Brethren, I am very concerned about the lack of growth in our Churches, some seem to be on the Verge of death and there seams to be many people who think that is just natural.
Do you think that we should put more emphasis on re-building? or what do you think we should do? Marlin Freeman
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A viewpoint of one growing up in this generation.
ReplyDeleteYes, churches dying or dropping in numbers seems normal. Almost every church I've been to takes the trend of dropping in numbers. They may even go up higher, but not as high as their high before. Then when they drop low again, it is lower than their last low. Sorta like the reverse of gas prices up, down, up, down, up, down, but ultimately, church numbers seem to be in a downward path.
Some older preachers don't help, in telling young preachers like me that it is just a natural part of growth, or a natural thing. That this has always happened. From some preliminary studies, however, it seems that there was extremely strong church attendance, with the dropping trend beginning in the mid 1900s. Why? I'm not sure.
I speculate maybe people in the Great Depression needed much to cling to, and since they recovered, they've begun dropping away again. Perhaps it is that church was just a social way of life, with very few actually loving and serving God, yet a GREAT number attending church services back then.
Perhaps people just wanted to talk with friends, and without phones and internet, had no better way than attending church.
Anyway, whatever the reason is, it does appear "normal" or the regular occurrence throughout most churches. The only churches that do seem to grow are between the middle or liberal side. Not many conservative churches growing.
So what is the issue? I believe the problem is nobody witnesses. We seem to be very concerned about the 21, staying doctrinally sound, and remaining "true" to the Bible, and somewhere in the extreme, we lose the Bible doctrine of evangelism. We replace witnessing and evangelism training with "visitation" programs where 2 or 3 show up, if the preacher and family come.
I see some ABA churches diminishing in number and others growing, Bro. Marlin. There is nothing really that can be done for the overall state of the churches except in praying, support, and encouragement. Your question, "What do you think we should do?" has to be answered by each local congregation.
ReplyDeleteLack of growth is not natural, as you say that some have indicated. Someone wrote that "living things grow." I think that statement is generally true.
Bro. James probably hit the nail on the head about witnessing. We are not generally going out into the "highways and hedges." Too often we just sit back and wonder, "Why don't they come?"