I am realizing that I have more questions than answers. I have seen a lot of giving up lately and I wonder why. Why are so many of my pastor friends leaving the ministry? Why are so many pastors depressed or so ill they can no longer function in the church setting? Why are so many retiring early, moving on to other professions, or dying young? Why have others decided to go with the flow, not rock the boat and being satisfied doing the same things over and over expecting things to be different and better?
Why do lay people leave one church to go to another? Why do so many just stay home on Sunday to eat brunch with family members and occasionally turn on “Christian” TV?
Something in the church doesn’t seem right. I wonder if the theories are true? Is the church in decline because it has patterned itself after big business? Do we need to spend more money on marketing? Do we just need a few more websites, a few more TV commercials or a just a couple of more billboards? Do we have too much bureaucracy? Are we too selfish? Do we function like a social club,—is that the problem? Are we too relevant or not relevant enough? I wish I had the answers. Perhaps these questions are best answered by sociologists or church growth experts. I confess I ask too many questions.
Recently, I have been wondering what would happen if our faith communities were actively becoming like Jesus? What would happen if our faith communities meaningfully participated in the neighborhoods and the communities in which it is located? What would happen if our faith communities would take the Kingdom of God seriously (God’s will being done on Earth as it is in Heaven)? How would our churches be different if we allowed the rule of God to transform us, our allegiances, beliefs, values, feelings and behaviors.What would happen if our faith communities from all over a city worked together for the Kingdom?
What would happen if our churches were invited to leave behind the need for the accumulating more people, finances or buildings? What if we left behind our competition and self-centeredness to join together in a mission of love, blessing, and peace? And what if we did it not for the purpose of church growth but just because Jesus wants us to? Just wondering. What are your thoughts?
