I live in the Dallas area and according to statistics compiled by a prominent denominational association, about 80 percent of its churches in this area have either stopped growing or are in decline. According to George Barna in his new book, Revolution, the number of followers of Jesus attending a local church is declining rapidly. Approximately 70 percent of Christians attend traditional churches today, but in 20 years, only 30 percent will still be attending.
Recently, I was listening to a local pastor on a Christian television talk show discussing how the church as a whole is missing the mark in reaching the lost with the truth. He mentioned several prominent groups of people that few churches are reaching. Then he said something that hit me right in the heart. We must lay aside the 'come hear' mentality and get back to the 'go tell' commission given by Jesus, Himself.
I don't see all of the above statistics as being necessarily bad news. It's all in how we choose to respond to them. On the one hand, what this could mean is that Christians are moving out of the pews and into the marketplace to minister where the people are. This is the kind of ministry that Jesus modeled for us when He walked the earth. He didn't spend the bulk of his time in the synagogue, but in the community where He was needed the most. We should take our cue from His ministry and 'go thou and do likewise.'
Another possible positive outcome from this shift is that alternative fellowship forms could be established, such as ministry groups that meet in homes, coffeehouses, restaurants, places of business, or on campuses. As nice as it is to come together with a roomful of other like-hearted, like-minded individuals several times a week, the bulk of our time should be spent where the need is the greatest--outside the walls of the church building.
I play in a contemporary band, REFUGE, and while we enjoy leading worship, ministering to other believers, and participating in the joy of Christian fellowship, we feel called into the marketplace where real needs exist and often go unmet. Our name came from the Lord's call on our lives as musicians to provide a place of peace and safety through our music. Though all of our original music is Biblically based, we have felt compelled to add many positive popular songs to our repertoire to add to our appeal among those who don't know the Lord. Interestingly, in one of our first 'secular' venues, we sold more of our blatantly Christian CDs than we've sold in any Christian venue.
I will admit that there are probably more hurting people sitting in the pews of most churches today than any of us would care to admit, but that only emphasizes the need for the church to be more relevant to the needs of people in general. I'm not advocating that we shut down declining churches, but rather than we find more and better ways to use the facilities we have to meet the needs of our communities. The expression of the Body of Christ that my wife and I attend is working to find ways to meet real needs in the community in which it's located. We have a nice, comfortable, and very well-furnished facility that needs to be used seven days a week, rather than just two or three. Virtually every church building could be put to better and more practical use. We need to put aside our possessiveness of the facilities with which God has blessed us and find more ways to use them to reach the lost and the hurting.
I'm ashamed to say that I've been in churches that had classrooms with locks on the doors to keep everyone out except those who met there for an hour each Sunday morning. What a complete waste of God's provision! I've also known of churches that had so many rules and regulations for the use of their buildings that even church members were reluctant to use them. I've even known of a group of 'church builders' (as opposed to 'church planters') who would pool their resources to build a magnificent facility and then act as if they literally owned it. If they couldn't control the pastor and most of the members, they would leave that church and build a new facility in another part of town. I know of at least three very nice church campuses in our area built by this group. Unfortunately, the Spirit of God didn't inhabit any of the buildings until after the 'builders' left. ("Unless the Lord builds a house, the work of the builders is useless." Psalm 127:1a NLT)
My point is this; followers of Jesus need to find new and more relevant ways to share the Gospel and minister to the lost. We don't need to tear down our nice church buildings, but we should be find more effective ways to use them during the week. And we need to 'think outside the building' to find ways to minister to those who will never darken the doors of a traditional church. Start an outreach group that meets in your home or at your favorite coffee shop. Get involved in your community. Offer practical help and services through your church. Build relationships with those who don't attend church. As the late Hudson Taylor, founder of the China Inland Mission, once said, "we have to earn the right to be heard." Believers must prove to nonbelievers that they matter and that we truly care about them before they will believe anything that we say.
Jesus set the example for us by ministering to individuals' physical and emotional needs before confronting them concerning their spiritual needs. It's not a matter of which is more important, but of which is more urgent. A person with an empty stomach is not likely to listen to a presentation of the Gospel until his hunger has been satisfied. Someone who is experiencing severe emotional pain is not going to be receptive to Truth until her pain is allayed. Ministry, after all, is more than just preaching sermons. It's also about feeding the hungry, giving to the poor, and healing the sick.
As you pray this week, ask God to show you your specific ministry and let Him prepare and equip you to perform it. We live in a hurting and fallen world that is in desperate need of a Savior. And if we don't point them to THE Savior, who will?
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