreds of churches have blasted into the thousands (some into the tens of thousands), and over 20,000 new churches have been started (many of them growing into the thousands) … how is it possible that there are less people going to church now than in 1990 in every single county in the United States? And how is it possible that there are 8% less people going to church cumulatively? (If you do the math, the number of people in church is down since 1990 by over 8 million). Answer that one Batman!
Here’s what I think: Our churches aren’t reaching lost people. Or, as I said it on day one of this blog: “We absolutely suck at reaching people who are far from God. There are lots of things our churches do well, but if we’re being honest, leading lost people to Jesus is not one of them.” (I just quoted myself. How cool am I?)
Sure, some people who were going to church back in 1990 have stopped, and others have died, and some babies have been born since then who aren’t showing up on Sundays, but still … if we were bringing in people who weren’t going to church the numbers couldn’t look like this. Seriously – think about it - there are hundreds of thousands of people now attending churches they weren’t attending sixteen years ago (many in churches that didn’t even exist) and yet 8 million less people are in church.
Our churches are almost exclusively reaching people from other churches.
Want more proof? I’ll give you some next time, and then we’ll start thinking about how we might be able to turn the tide on this and really start helping people who are far from God find their way to Him.
Until then don’t le the door hit ya where the good Lord split ya.
- Featured on newchurches.com
11 comments:
Suppose we just admitted:
--We don't really have any power
--we don't really pray
--we don't live like Christ, really
Maybe that explains why the lost are still lost.
I concur with Abandoned. When you look at the lives of those who have had a monster impact over the years/ centuries - each and everyone of them were Monster Prayer Warriors. Demons tread in fear as these folks walked into rooms. They understood their frail and weak human state and they knew the source that could provide the power intimately. Folks like Spurgeon, Moody, Tozer, Wesley, Campbell, Graham - all men of prayer.
In the intro to A.W. Tozer's book "The Pursuit of God" it talks of hours on his face before a Holy God in prayer. Hours! Not minutes; not seconds; Hours! This is our greatest failing - we are not tapped into the power source of Romans 8:11!
Just my humble take on this.
IHL,
Richie
p.s. Good stuff thus far bro! Keep it coming!
i think back on brother lawrence and practicing the presence of god...we fail to see god in the ordinary.
then we live like he is not there and our witness/mission is void of god as we walk on daily basis.
we spur up for corporate missions but fail in the ordinary.
I hope I can make my thoughts clear. Really, I'm not sure most people in church really want to live like Christ. They want church, and that's what we've given them. Bigger, fancier, more accomodating. We've given them a Super Walmart church just so we can get them in the door. We've too often neglected to teach/lead people to follow Christ - which would lead to touching and reaching the lost. In my opinion we have created a cultural Christianity in America that is not always Biblical, but it helps people feel like they are O.k. with God. I think sometimes in America the blessing has become the curse! Just thinking out loud. Hope it made sense. BK<><
I totally agree with you BK. It's tough to live like Christ...counter-culturally in the midst of culture...devoted to radical acceptance and love. One reason the church lacks power and witness is because it has accomodated the mission of God to the consumeristic Western machine...and now it doesn't know the difference. I'm speaking to myself here as well. When our actions match our words, we won't need our words as much.
Great Comments from all! I love BK's stuff especially! Thanks for sharing!
After discussing my thoughts with my brother in law; really what I was trying to convey was "Intentionality" - we must yearn to know and be with him. It should consume us and if it does not that sets us up for failure such as we see.
IHL,
Richie
Wow these comments are as powerful as the post.
Bk said "I'm not sure most people in church really want to live like Christ. Amen to that.
There are so many that want to be a part of the church, but have little desire to be close to Christ. Is it possible that the "church" is filled with well intentioned people who either, don't see that we are failing the great commission, or just don't care?
We have followed the church mold and examples of those in it, instead of following Christ's lead.
Richie said it well, This is our greatest failing - we are not tapped into the power source of Romans 8:11!
i am sorry, but when i read these comments....all i hear is "whah whah whah"--- it sounds like a bunch of sobbing about how Americans love Jesus and hate church and every other pop church book title out there. dont get me wrong, i %100 agree with everything said, only because its true. no where in these posts did i feel anyone saying, "dammit, lets do something about this crap" (censored for more sensitive bloggers).... this post infuriates me, you know why? because we are freaking losing the battle. Christianity is losing. its so easy to sit back and point at all the why's and the who's...but really...the fingers should all point back at us because its our fault. as God's liaisons....we suck.
"And the truth shall set us free..." While I think Justin's strong words true, I also think they are a bit harsh too. While no one came directly out and said what we need to do to "fix this crap," I think the ideas are all over the blog and the comments. Richie mentioned about prayer warriors, Michael spoke about practicing the presence...
I believe that the only power that we feeble humans have, IS the power of prayer. To reference "Red Moon Rising" by Peter Greig and Dave Roberts, the prayer room concept that swept Europe is just begging for rebirth here in the states. We need to encounter God in prayer
...lots of prayer. It wouldn't hurt to brainstorm outreach ideas together too. We should be building each other up to reach out. The only way to put fresh, "lost" or "seeking" butts in the seats is to get off our own butts and reach out to our communities. Take a walk downtown at night and meet people. Share your life with more than your recliner and TV.
I'm calling out anyone who has read the great commission...myself included. The way to reach out is thru God centered PRAYER and OUTREACH.
Genuine Outreach projects of radical love.
Vince, I'm patiently waiting for your next post. I love it.
docmikeyd
Vince, we suck, and I hope to recover from sucking. I kind of feel like this is an AA meeting, and admitting the problem is the first step.
O.K. Justin, what are you doing about it?
We seem to get the crap beat out of us when we point out the fact that there is a problem. What are you doing?
Congrats on the baby boy.
Scott, the church does admit their is a problem. But they do not care enough to face the truth that each of us are part of the deal to fix it. In the "church" (little c)we are comfortable. As the "Church" (big C)we are more than a building to gather in. We are mobile in the world and showing the world who Jesus is and Jesus is not the church (little c) he is in the Church (big c) the Body of Christ living in obedience to the Great Commission.
Post a Comment