Disclaimer: Unedited draft from Spring 2014
Someone asked me, How long until your church dies?
Noting the mixed company, I said to the asker, "We can discuss this another time."
To imply that a church WILL die seems rude to me.
To look at the trajectory and say, "What can we do to see added life and quality in a dying congregation?" seems wiser to ask. I mean, when we deem a place as doomed, then are we not saying that God will not move there? Sure, we can assume that people move, die, and show less interest for a time in certain places. But should we EVER talk about a group of people as though failure is their future? No. Not one should be called too far gone, no group nor individual.
Here is the catch!
Defeating death came by one's dying (Jesus). If we want to save a dying congregation or a dying world, then we must follow Christ. He did not live to exalt his name, even though he had every right. Instead, he came to show love and obedience, the greatest depiction of God's love being at the cross. And the greatest depiction of His power being the resurrected life.
Not that we are Jesus, but that we are to live like him... we must be willing to live obediently, empowered by God's spirit, to death. And as we go, not that we choose suicide or can improve on what Jesus did, we must pray.
Someone asked me, How long until your church dies?
Noting the mixed company, I said to the asker, "We can discuss this another time."
To imply that a church WILL die seems rude to me.
To look at the trajectory and say, "What can we do to see added life and quality in a dying congregation?" seems wiser to ask. I mean, when we deem a place as doomed, then are we not saying that God will not move there? Sure, we can assume that people move, die, and show less interest for a time in certain places. But should we EVER talk about a group of people as though failure is their future? No. Not one should be called too far gone, no group nor individual.
Here is the catch!
Defeating death came by one's dying (Jesus). If we want to save a dying congregation or a dying world, then we must follow Christ. He did not live to exalt his name, even though he had every right. Instead, he came to show love and obedience, the greatest depiction of God's love being at the cross. And the greatest depiction of His power being the resurrected life.
Not that we are Jesus, but that we are to live like him... we must be willing to live obediently, empowered by God's spirit, to death. And as we go, not that we choose suicide or can improve on what Jesus did, we must pray.