Tuesday, October 29, 2013
Will my church be here in the future?
I hear this question -- in one form or another -- quite a bit lately.
We're shrinking. We're dying. Our young people are leaving. The topic is sometimes Christianity in America. Or the evangelical movement. Or my group, churches of Christ. Or even my local congregation Southern Hills.
But I hear preachers, elders, and members everywhere who seem consumed with finding the key to ensuring that our church is still here in 10, 20, 50 years.
So I have been thinking a lot about that question.
I am not sure my job as an elder is to ensure that my congregation is here in the future. I do think it is my responsibility to get my flock, the souls in my care, to heaven. But I am not sure the only way to do that is to make sure my congregation is still here.
Increasingly I hear this question asked in really unhealthy ways.
It is sometimes asked in a very selfish way. Is church the way I know it going to be here after I am gone -- or when I am old? So you better stay the same.
Or it is asked as a scare tactic. If we do not do ___(fill in the blank)______________, we won't be here in the future. So you better change.
Let me assure you that the church will be here until the Lord comes to take his bride home.
It will survive. It may look different. After all, I don't think the people in Acts that might have asked this question would recognize much of what church today looks like.
And if the Lord does not come in the next 2000 years, I am confident none of us will recognize much of what it looks like in 4013.
But it will be here.
And some things will be the same.
They key to our survival is to figure out what has to stay... and what is not that important.
So I am going to share some of those thoughts over the next few posts.
In the meantime, start thinking about you believe is the way to ensure your church is still here in the future.
We're shrinking. We're dying. Our young people are leaving. The topic is sometimes Christianity in America. Or the evangelical movement. Or my group, churches of Christ. Or even my local congregation Southern Hills.
But I hear preachers, elders, and members everywhere who seem consumed with finding the key to ensuring that our church is still here in 10, 20, 50 years.
So I have been thinking a lot about that question.
I am not sure my job as an elder is to ensure that my congregation is here in the future. I do think it is my responsibility to get my flock, the souls in my care, to heaven. But I am not sure the only way to do that is to make sure my congregation is still here.
Increasingly I hear this question asked in really unhealthy ways.
It is sometimes asked in a very selfish way. Is church the way I know it going to be here after I am gone -- or when I am old? So you better stay the same.
Or it is asked as a scare tactic. If we do not do ___(fill in the blank)______________, we won't be here in the future. So you better change.
Let me assure you that the church will be here until the Lord comes to take his bride home.
It will survive. It may look different. After all, I don't think the people in Acts that might have asked this question would recognize much of what church today looks like.
And if the Lord does not come in the next 2000 years, I am confident none of us will recognize much of what it looks like in 4013.
But it will be here.
They key to our survival is to figure out what has to stay... and what is not that important.
So I am going to share some of those thoughts over the next few posts.
In the meantime, start thinking about you believe is the way to ensure your church is still here in the future.
