by Don Hooton
Imagine the early church as they saw new congregations popping up all over the Mediterranean world. Charismatic Apostle Paul revisited those churches to “strengthen the souls of the disciples, encouraging them to continue in the faith” and after “appointing elders in every church,” told the them, “Through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God” (Acts 14:21-23). He told the church to forge ahead in the work they had in spite of the reception and the retribution they may face as believers in a world of unbelief. Perhaps this last meeting was a power packed emotional rally of sorts or the resolved and stately exhortation of man who knew the path ahead of his spiritual children. Whatever its passion, it purpose was to keep Christians with their eyes ahead. Where will the work we do for Christ take us?
Ahead of modern churches is the present reality of mainstream churches caving further to societal pressure to change the moral restraints and human standards God has put in place. Even with the Methodist Church’s decision to keep a “traditional” stance on marriage, which is between two heterosexuals rather than homosexuals, it is still faced with future departures based upon its present practices ignoring congregational autonomy (1Peter 5:2) and male pastors (1Timothy 3:2) – just to name a few. And Christians who shout loudly that we should “go back to the Bible” is a pluralistic approach to Christianity would only experience the ridicule and shaming that such reforms have still not gone far enough.
So, what’s ahead?
According to Thom Rainer (of Lifeway fame), “between 6,000 and 10,000 churches in the U.S. are dying each year. That means around 100-200 churches will close this week. The pace will accelerate unless our congregations make some dramatic changes” (Jan 2018, www.factsandtrends.com). The future is bleak in many ways – but not lost. Still the things that lead to the demise of the churches are self-evident: declining attendance, dwindling funds, disinterested worshippers, disenchanted youth and disobedient believers.
Disobedient Believers. Hard to believe it is so – but it is (c.f. Hebrews 4:11). When Christians disobey what God wants, even if there is even a generation of apparent growth, those churches will eventually die. Ahead of us will be choice after choice – as an individual Christian and as a collective body of Christians as a church – that we will have to obey God. We can’t rely on our past successes to dismiss our rebellion of not doing what God has clearly said. As a church, we must obey the Lord in everything. Is that what you want to be – with us – obedient to the Lord in everything. “Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says” (James 1:22). Churches across the land – including ours – need to obey Him.
Disenchanted Youth. Barna Group’s president David Kinnaman, wrote You Lost Me: Why Young Christians are Leaving Church…and Rethinking Faith with some reasons why “nearly three out of every five young Christians (59%) disconnect permanently or for an extended period of time from church life after age 15:” He said some teens’ and 20-somethings’ experience of Christianity is shallow – leading them to say “church” is irrelevant to their daily lives, that there isn’t enough in-depth study of the Bible and a real/in-depth relationship/experience with God. They also said churches come across as antagonistic to science and as unwilling to help assist in conversation with their often “simplistic or judgmental” tone in issues of sexuality. “Younger Americans have been shaped by a culture that esteems open-mindedness, tolerance and acceptance” and so when the church appears unfriendly to those who struggle with doubts, the road to relationship is crowded with (often) mutual distrust.
Disinterested Worshippers. This ever present problem was present in Jesus’ day (Mark 7:6) and Isaiah’s day. It is a human problem. Yet, as churches, what are we proactively engaged in doing to remedy the epidemic of such lethargy? Preachers who preach long, dry sermons? Song Leaders who lead every verse with no regard to the time or momentum of the worship? Scripture Readers who stumble across their reading? Communion Leaders who make their comments as far away from the Cross as west is to east? Prayers leaders who recite the same prayer as “faithful” brother so and so said before World War II? Are we engaging in the worship of God as a visible testimony to what really matters to us? Worshippers will only be as interested in what you find interesting.
Dwindling Funds. The churches of today live in more affluence than probably Christians have ever lived. Yet, Paul praised the Macedonian churches because “in their deep poverty
[that]
overflowed in the wealth of their liberality” because they “first gave themselves to the Lord” (2Corinthians 8:1-3). Some churches falter because people fail to give or because they fail to give themselves to the Lord. Again, it is not a new problem. The prophet Haggai rebuked a generation for exhausting their resourced on their “paneled houses” while God’s temple was left untouched (Haggai 1:4). What Christians should see is that they work together for the betterment of every aspect of the work they do. Sometimes church buildings fall into disrepair not merely because of dwindling funds but instead, on dwindling interest in the spiritual evidenced by the lack of joyful giving. So ahead of us is the task of every working to elevate to our fellow brother the everpresent need of the gospel in our community and abroad.
Declining Attendance. And if churches are closing in larger numbers – and there are suggestions that the numbers are more of a natural attrition rate – it is certainly because the attendance rates in all those churches reflected decline. Even in the first century, the ongoing habit of neglecting “assembling of yourselves together” was indicative of a forsaking that could eventuate in a hardened heart of unbelief (Hebrews 10:25; 3:12). Your attendance anyway indicates your interest in the thing – no matter what it is. Your attendance elsewhere when you attendance is needed is indicative of what is valued more. So when attendance numbers drop in churches, if could be the attrition of a changing community – or it could be the decline of the value of worship.
So, what’s ahead for American churches (and for that matter – any church anywhere)? If we are unwilling to exert the needed effort to stop the decline, our date with destiny is death. Churches will continue to close. Young people will continue to leave. And we will find ourselves alone.
So, what can we do about it? What can we do together about it?
First, you and I need to attend more (read again Hebrews 10:24-25). The fiery zeal that warms us in the winter’s bleak of our faithless culture will be Christians that we see, we love and with whom we worship. God did not make you to do this alone. We were framed to be people, who are with people, when we praise the people’s True God. So, if you want to save the church and save your culture, make the attendance of church services a priority. Quit the excuses. Stop the replacing of this Divine Good with the alternative good you see in traveling, unwinding, community service and other things. You need to assembly because we do. It’s that important to what we are facing. If you don’t want to choose me and other saints now when things are on an even temper, what will do when things get hard?
Second, you and I need to give more. We all could use this exhortation. While there are many ways you give to good things for the Lord (private support of evangelism in other places, benevolence to help other Christians – and non-Christians) that serve well our sharing of the Light in this dark world, there is still the obligation we have together to provide for the needs of our local family: facility needs will never decrease, teaching supplies will always grow and requests for preaching in other places will always arrive (sometimes everyday). So as we face the future, we have to decide if we are investing enough in the Lord’s work today to make the Lord’s work tomorrow grounded.
Third, you have to worship. Song Leaders, you have to lead songs that lift people. Prayer leaders, you have to pray to make the Lord’s presence real to you – so it can be real to those who will say AMEN with you. Scripture Readers, you have to read with prepared clarity that you deliver to that captive audience the authoritative word from God – not the ramblings of poor preparation. Communion Leaders, you have to make your words about the Cross – and stay out of the way. Make people see Jesus. And preachers, we have to make our message relevant, encouraging and compelling – because it is about the truth of God – and again – not the ramblings of our own self interests. And all of us, when we come to worship, should do more than say “we will set aside of the cares of this world,” we need to bring to God all of our cares, fall down at the alter of His mercy and grace and surrender our will, our passions and our very heart to the One who made for us – in the sacrifice of His Son – the only way out of our decaying existence.
Fourth, we need to listen to why people leave. If it is the truth that they do not love, we cannot stop them. But even the hardened sinner – when spoken to with love by the believing heart – will soon love to truth he has hated. So, when young people have been influenced by the culture in which we live, be patient with them. Lead them by love. With kind mercies, guide them to the truth. Do not despise them for being young and misguided. Love them for being young and guide them to truth. If our young people cannot find in us a place to ask questions, to challenge what they have always been taught, to wonder our loud what is really true, then we have misunderstood what it means that we are the family of God.
Last, we need to show how believers obey. Obedience is, by its very definition, the yielding of our will to another. It is acting the way we are told to act. We obey Christ – and that means we yield to Him – not to the rancorous traditions of the brotherhood, not to the boasting of the arrogant, and not to the impulses of our hearts. If we believe, we obey.
And if we do these things – the future will care for itself. We cannot undo the act of others – but we can be certain to make our contribution of what lies ahead of us all – a pleasant aroma to God – a sacrifice that pleases Him in every way.