Churches are dying. Some are thriving, but the overwhelming majority are not. Attendance is dwindling. Most are hanging on by a thread. Many will have to shut their doors in as little as one generation.
A lot of this is because we live in a Post-Christian society that embraces the emerging postmodern worldview.
- Millennials (born ’82-’04) aren’t being reached.
- Generation X (born ’61-’81) & Y (born ’77-’95) are dropping out.
- Baby Boomers (born ’46-’64) are ready to pass the torch.
- The Builders (born ’25-’45) are going home.
Look, people: we are at a tipping point. It is the 4th quarter and we are trailing.
We must re-think, re-tool, and re-frame. We must shift, evolve, and adapt.
If not, we will be mourning church closing after church closing.
“Churches across this country are going out of business, closing their doors, because they’ve lost their relevancy. They chose not to change with the times. They chose to keep people over 60 happy and forget about reaching people under 30. They, like my granddaddy, measured faithfulness by doing things the same way year after year, regardless of the response or the results.” – Edward H. Hammett
Please read that quote again only slower this time.
(I can feel you nodding your head in agreement.)
Traditions are great. But if traditions are only servicing personal preferences, then we need to take a hard look at them.
- Are we inwardly-focused or outward?
- If we closed, would the community even notice?
- Are we a museum for saints or a hospital for sinners?
I know these are tough questions, but they need to be asked and honestly answered.
I’m convinced that people love Jesus, but have lost their love for church. I’m not saying that is correct, I’m just saying that seems to be the trend. The next generation does not see the relevancy church.
How do we reach a new generation for Jesus Christ? How do we help them fall in love with church again?
Ref: Hammett, Edward H. Reaching People under 30 While Keeping People Over 60: Creating Community Across Generations (TCP the Columbia Partnership Leadership Series): TCP Books, 2015.
