It seems that recent studies confirm that there is an exodus starting to go on from Evangelical churches. The White Horse Inn, yesterday interviewed Julia Duin, the author of a new book entitled "Quitting Church," which deals with these happenings. The reason people are quitting? It's not because they're fickle and just want the "next big program." Rather it's because they're not getting solid Bible teaching. Their deepest questions seemingly are not being answered and the sermons are consistently 5 steppers on how to have a better marriage, better finances, and be a better parent.
People are interested in substantive, thought provoking, challenging biblical teaching and the Churches they go to just aren't interested in giving it to them. So they go somewhere else or just stay at home. I have seen clear evidence of this desire for more in-depth theological training from the members of my Church as our Adult Catechism class has continued to grow since its beginning just a couple of months ago.
Often times what happens in our quest to be "relevant" is we end up going too far. When this happens, Michael Horton says, "We don't save the lost, and we lose the saved."
So how do we integrate new people into the Church without oversimplifying the message so that the veterans are unfulfilled?
2 comments:
Question:
"So how do we integrate new people into the Church without oversimplifying the message so that the veterans are unfulfilled?"
Response:
I dunno, but I reckon' God does.
Paul's letter to Titus offers sound truth, both powerful and uncomplicated.
Granted, the question was specific to the delivery of "the message", but I assume that this could include more that just what is delivered/shared on Sunday. I consider "the message" to be what is delivered/shared throughout the week, too...
We (/I) spend so much time looking up to our Pastor for the nourishment our Lord delivers (and rightfully so) and evaluating ourselves both for the recognition of our sinful nature and for the Christ-appointed fruit of our salvation (and rightfully so) that I wonder if we (/I) too often neglect the interaction, evaluation, rebuke and encouragement between the brethren in the body of Christ. (e.g. How many times on Sunday morning do you (/I) give or receive a one-word answer to the question, "How are you doing?" - 5, 10, 30 minutes is really so little time to share.)
It seems that for every new person who appears there is an opportunity for a veteran to serve that person in Christ - not as one any more worthy of his salvation, but as one who is willing to become less in himself so that others might become more in Christ.
Look how I write as if I knew the slightest bit of how that might be lived out!
The answer is not first in adding a program or creating more structure. The answer is first in our Father's hand, ready to dispense according to His will. We, brethren, are called to pray. "And I tell you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened."
How, then, can any of His children be left unfulfilled? What cup comes up from the River empty? Either the cup remains on the shore or it is drawing from the wrong source.
Lord, lead us all.
My two cents, we Christians are reasonably successful at getting people into a church building, or into a church membership, or even into a church small group. We fail miserably in opening up our fragile families and busy homes.
Folks, we are neither hot nor cold and frankly, we deserve to be spit out.
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