What Does the Future Hold?
Churches will close by the hundreds. We are already seeing this happen. This helps explain why church-planting is our only hope. We are in serious trouble already—only 20% of churches are showing any growth at all—this means 80% are inward-focused, not engaging the culture around them.
To avoid our going out of business, our people must interact more with unbelievers. One on one relationships are the only way most unbelievers will ever come to Jesus.
Social media has significantly hurt us here. We think it is giving us more influence with unbelievers, but the truth is; Facebook and other social sites are essentially joining us closer together with people just like us. We believers are by and large only talking to each other. Few people outside Christ follow us, and most of us follow very few, if any, unbelievers.
This brings me back to one on one relationships. If we are serious about being salt and light in a decaying world, we are going to have to take our calendars out, and offer as a sacrifice to the Lord time to interact closely with unbelievers. We often hear sermons about laying our wallets on the altar. We need to hear more sermons abut placing our calendars on the altar.
I welcome your comments on my (pardon the irony) Facebook page. I'll have more to say about the future of church work in my next blog.
To avoid our going out of business, our people must interact more with unbelievers. One on one relationships are the only way most unbelievers will ever come to Jesus.
Social media has significantly hurt us here. We think it is giving us more influence with unbelievers, but the truth is; Facebook and other social sites are essentially joining us closer together with people just like us. We believers are by and large only talking to each other. Few people outside Christ follow us, and most of us follow very few, if any, unbelievers.
This brings me back to one on one relationships. If we are serious about being salt and light in a decaying world, we are going to have to take our calendars out, and offer as a sacrifice to the Lord time to interact closely with unbelievers. We often hear sermons about laying our wallets on the altar. We need to hear more sermons abut placing our calendars on the altar.
I welcome your comments on my (pardon the irony) Facebook page. I'll have more to say about the future of church work in my next blog.