The Church in 100 years
Several generations from now where would our churches be? What would they look like? Sound like? Would they still be standing?
Let me get straight to the point... our church attendance is plummeting, has anyone noticed? This plight has been bothering me ever since my return from college to my home church in St. Albans, New York; sadly enough I was the only one out of my peers to do so. That was nine years ago! I know I am not the only one that witnessed this decline.
After joining three other churches(due to family, moving from North to Southern state) I have experienced my share of church protocol and the 20, 30 something year olds never stay. They enter in the sanctuary curious and hopeful and leave after the 1st or even 2nd visit only to pop in on special occasions like Easter, Christmas or New Years.
Today as I contemplate why I feel so unsatisfied with the church I think about others who wake up on a Sunday morning and decide not to attend a worship service and instead have church at home.
According to recklesslyalive.com, only 2 in 10 Americans under 30 believe attending church is important or worthwhile.
59% of those raised in church have stopped attending.
35% have an anti church attitude believing the church does more harm than healing.
Doesn't that raise your eyebrows? Sadly enough born again Christians or people who were exposed to the gospel make up most of those numbers. What can we do?
The Body of Christ is Not Limited to a Church Building
So why are we leaving? Most people who leave the church don't stop believing in God. Some believe passionately they just believe there is no place for them in a church building.
What unchurched people can sense a mile away is authenticity and raw unhindered acceptance. If the church is the opposite they feel naked, ashamed, exposed and judged. The body of Christ are His hands and feet that extend not a church building that gives off the impression of sophistication rather than brotherly or sisterly love. #put unrefined love back in church
Relevancy
Is our church of today relevant? We can turn on CNN and Fox News if we want to hear about Isis or President Donald Trump. We can listen to E News or read Cosmopolitan if we want to hear someone's opinion on the latest celebrity. We don't want to hear about it in church. We want to be delivered, restored, we want to hear from the Holy Spirit not man or woman and their opinions. We want to leave renewed, feeling like we can conquer our tests and trials because the word of God was spoken over us and we had an encounter with Jesus. We don't want to bepreached at and chastised. We don't want to be called up and asked personal questions in front of a congregation; it's rather humiliating not humbling; we can definitely be prayed with privately. Young adults of today want to know they are getting closer to their purpose the only way is to seek first the kingdom of God and some churches don't enter in at all. Some churches don't teach us how instead they insult and ridicule Christian television that we or some of our family members may follow. We want more positivity less put downs. It feels self righteous. No church is better than the other. We are all one in the body. #can't we all just get along?
Worship
Some young adults are told they have to worship a certain way and this is what leads them to those double doors. Worship should be an invitation leading us closer to the bosom of Christ. Like a natural father we all may show him affectionate differently. One child may sit on his lap, one may kiss his cheek, one may ask him tons of questions and one lean in and listen but not one loves him more than the other. Worship is the same. Worship is acknowledging the father is here and he is good. Worship should not be forced, worship should be eclectic. Too many pastors have a vision for one way of worship and this freaks the unchurched out because they can't understand it, yet. Worship songs should be easy to follow addressing the magnificence, the loving nature, the fatherly presence of God. Whenever I hear songs like this I am reminded of how much God loves and cares for me. These songs fill me up and immediately elevate me to a higher place of worship and praise. However if the songs are asking for God to come dwell with us I get confused and stop to think, "Hey I thought God was already here?" #worship is intimate
"I am with you until the end of the age" Matthew 28:20
Millennials are the new Church
This is not a rant it is more like a revelation. Wake up church. Stop acting like the church and let's be radical, untypical and nontraditional. Jesus, in order to fulfill his mission was radical, untypical and nontraditional. The early church started by being radical, untypical and nontraditional. So why should we keep doing what doesn't reach the masses? How would we spread the good news in all the corners of the earth without the masses? Has anyone thought about the church in 100 years when the millennials are gone? The church needs millennials to build bridges. Otherwise God would have never created us. #we are the church
Suggested reading: http://www.recklesslyalive.com/12-reasons-millennials-are-over-church/
