Over the last few weeks… months… years… (decades?)… there have been people writing articles saying that the church is dead or dying. Nothing new here. We’ve heard it before, we’ll keep hearing it over and over again.
But here’s my question. If we know this, then WHY are we still doing the same thing? Why do we keep repeating the exact same patterns and expect a different result? Didn’t Einstein call this the definition of insanity?
Yet here we are insanely propping up structures that are falling down all around us. We need to face the facts. The church of today, built by our parents and grandparents means nothing to young adults today (as a generalization). If this weren’t true, then our churches would still be flourishing, full of young families. I don’t know about your church, but my church doesn’t have more than 3 young families on any given Sunday.
Don’t get me wrong. I love the traditional church. I think it still has an important role to play. But… things have to change. We need to get out of our doom and gloom attitudes and look forward. We need to live in hope that God is not done with us yet.
And we need to take risks.
How many young people have you talked to about their spiritual needs in the last week? How about month? Year?
Unless we start to engage with these young people, and start to work along side them in their spiritual journeys, then nothing will change.
I can speak from personal experience that these young adults want to engage in the Big Questions of life, but the church is unable to welcome or communicate with them.
This has to change.
The way we think of church has to change.
We need new ministries. New ideas. New structures.
Or when our traditional churches finally close, there will be nothing left.
We’ve just celebrated Easter, let the resurrection work within each and every one of us!
As teens, alot of them are embarrassed to say to their peers…I go to church or I want to follow and share Jesus teachings.
We as a church have to encourage this in our young people and can only do it by reaching out as a church community and individuals by asking them questions, encouraging, and providing a place of worship and social activities where they feel their input is important.
I certainly enjoy our beautiful organ music and hymns etc and would not want it replaced, but also enjoy guitar, keyboards, violin or whatever comes together.
We cannot expect what worked 40 years ago to work today. Times change and we must also.
Grace
PS: what is with the math questions ha ha????
I agree with Grace Jones. Implementation of “Church – the Next Generation” is crucial to the survival and augmentation of Christianity. As Jesus says to Peter in John 21:17: “Do you love me? … Feed my sheep”.
If we as a church can work together to provide the kind of encouragement Grace mentions with unstinting love and generosity then the church will flourish.
Here on the Northside most of the Christian communities hold ecumenical events a few times a year, but never in the summer when many children and youth are idle. This is an opportunity to feed His sheep that shouldn’t be missed. Fun, exercise, food and fellowship are a great way to start. Then continue into the school year.
Putting talk into apostolic action is the key but we can begin by talking and brain storming – an online conversation for example?
Many hands make the work light, like the Saviour’s yoke.