Don't Give Up on the Church. There's Hope!

There is not a week that goes by that I am not reminded of the fact that the church is in trouble.  It happens every Sunday when I look out over more empty pews than people.  It happens each month when we review our financial report and constantly worry about our deficit.  It happens every year on All Saints Sunday when the number of candles we light for members who have died exceed the number of new members who have joined the church.  It’s not just my church—it’s almost every mainline denominational congregation.   No major Christian tradition is growing in the United States today.

        There are many reasons.  The percentage of adults in the US who identify as Christians fell from 78% to 71% between 2007 and 2014.  At the same time the percentage of Americans who are religiously unaffiliated grew from 16% to 23%.  Institutional loyalty is declining across the board.  Churches have a lot of competition on Sundays, including youth programs which involve the entire family.  Few businesses are like Chick-fil-A; yes, they still close on Sundays. Technology has changed our church attendance habits.  Even committed Christians are attending church less frequently.  Less than 20% of the population will be in church on any given Sunday.

        Look around your church and see who is there and who is not there.  You will see at lot of folks who look like me, old people!  And you won’t see a lot of folks who look like my grandchildren.  The most significant demographic missing from most of our congregations is young adults, age 18-29.  While this age group represents 17% of the US population, it is less than 10% of the church’s population. 

        Well friends, what do we do?  Do we bury our heads in the sand and pretend nothing is wrong?  Do we give up on the church?  Do we change everything about our church in hopes of improving things?  Absolutely not!

        I certainly don’t have the answers to our problem, there is no silver bullet, but I do know this; answers will not come through more promotions or programs or preachers.  Answers are not found in worship styles, musical selections, or theological stands.  The answers will be found when God’s people create an authentic community where everyone is welcomed without judgment and loved without limits. 

        Dietrich Bonheoffer called this community “life together.”   Martin Luther King described it as “the beloved community.”  Jesus defines it as “the Kingdom of God.”

        The church cannot be an exclusive club; it must be an inclusive community.    The church cannot build walls; it must open doors.  The church cannot judge and condemn; it must forgive.  The church must be a safe place where God’s love is found in abundance and everybody is somebody. 

        I will never give up on the church, because God never gave up on me. And remember, the church is not our church, it is God’s church.  When Simon Peter confessed that Jesus is the Christ, the son of the living God, Jesus responded by telling Peter that he was not only right but “upon this rock I will build my church and the gates of death will not prevail against it.”  The church cannot die as long as Jesus is Lord of the church and remember, “If God is for us, who can be against us?”

          What is the key to renewing the church?  It’s simple really. When asked what was the greatest commandment Jesus answered, “Love God and love your neighbor.”  That’s not very complicated, but that’s what we need to do.  Don’t give up on the church—there is hope!