Need some hope?
It’s easy to get discouraged about the future of the church.
While the world seems to be falling apart, so does the church.
Attendance in many places is shrinking, not growing. Even committed Christians are attending less often (here’s why). And young leaders aren’t exactly flocking into ministry.
And often we shoot ourselves in the foot, with everything from Pharisee-like self-righteousness to downright stupid things Christians do (here are five).
Yet it’s not all gloom and doom. I’m an optimist.
You can always find the opportunity in every obstacle.
As you think about the future and how you need to change as a church, here are five principles that can guide you and your team.
1. Fill the Relational Void
The truth about our culture is this: Thanks to an abundance of technology, we have never been more connected as a culture before, and we’ve never felt more disconnected.
As our lives have moved online, and as people have become more mobile and even (in growing numbers) location independent, people have never felt more lonely.
We know our neighbors less than we ever have before. It’s really hard to love someone you don’t know.
Our social media feeds give us the illusion of community. But read between the lines and you’ll see intense loneliness and even the re-emergence of tribalism where we only (virtually) associate with the people who agree with us.
When I talk to people in my community and around the world who are working through life issues, I always ask them, “Who are you talking to about this?”
The number one answer? Nobody.
People may have friends, but few have deep friendships, friendships that can carry the weight of life and faith and hope and meaning and existence.
The church hasn’t done a great job of community in the past. We claim to be friendly, but that usually only means we’re friendly to each other.
And catching up on what happened this week and talking about sports or the weather is hardly what Jesus had in mind when he told us to love one another.
But the truth is the real mission of the church is relationship. It defines the vertical nature of our faith (love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind, soul and strength) and the horizontal essences of Christianity (love your neighbor as yourself).
If anyone can get relationship right, it should be the church.
So ask yourself as a church leader: What are you doing to forge the deepest relationships you can forge in this life?
Nobody should be able to out-community the local church.
