Are churches dying?

  • Christian Chat is a moderated online Christian community allowing Christians around the world to fellowship with each other in real time chat via webcam, voice, and text, with the Christian Chat app. You can also start or participate in a Bible-based discussion here in the Christian Chat Forums, where members can also share with each other their own videos, pictures, or favorite Christian music.

    If you are a Christian and need encouragement and fellowship, we're here for you! If you are not a Christian but interested in knowing more about Jesus our Lord, you're also welcome! Want to know what the Bible says, and how you can apply it to your life? Join us!

    To make new Christian friends now around the world, click here to join Christian Chat.
R

RickJones

Member
#1
Apr 4, 2019
34
14
8
#1
The area where I live.. there are some large churches. But mostly it's very small churches. Less than 30 people showing up on a Sunday. And most of the people showing up are 60+ years old. There are very few young people attending these churches.

What is going to happen to these churches as their members pass away? There's nobody there to replace them that I can see.
 
T

TheIndianGirl

Guest
#2
#2
To attract young people to the church, there needs to be other young people already there. This is a dilemma. However, everyone gets older so the church can also seek out other seniors. Nowadays people do not remain in the same place for their lifetime, so the kids in the church now may only stay there till 18 or so and then move away.
 
shittim

shittim

Senior Member
#3
Dec 16, 2016
13,799
7,782
113
#3
The "Ekklesia" or "Church" was never intended to be a manmade structure or organization it was always intended to be the body of believers.
It seems to me the religious churches need to go away to allow His Church, the true believers, to be revealed and walk as Jesus walked, only doing and saying what He saw the Father do or say.
 
S

StevenRachui

Member
#4
Mar 16, 2021
40
38
18
#4
I obviously don’t know your area but, in general, churches are dying and are becoming less relevant to our world. The reason for this is that churches have drifted from their main purpose of knowing Great d and making him known. Too many churches are willing to compromise the truth to fit into society and some don’t even stay true to the Bible. When a church looks like acts like and smells like Christ people will show up in droves bit sadly that isn’t true for many churches these days
 
shittim

shittim

Senior Member
#5
Dec 16, 2016
13,799
7,782
113
#5
Jesus disciples and continuing to heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, preach the Gospel, the dying churches of today need to die as they at best talk about God and do not do as Jesus instructed us all to do if we are His.
 
S

StevenRachui

Member
#6
Mar 16, 2021
40
38
18
#6
shittim said:
Jesus disciples and continuing to heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, preach the Gospel, the dying churches of today need to die as they at best talk about God and do not do as Jesus instructed us all to do if we are His.uhm.... the lease show me one example where a dead person had been raised or a sick person has been healed (outside of medical 🏥 I ntervemtion). God has and can do miracles but those miracles were for establishing the church and have ceased long ago.
Click to expand...
 
shittim

shittim

Senior Member
#7
Dec 16, 2016
13,799
7,782
113
#7
If and when you become a Christian He will show you these things. If you only wish to speak unbelief or disbelief you will not.
 
shittim

shittim

Senior Member
#8
Dec 16, 2016
13,799
7,782
113
#8
Here is one church and ministry that is regularly seeing His signs and wonders, I was especially impressed by this young mans testimony that is about to begin where I copied this video.
 
S

StevenRachui

Member
#9
Mar 16, 2021
40
38
18
#9
shittim said:
Here is one church and ministry that is regularly seeing His signs and wonders, I was especially impressed by this young mans testimony that is about to begin where I copied this video.
Click to expand...
Ministries like this have been debunked time and time again. This type of thing gives Christianity a bad name when the truth of their deception is revealed.
 
R

Runningman

Banned
#10
Mar 4, 2020
8,614
3,691
113
#10
shittim said:
Here is one church and ministry that is regularly seeing His signs and wonders, I was especially impressed by this young mans testimony that is about to begin where I copied this video.
Click to expand...
I've experienced signs and wonders at church after praying, too, and that testimony has been inspiring others.
 
shittim

shittim

Senior Member
#11
Dec 16, 2016
13,799
7,782
113
#11
You have my pity, being you is obviously a painful, unbelieving, and unrewarding experience.
Goodbye
 
R

Runningman

Banned
#12
Mar 4, 2020
8,614
3,691
113
#12
RickJones said:
The area where I live.. there are some large churches. But mostly it's very small churches. Less than 30 people showing up on a Sunday. And most of the people showing up are 60+ years old. There are very few young people attending these churches.

What is going to happen to these churches as their members pass away? There's nobody there to replace them that I can see.
Click to expand...
American society has changed a lot. People are growing up in a more secular environment now. The outreach of the church is limited in reach and scope, too, compared to the secular competition.

Christians still hold a majority as the dominant religion in the US, but each year it shrinks more and more.

I wonder what would happen if every single Christian that exists right now found the time just find a disciple and preach the gospel to them? Just 1 disciple for every Christian. Then every new disciple eventually makes their own new disciple.
 
shittim

shittim

Senior Member
#13
Dec 16, 2016
13,799
7,782
113
#13
Yes Runningman, and we are ALL to grow in these gifts, if we are not experiencing them we are not where He wants us.
JGLM.org is the most powerful ministry I know of for teaching these required blessings.
God has manifested many times to many of us, we are to grow to turn these events in a lifestyle, just as Jesus did, He modeled how each of us is to live.
Google- "Doncaster DHT", his testimony is at 30 minutes of number 2, just changing the way I pray to the way he teaches from Bible, by commanding in Jesus name and not begging G-d, has brought a great increase in success, the first being a lady who had chronic pain for 5+ years, one prayer and she was delivered from the pain.
 
shittim

shittim

Senior Member
#14
Dec 16, 2016
13,799
7,782
113
#14
Our practice of worship was never intended to be as it is, thus most churches are dead and filled with pew warmers, they may indeed love God and desire to walk in obedience yet the only thing the "church" they attend only tells them "about" God, not how to be in vital one on one relationship with Him, and relationship is REQUIRED of us.
 
S

StevenRachui

Member
#15
Mar 16, 2021
40
38
18
#15
shittim said:
You have my pity, being you is obviously a painful, unbelieving, and unrewarding experience.
Goodbye
Click to expand...
Interesting response. I have been a Christian for 40 years and have an awesome experience and see the power of God daily. What I have said is correct and I fear you will one day realize the charlatans out there who claim miracles are just that - charlotans
 
shittim

shittim

Senior Member
#16
Dec 16, 2016
13,799
7,782
113
#16
So you have "gone to church" for 40 years and are no closer to finding and walking out His plan for you life than you were the very first time?
That is why most churches are dying, they need to die.
Walking into a church doesn't make a person a Christian anymore than walking into a garage makes a person a car.
Most people who attend church are pew warmers at best.
 
S

StevenRachui

Member
#17
Mar 16, 2021
40
38
18
#17
shittim said:
So you have "gone to church" for 40 years and are no closer to finding and walking out His plan for you life than you were the very first time?
That is why most churches are dying, they need to die.
Walking into a church doesn't make a person a Christian anymore than walking into a garage makes a person a car.
Most people who attend church are pew warmers at best.
Click to expand...
That is quite judgmental. So you are assuming you know something about my walk with God simply based on whether I believe miracles happen as you are describing. It seems your position is that if a person doesn’t believe as you do they aren’t a Christ follower. How narrow minded
 
S

StevenRachui

Member
#18
Mar 16, 2021
40
38
18
#18
shittim said:
So you have "gone to church" for 40 years and are no closer to finding and walking out His plan for you life than you were the very first time?
That is why most churches are dying, they need to die.
Walking into a church doesn't make a person a Christian anymore than walking into a garage makes a person a car.
Most people who attend church are pew warmers at best.
Click to expand...
I am also curious what you think of 1 Corinthians 13 that speaks about love and also speaks about miracles ceasing?
 
shittim

shittim

Senior Member
#19
Dec 16, 2016
13,799
7,782
113
#19
Then please be curious, if you choose. A better way to live is the way Jesus modeled for us to live, and instructed us to live to be pleasing to Him, prayer without ceasing, keeping our mind "stayed on Him" and not merely talking about it.
Best wishes
 
S

StevenRachui

Member
#20
Mar 16, 2021
40
38
18
#20
shittim said:
Then please be curious, if you choose. A better way to live is the way Jesus modeled for us to live, and instructed us to live to be pleasing to Him, prayer without ceasing, keeping our mind "stayed on Him" and not merely talking about it.
Best wishes
Click to expand...
Yes my only point is that miracles are no longer a part of everyday happenings and we should not make miracles an integral part of being a Vhristian. Can God do miracles? Of course. Does he still do them? I have been a witness to some situations that can only be described as miraculous but they are rare. Do we have ANY evidence of raising people from the dead or instant miraculous healing or any other miracle besides speaking I. You giles which is also very highly in doubt these days. The scripture O cited makes it clear that in modern day miracles as they were in the time of Jesus and the disciples have ceased
 
You must log in or register to reply here.