What Christians Believe - Study Questions

The following questions can be used in small group studies to discuss the four foundational elements of our faith.

Questions. Part 1. Our Condition

1. How can you be guilty of something Adam did?
2. How is Adam’s life representative of yours?
3. How do you react when you are reminded that you are a sinner?
4. Can you give examples of natural laws, known to all people through our consciences?
5. Can you give an example of how we sometimes justify the breaking of natural law?
6. What evidence do you see that there is something wrong – in the world of nature, in human society, in your own life?
7. What means do we use to reduce our feelings of alienation or guilt?
8. What do you say to those who say that guilt is an outmoded concept?
9. What would you say to a person who did not accept that ours is a broken world?
10. What hope is there that we can repair our relationship with the God whom we have offended?

Questions. Part 2. God's Remedy.

1. The Bible says that through Jesus Christ we are saved. From what are we saved?
2. The Bible says that through Jesus Christ we are redeemed. What does it mean to be redeemed? Where else do you use that word?
3. The Bible says that through Jesus Christ we are ransomed. What does it mean to be ransomed? Where else do we use that word?
4. Why is Jesus so important in the history of the world?
5. How do we know that Jesus lived a perfect life?
6. What does the Cross mean to you?
7. Why could God not just ‘forgive and forget’ our sins?
8. Whose sins put Jesus on the Cross?
9. In what sense is Jesus a representative man?
10. Do you know peace with God?


Questions. Part 3. Receiving Redemption.

1. What is faith? How do you get it?
2. What do you bring to the table in response to the Covenant of Grace?
3. How well do you know the Bible? What steps could you take to know it better?
4. How important is belonging to the Church to you?
5. What is the relationship between baptism and salvation?
6. How important is the mode of baptism?
7. How important is worship to you? Describe a worship experience that was particularly meaningful to you.
8. How important is the Lord’s Supper to you? Should it be celebrated frequently or infrequently?
9. How is your prayer life? What could we do, together, to improve it?
10. What changes would you like to see in your daily walk with Christ?

Questions. Part 4. Blessings Given.
1. What are some of the ways in which you expect your life to change?
2. What does it mean to you to say that you have been born again?
3. Describe what it feels like to know that you have been forgiven.
4. What is the difference between God-given and manufactured faith?
5. In what sense are you God’s friend?
6. What do you mean when you say that you are an adopted child of God?
7. How has your conscience been renewed?
8. Who is God to you, now that you know Him personally?
9. What difference does it make to the way you live, knowing that you have the hope of heaven?
10. When you stand before the Lord on judgment day, what will you say to Him?




The four foundations of the Christian faith, used in this brief exposition, are adapted from a short work entitled “The Sum of Saving Knowledge” written by David Dickson and James Durham, two seventeenth century Scottish pastors. For many years the ‘Sum’ was printed with editions of the Westminster Confession of Faith and was used for educating the young.

What Christians Believe Part V

4. Blessings Given

Paul wrote: “And those (God) predestined, He also called; those He called, He also justified; those He justified, He also glorified.” (Romans 8:30)

Becoming a Christian changes you in many ways. Some of them are visible, but many are not. It’s important that you should understand these changes. When God saved you from the fate your rebellion deserved, offering the perfect sacrifice of Christ on your behalf, He also prepared blessings for you. He didn’t need to do so. God doesn’t owe you anything; but the same love that rescued you also showers you with blessings. God’s power, now released in your life in the form of the Holy Spirit, grants you these gifts:

You are born again. Before, you were dead in sin. Now, you are new born. Your past is forgiven. You have a clean slate. You get the chance to live a totally new life in the service of God’s Kingdom.

You have the gift of faith. In the past, you wondered why others had faith and you did not. Wonder no more. By God’s gracious act, you now have the ability to trust Jesus for your salvation.

You have the gift of repentance. God’s Spirit, at work in you, enables you to both see how serious sin is, and to realize your need to repent. Before, your sins didn’t bother you. Now they sear your renewed conscience. You have come alive spiritually.

You have a much deeper love for God. Now that you can see how far you had fallen, and how low He had to stoop to rescue you, you have a much greater appreciation of what God has done. Fear is replaced by love. Your relationship with God becomes much closer. You begin to understand the depths to which love will go.

Along with these inner changes, God also blesses you with changes in your outer state. Specifically, you have been changed in the way in which you relate to God.

You are justified. Your relationship with God is restored. You are acquitted, declared ‘not guilty.’ Christ’s perfect obedience, in life and in death, is reckoned as yours. Your sins have been atoned for through your Savior’s sacrifice. You are free. You are as God always intended you to be.

You are reconciled. The barrier that once separated you from God has been removed. Before, you were God’s enemy; now, you are His friend.

You are adopted. Once, like Adam, you lived in disobedience. You did not know God as your father. If you knew Him at all it was as a tyrant. So, you wandered far from Him, lonely, angry, and afraid. Now, you have come home, and God has welcomed you with open arms. You are no longer a child of darkness, you are numbered among the children of God.

Finally, you are blessed with a sure and certain hope, in these ways:

You have the hope of heaven. When your earthly body dies you will finally know the perfect holiness of those who rejoice in God in heaven.

You have the hope of resurrection. You are an heir of the promise that, when Christ returns, as He has said that He will, and God’s plan reaches its conclusion, your body and soul will be reunited.

You have the hope of eternity. When you face your Maker on judgment day you will be able to point to Christ as the source of your salvation. You will escape the fate of those who reject Him. You will enjoy the reward of an eternity of praise.

As you grow in the Christian life, you will learn that there is more to knowing Jesus Christ than I have explained in these, few lines. You will never tire of learning more about Him, and you will never regret the day you accepted the Savior as your own.

What Christians Believe Part IV

3. Receiving Redemption

Paul wrote: “Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ.” (Romans 10:17)

It is wonderful news that Christ died for our sins, and that He has won our salvation. There is no better news in the world. But you also have to receive it. When you hear God’s call upon your life, your responsibility is to answer in faith.

Now, faith is not something that you can work up, like enthusiasm; and it’s certainly not something for which you can claim any credit, as though you did well to have it. Faith is simply trusting that what God says is true. To receive God’s gracious gift you must turn from your former ways, renounce evil, and decide to change – this is called repentance. Secondly, you must turn to Christ in faith, opening your empty hands, trusting that He is able to fill them. Really, this is nothing at all. It is simply the acknowledgement of God’s act in Christ. Nevertheless, it is important that you should respond to what God has done.

Why not do that now? Find a quiet place. Thank God, in these words or your own:

Lord God, I know that I am a sinner, that I have rebelled against Your will for my life, and I am sorry. I know that I can do nothing to repay the debt I owe. But I know that, by sending Christ to pay the penalty for my sin, You have opened up a way by which our relationship may be restored. On the basis, then, of His sacrifice, and claiming Christ as my Savior and Lord, I now vow to live as Your child, serving You alone. To You be the praise and the glory forever. Amen.

Not because of your prayer, but because of Christ’s death for your sins, you belong to God through the Covenant of Grace. You are a Christian. Well done! But this is only the beginning. You have spent so many years living in rebellion. Now you must learn to live in obedience to His will. By the way, it’s a foregone conclusion that you will fail, now and then. On these occasions you may be tempted to despair. Please don’t. Before, you sinned as an enemy of God; now, you do so as His child. That doesn’t mean that you should go looking for failure. You should not presume upon His mercy, thinking that, since your salvation is assured, you may wallow in sin. On the contrary, love for God should move you, increasingly, to live in ways that honor Him. As the years go by, your character and behavior should change. God has begun a new thing in you. By grace, you are a new creation.

And, you are not alone. God has provided four main means of grace that will help you to grow as a Christian. They are: the Bible, the Sacraments, the Church Community, and Prayer. Let’s look at them.

The Bible is the means by which God has chosen to reveal His nature and His plan. It was written by human hands, but we believe that the writers were inspired, and that in all matters pertaining to faith and life it is without error. It is a reliable witness to God’s acts in history, and to His will for us today. As a follower of Christ you will need to get to know the Bible. Read it faithfully. But get help. A simple daily devotional will lead you through its treasures. A good study group will help you with any questions you may have. Find a translation that you can understand. Read it regularly. Take it to Church with you. It will become a close and trusted friend.

The Sacraments are another means of grace. Through them, God gives you a visual confirmation of the Gospel. Reformed Christians have two sacraments.
Baptism symbolizes our death to the world of sin, and our rising to the community of salvation. By baptism, we say that we belong. If you have never been baptized than you should ask to receive this sacrament. It does not save you. Baptism is only a symbol of the saving act of God in Christ. Nevertheless, it is an important symbol. By it you declare your allegiance to Christ.
The Lord’s Supper, the second sacrament, reminds us of the sacrifice of the Cross. Through it, we participate in the act of remembering and are strengthened to live as Christians. There is no magic involved in either sacrament. Yet, as we take the symbolic meal and taste the bread and wine, Christ is present in our midst by His Spirit.

The third means of grace is the community of the Church. We may read the Bible alone, but we read it more profitably when we read it together. We may worship alone, but we benefit more when we worship together. With all its problems, the Church is still the main way by which God provides us with relationships that enable us to protect, encourage, and serve one another. It’s not just a matter of what you get out of study or worship, it’s also a matter of how much you give. We all have responsibilities within the body of Christ, the Church. When we ignore those responsibilities the rest of the body suffers. God can strengthen us, and others, through the community of the Gospel, which is the Church.

Fourth, Prayer is a means of grace. By it, God has provided a means by which we may speak with Him. Prayer is not really about techniques or formulas, it is simply conversation with God. Whether in worship with others, or in a quiet place alone, prayer explores the character of God revealed in the Scriptures, and it provides help and strength when we need it most.

Through these means, by faith, you receive the benefits of salvation. Through them, your relationship with God is renewed, then deepened. You cannot afford to ignore any of them, if you are to grow up in Christ.

What Christians Believe Part III

2: God’s Remedy

Paul wrote: “If, by the trespass of one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God’s abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ.” (Romans 5:17)

When the Covenant of Works failed, God did not just give up on us. He looked for a way to rescue us from the alienation caused by our sin. It wouldn’t be easy. God couldn’t just ignore our rebellion. Neither could He just over-ride our choices, though they were foolish and misguided. Instead, God set about providing a means by which the price of our rebellion could be paid. He wanted the relationship to be restored. Enter Jesus.

God knew that only a person who had not made the choice to rebel could ransom us from the consequences of sin. So, He sent His Son. More than that, in the body of Jesus, God took upon Himself the punishment that should have been ours. Of His own free will God decided to do this, not because He thought that we deserved a second chance, but simply because of His great love for us. That’s what ‘grace’ means. Grace is the love we did not earn or merit. It is God’s mercy overflowing to those who have rejected Him. That’s why this new covenant is called the ‘Covenant of Grace.’ It is an agreement between God and His Son, Jesus Christ. By this agreement the breech is healed, the relationship is restored, and we are saved from the power and the penalty of sin.

Let’s make it personal. God has been drawing you to Himself. You’ve felt that yearning, heard His call. We don’t know why some of us hear that call while others do not. All we know is that God has the right to call whomever He wills. I believe He is calling you.

As part of His perfect plan, God chose to give you to Jesus. For His part, Jesus had to humble Himself by becoming a man. He had to obey God’s will perfectly. He had to offer up His life, taking the punishment you deserved. By His sinless life and sacrificial death, Jesus ransomed you. He drew you out of the line that led to destruction and gave you a new start. Your relationship with the Father was made right, just as He had intended it to be. Although your human body would still age, grow old, and die, you would inherit the promise of an eternity with God. These are the benefits of your salvation. To receive this gift of grace is to know peace.

Although it sounds like the Covenant of Grace follows the Covenant of Works, that’s not really true. The amazing thing is that the God who stands outside time determined, before the creation of the world, that Christ should come for your sake. So, we believe that God had you in mind when Jesus was born, in Bethlehem. He had you in mind when His Son struggled against the temptations of the devil. He had you in mind when Christ offered up His life on Calvary, the sinless lamb slain for your sins. All this is yours through the Covenant of Grace.



Some people explain it like this: Jesus performed the work of a Prophet, a Priest, and a King. As a Prophet, Jesus revealed the nature of the Good News, and encouraged sinners to believe it. As a Priest, Jesus offered Himself as a sacrifice for their sins, standing in their place. As a King, Jesus claimed sinners as His own, bringing them under His provision and protection.

All of this may sound strange to you, but at heart it’s very simple. Despite your rejection of Him, God chose to bring you home. He didn’t just forget your rebellion, sweeping it under the carpet. Instead, He dealt with the consequences of your rebellion. He sent Jesus to pay a price you could never afford. That’s what the Cross is all about. On it, Jesus bore the penalty of sin, and as He did so, He won your salvation. You can have peace with God today because of what Christ did for you.

Is it any wonder that Jesus is the central figure in all of history for us? He is, quite simply, the most important person that ever lived. But He’s not just a person. The Bible bears witness that Jesus is more than a good man. In a way that is difficult for us to understand, Jesus is God. He is not just a representative man, undoing Adam’s fall; Jesus does what no human being ever could – He offers Himself as a perfect, sinless sacrifice. Only God can do that.

In summary, there’s something wrong with the world, but Jesus is the remedy that can make it right.

What Christians Believe Part II

1. Our Condition

Paul wrote: “…just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all men, because all sinned.”
(Romans 5:12)

Before time began, God had a plan for the world, and for our place within it. It was a plan based upon His nature. He was not just playing with us. We are not experiments in a cosmic laboratory. God is still working on that plan. The world is moving, slowly but surely, towards the end He always intended. But there have been plenty of twists and turns along the way. You and I have chosen options that are not in line with God’s will so, yes, we have sinned. That’s what ‘sinning’ means. The result of our sin is that now there is a barrier between us. We are alienated from our Maker. Yet He longs for that barrier to be removed, and for us to be in a close, fulfilling relationship with Him.

You might ask, “How did human beings learn to disobey God?” That’s a good question. It is answered in Genesis, the first book of the Bible. There we are told about creation. Now, we don’t know all of the details, but we are told that God made the world out of nothing, and that everything He made was good. God made the angels and He made them holy, that is, they were in a perfect relationship with their Maker. So were our first ancestors, whom the Bible calls Adam and Eve. As representatives of God’s good creation, Adam and Eve were also in a holy state. They spoke freely to God, but they also looked up to Him, simply because they knew that He had made them. They obeyed God because they knew themselves to be creatures obeying the will of their creator. All was well.

God entered into an agreement with Adam and Eve. We call it a covenant because it was based upon God’s promise. In this covenant, Adam stood as a representative for all humanity. If he obeyed God perfectly, living according to His will, then Adam would live forever. On the other hand, if he did not obey, Adam’s sinful disobedience would lead to his death. This covenant, then, was based upon God’s promise and Adam’s faithfulness. We sometimes call this the Covenant of Works.

You and I know that we have failed to keep this Covenant. We have made wrong choices. We have broken our promises. We may try to blame our environment or our education; we may even try to blame God; but if we are honest we must admit that we have made our own bed. Now we must lie in it. Adam had the ability to decide whether or not to sin, that is, to disobey God. So did the angels. Some fell, through pride, and became enemies of God. One was even responsible for enticing Adam and Eve to eat the forbidden fruit. By this act of rebellion the Covenant with God was broken. Humanity lost its special relationship with the Creator. Sin came into the world, and with it came death. Through disobedience, humanity was stained with sin. We could no longer be called holy. We lost our ability to please God. Even our motives became suspect. We were lost. Instead of the promise of an eternity with God, in fellowship with the One who loves us, our prospects took a turn for the worse. Not only would our bodies die, we faced the hell of an eternity without Him.

What I’ve just described is the condition known to theologians as original sin. It is the human condition – yours and mine. I want you to notice that this is not how God intended things to be. God’s desire for His creation was good. We are the ones who spoiled it by our rebellion. Adam represents us all. We have all chosen to disobey God. The result is plain to see. We spend our lives looking for something that is missing. We know that there is a void in our hearts, but we don’t know how to fill it. We try ignoring it, but the ache won’t go away. We try to substitute other things – material wealth or bodily pleasures, you name it, we’ve tried it – but nothing takes the place of a broken relationship with God. We are hungry for peace with our Maker, our Heavenly Father, but it always seems just out of reach.

All of the self-serving, destructive and violent behaviors for which the human race is known find their origin in our alienation from God. Whenever justice is perverted, goodness is abused, or loveliness is trampled down, sin has its way. This is what can make our world such a miserable place. We are not as we were intended to be. There is clearly something wrong.

So, the Christian Gospel (the Good News) begins with bad news. Our condition is not what it should be. There’s something wrong. Fortunately, this is not the last word.

What Christians Believe Part 1

Can we talk? Let’s sit down for a while. We’ve spoken enough about things on the surface of life. If you are willing, I’d like to begin to dig a little deeper.

You tell me that you have seen something in our fellowship that attracts you. I’m glad to hear it. Of course we’re not perfect. We don’t claim to be. But, you know, there should be something different about Christians. If we look too much like everyone else then we’re not doing a very good job. I hope that you have seen that we try to live with integrity. We value honesty and hard work. We have ideals – we want to be faithful people, people who keep their promises. And, if it doesn’t sound too sentimental, we want to be known as loving people. We care deeply for our families and our friends, but not only for them. We believe that we are called to love even those who do not like us, who might consider themselves to be our enemies. We’re serious about spending our lives in the service of others. At heart we are simple people. We’re not interested in the rat race. Living principled, peaceful lives is much more important to us. Of course we fail, but we still strive to live according to our ideals and our values.

It’s good to step back, now and then, to take stock of life. We know how short our days can be. Shouldn’t we live them well? So, I want to share with you some of the building blocks of my life, and I want to commend them to you. I’d like to ask you to think seriously about what I’m going to say. These things are the foundations of my life. They make me who I am.

I believe I can sum up these foundations in four simple statements. Think of them as the legs of a chair. Put together, they support me. By the way, this is not just what I believe. These ideas have been handed down for hundreds of years. They are the four pillars of Christianity. They don’t answer every question, but they do give me a useful outline of what it means to be a follower of Jesus Christ.

Now, don’t get defensive. Being a Christian is not weird, despite what some people will tell you. I know that you’ve talked to the “I’m not religious but I’m spiritual” brigade. Perhaps they have poisoned your opinions about the Church. You may be deeply suspicious of our motives. You may question our integrity. Well, go on questioning. That’s alright. We need to be held accountable. But please give us the benefit of an open mind. You’ve already encountered plenty of other groups that have ended up disappointing you. Give us a chance. See, the thing is, you can’t really be a Christian unless you are in community. The Church may be flawed, it’s certainly not as perfect as we would like, but it is still the community of those who follow Christ. Bear with us. Be generous with our faults. And when we fail, try to see beyond our failures to the God who has called us to be His own.

No, I’m not going to apologize for using religious language. Our community, here, is not just based upon shared human values. Our relationships are not just horizontal, they are also vertical. We believe that it is important that we should be in relationship with God. We are who we are because we believe we know what it takes to be at peace with our Maker. If you want to understand what makes us tick, then you will have to let me talk about God.

You won’t understand much about us unless you grasp that God is an absolutely essential part of our identity. And I don’t mean an impersonal force or power. God’s not like that for us. He is one. He is personal. And, He is interested in who we are and how we live. He is a good God; His nature is defined by love. But He’s more than that. He’s also a God of power and order and justice. We believe that we can know a great deal about God. He has revealed His nature to us. In the story of the people of Israel, told in the Bible, God has made Himself known. We believe that the Bible is a trustworthy account of God’s nature, and of how we might be at peace with Him. We don’t pretend to know everything about God, but I think we can say that we know enough. We know enough to be able to trust Him – even if we still have questions.

With all that said, what are the four foundations upon which we build our lives together? They are an understanding of:
1. Our Condition
2. God’s Remedy
3. Receiving Redemption
4. Blessings Given.

In my next post I'll begin to work through these four foundations.

Unbinding the Gospel

I was asked by Presbytery to consider participating in a study of Martha Grace Reese's Unbinding the Gospel, published by Chalice (2007). The book is part of a series with the admirable aim of galvanizing the mainline church to engage in evangelism. So, I thought I'd better read it.

Presbytery's idea is that pastors and leaders from a number of churches would covenant together to read the book, and apply findings. It's quite a big undertaking, not unlike Stan Ott's Acts 16:5 Initiative that some of us went through a few years ago. We would examine our structure and practices, then hold one another accountable as we implemented change. Good idea, if we had a common theological understanding of the nature of the Gospel.

Here's my review.

I would like to address a couple of theological issues that make me hesitate to support the idea.
First, the book is obviously written for liberal churches. Reese can say as often as she likes that her findings cut across the theological spectrum, but that doesn't affect the fact that her audience does not really include me. How do I know this? For a start, her research specifically excluded the South, and churches that she considered to be Evangelical (p.28). (At least she maintains the distinction between Evangelical and evangelistic). On page 63, she has a telling summary of what she thinks an Evangelical is, when she comments that many mainline pastors aren't all that sure what they believe, except they know that they "aren't evangelical" (meaning "not biblical literalists"). That is, I'm afraid, a pathetically inadequate definition of an Evangelical. A better one can be found in the rationale of the Evangelical Alliance (see below). There are several places where Reese falls into the trap of patronising those who disagree with her, theologically. She assumes that mainline Christians are "clear, logical thinkers" (p.19), and quotes, approvingly, a person who equates intellectual Christians with those who are intelligent and liberal (p.82). On several occasions she talks about avoiding naivete in prayer (e.g. p.42), which I can only take to mean the childlike prayer of someone who actually regards the Bible to be true. She quotes a mainline pastor who had been raised in what she describes as a fundamentalist church, who hadn't believed or preached that people are going to hell for thirty years, who speaks condescendingly of looking where a seminarian interested in evangelism had parked his tractor (p.17). Whether or not you agree with her, it's impossible not to suspect that at least some people in our Presbytery will find such comments offensive. If, as she assumes, thinking Christians don't believe in hell (by the way, I do), surely someone is bound to ask why we say every week, in the Apostles' Creed, that Jesus went there. In brief, the book could end up opening a theological can of worms.
Secondly, I find that Reese has very little to say about the atonement. Right at the end of the book, she finally gets around to asking what it is that Jesus saves us from. She has three alternatives: sin, death, and distorted human community (p.144). Occasionally she mentions the possibility of heaven (eg. p.119) but I have no idea what she means by this. At the beginning of the book she points out that some pastors and churches avoid evangelism because they don't want to give the impression that there are not other, valid ways to God, beside the Christian way. ""I don't think we should do evangelism - it implies other religions are wrong." (p.11). Admittedly this is a quotation, but if she wants people like me to work with those who hold such opinions, then she will have to explain what we have in common. 'Precious little' would be my best guess. Reese even says that "Evangelism has no theological bounds" (p.6). But it must have some foundation. Without at least a minimal understanding of the cross, we will be sharing techniques, not faith.
Having said all this, I appreciate many of the other things she has to say. I like her emphasis on sharing the joy of the Christian life through relationships, and her insistence upon the importance of community; I have rarely seen a book on evangelism that takes prayer so seriously; she is helpful when she expalins the bandwidths of evangelism, encouraging us to grasp the opportunities that are close at hand; I also really appreciate her insistence that God is our North Star, our fixed point of reference, not the church (p.125). She makes a number of excellent, practical suggestions. But the fact is that she also comes out with comments like this: "You do not need to subscribe wholeheartedly to someone's theology to ask them to pray with you and for your ministry. If you get advice that seems strange, remember that learning about new areas of the faith is like eating fish. Eat what is good and spit out the bones." (p.53). I want to ask, "What are the bones that you want to spit out?" They may be everything that I hold most dear.
Of course, the real question is, what will we do about evangelism if we don't do this? That is a question that will keep me awake, if we decide not to participate in the programme. I just hope that churches and pastors will not find, in this book, yet another reason to avoid the E word.

In Search of the Unchurched Summary

IN SEARCH OF THE UNCHURCHED - SUMMARY

Two Theses
The most important factor in declining membership is the change from a churched to an unchurched society.
The best hope for dealing with a changed society lies in the individual congregation.


Transitions/Changes Discerned
1. We have shifted from a churched to an unchurched society.
2. People participate in congregations for different reasons.
3. People have less loyalty to denominations.
4. Congregations have different purposes.
5. The mission field has moved.
6. Different people do the mission work.
7. Different denominational communication systems are developing.
8. Congregations focus beyond current membership.
9. Congregations defend faith by proclaiming faith.
10. Unchurched people have faith.
11. Joining a congregation is a six-step process.
12. Worship attendance, and the number of people served, not membership, tells the story.
13. Congregations create multiple points of entry.
14. Congregations organize around mission, not maintenance.
15. Congregations view so-called mistakes as opportunities to learn.
16. Congregations make maximum use of ‘the priesthood of all believers.’
17. Congregations are unique.
18. Congregations look beyond denominations, and especially to other congregations, for materials.
19. Regional denominational offices relate differently to congregations.
20. National denominational offices relate differently to congregations.
21. Uniformity is being replaced by choices and paradoxes.
22. Control is being replaced by trust.


Conclusions
1. There are problems in organized religion. Data about membership growth and retention, Great Commission outreach, and other key factors are discouraging for most mainline denominations.
2. The change from a churched to an unchurched society has had profound effects on organized religion.
3. The changed relationship between church and society and the resulting problems in the church are rooted in sociology, psychology, anthropology, and demographics. Unfortunately, organized religion has not had much success in influencing the root sources of church problems. The fact that denominations have concentrated so much energy on the larger society led to Peter Drucker’s insightful observation about the church at large, “Their mission becomes subordinate to social causes. Any organization that forgets its mission dies.”
4. We can only deal with the aspects of our problems that are under our control.
5. Congregations are the key. Denominations are no stronger than the collective strength of their individual congregations.
6. A few congregations (perhaps 20%) are becoming stronger places of ministry and mission. Most congregations (perhaps 80%) are experiencing stable or weakening ministry and mission.
7. Growth and size are not the issue.
8. the primary characteristic that distinguishes growing congregations from stable or declining congregations lies in what they see as their primary ministry.
9. Most congregations (perhaps 80%) define themselves in terms of their current members. These congregations achieve virtually no Great Commission outreach. Most of these congregations are slowly dying.
10. Some congregations (perhaps 20%) see themselves in mission to people beyond their current membership. While continuing to do excellent ministry with current members, these congregations focus on Great Commission outreach. They are experiencing growth in ministry and mission.
11. How congregations view themselves and their behavior is not affected by top-down management systems. Congregations in this unchurched society are helped one at a time.
12. Solutions lie within individual, motivated congregations taken one at a time.

Alan C. Klaas ‘In Search of the Unchurched’ Alban Institute, New York 1996.

In Search of the Unchurched Part V

IN SEARCH OF THE UNCHURCHED

Chapter 10 The Changed Society: How It Affects the Church

Sixteen additional transitions that show how the change from a churched to an unchurched society directly impacts congregations.

Congregational Transitions

Struggling congregations resist change – they believe that their best days are in the past, and they try to recreate them.
Growing congregations have found ways to work with transitions – they believe that their best days are in the future.

Are our best days in the past or in the future?

Transition 8: Congregations focus beyond current membership

Churched context
- familiar stories, hymns, activities;
- long-term members;
- programs interest current members;
- newcomers expected to conform.
Unchurched context
- sensitivity to characteristics of unchurched;
- familiar expressions of faith practiced in ways that do not exclude newcomers;
- customs of long-term members supported, but new activities added;
- much wider advertising, intentional outreach.

In what ways do non-members actively participate in our congregation?

Transition 9: Congregations defend the faith by proclaiming the faith.

Churched context
- many time-honored ways of explaining beliefs;
- great care taken over individual words in liturgies etc.
- resistance to change in faith statements;
- distrust.
Unchurched context
- time-tested practices not valued as once they were;
- new members have new preferences;
- drive to express timeless faith in new, more accessible ways;
- more than one way used to proclaim truth;
- distinction between the truth and approaches to promoting the truth, that is, between what is sacred and unchanging and what is simply tradition.
How many hours do we spend proclaiming the faith to members?
How many hours do we spend proclaiming the faith to non-members in ways appropriate to their cultural expectations?

Transition 10: Unchurched people have faith.

Churched context:
- those with faith automatically participate in congregations;
- if people are not coming to faith, it is because the Holy Spirit is not working faith in their hearts;
- congregational activities do not play a major role in outreach.
Unchurched context:
- millions have separated faith from participation;
- millions have no communal memory of worship or tradition;
- but, about ¾ of the unchurched claim some level of faith;
- effective congregations must find effective ways to reach the unchurched, while accepting them as they are.
Does our congregation really desire to come into contact with unchurched people?

Transition 11: Joining a congregation is a 6 step process.

Churched context:
- build churches, and they will come;
- high levels of denominational loyalty;
- no special efforts to reach newcomers;
- rapid move into membership.
Unchurched context:
- lower denominational loyalty;
- fewer immigrants from European churches;
- much longer process for joining, involving awareness, relevance, interest, exploration, adoption, and reinforcement.
- Significantly more effort needed in reaching newcomers.
What do we do now, that we did not do ten years ago, to touch the lives of non-members?

Transition 12: Worship attendance and the number of people served, not membership, tells the story.

Churched context :
- membership was the most important statistic;
- denominational funding based on membership;
- most effective evangelism was by immigration, or the maternity ward.
Unchurched context:
- focus is on reaching those who are not members;
- weekly worship attendance a better indicator of congregational health;
- numbers served in mission are important in ministry planning;
- emphasis on making church relevant to newcomers.
What trends can you see in our worship attendance numbers?
Are we serving more people than we were ten years ago?
How many people in the congregation does it take to assist one person not in the congregation?

Transition 13: Congregations create multiple points of entry.

Churched context:
- programs designed to meet the needs of members;
- activities support the structure of the church;
- social activities provided or sponsored;
- few activities designed to reach others;
- worship, in one style, the main entry point.
Unchurched context:
- multiple points of contact designed;
- most programs include outreach;
- wide variety of activities to meet human need;
- share a meal, instead of just providing one;
- worship, in a variety of styles, is still the main entry point, but not the only entry point to the congregation.
Do we have many activities that specifically include non-members?

Transition 14: Congregations organize around mission, not maintenance.

Churched context:
- churches organized around operational needs of the congregation;
- programmatic emphasis with system of checks and balances;
- complex system of approval for all activities; often an authority figure with final say;
- no overlap of responsibilities;
- emphasis on filling committee slots.
Unchurched context:
- churches organized around mission;
- abandonment of committee structure in favor of action teams for short term commitments;
- governing body concentrates on coordination, not control.
How many times in the last ten years have we modified our structure in order to respond to changes in the people to be served?

Transition 15: Congregations view so-called mistakes as opportunities to learn.

Churched context:
- mistakes are to be avoided at all costs;
- past mistakes are archived, and remembered, to make sure they are not repeated;
- fear of failure, perpetrators are chastised;
- emphasis on why new ideas should not be tried;
- lack of trust; few individuals empowered to act.
Unchurched context:
- no such thing as a mistake;
- all events, whether or not they achieve their intended outcome, are celebrated as learning experiences;
- new ideas are encouraged;
- high level of trust; many people empowered to act.
Do we encourage new thinking, or prevent it?

Transition 16: Congregations make maximum use of the “priesthood of all believers.”

Churched context:
- dominated by clergy, or by long-serving elders;
- evangelism assigned to a specific committee or person;
- pastor expected to attend all meetings;
- pastor’s time totally consumed with ministry and meetings focused on existing members;
- growth limited by time available to key leader.
Unchurched context:
- activities require leadership by a wide variety of people;
- high levels of trust, and of delegation;
- evangelism is everyone’s responsibility;
- congregation understood as an outpost on a mission field.
How many people participate in the decision making process in our church? How many see evangelism as their responsibility?


Denominational Transitions

Growing out of the transitions already noted, these changes are harder to accept. Some denominational agencies need to completely re-engineer their structures and functions.

Transition 17: Congregations are unique.

Churched context:
- congregations are similar, programs that work in one will probably work in another;
- characteristics of congregations are stable over a long time;
- worship and social activities do not change much over several generations;
- clergy skills do not change, what is learned in seminary will suffice for a lifetime of ministry.
Unchurched context:
- each congregation is a unique mission field;
- unchanging truth is communicated in a wide variety of ways;
- specific activities need to be adapted to meet specific circumstances;
- keeping up with congregational realities is a major challenge for seminaries and judicatories.
If we compared our activities with those of a congregation that was being successful in reaching a large number of unchurched people, what differences might we find?

Transition 18: Congregations look beyond denominations, and especially to other congregations, for materials.

Churched context:
- denomination functioned as sole source of resources;
- relatively few resources were needed;
- experts wrote materials for worship, evangelism, Christian Education, stewardship, etc.
- brand loyalty was strong to denominational publishing houses;
- denominational publishers were trusted for doctrinal propriety and procedural integrity.
Unchurched context:
- total number of resources needed has grown tremendously;
- resources are changed regularly to meet changing context;
- ideas are taken from any available source;
- denominational publishers must compete;
- locally produced materials may be more professionally produced than those available nationally;
- congregation to congregation learning is valued above denominational events;
- some non-denominational resources are more reliable, doctrinally, than those produced by the denomination.
From how many different sources do we purchase resources? Where do we go for new ideas?

Transition 19: Regional denominational offices relate differently to congregations.

Churched context:
- centralization of regional staff people with program expertise;
- easy transfer of experience from one setting to another;
- financial support from congregations allowed regional bodies to have several program experts on staff.
Unchurched context:
- expertise requires local knowledge;
- networks of congregations replace hierarchical structure;
- declining financial support has led to fewer staff.
How much affinity with Presbytery do we really feel?
Is the Presbytery Office staffed by program experts or by network managers?

Transition 20: National denominational offices relate differently to congregations.

Churched context:
- denominational structures support many aspects of local church life, from educational institutions to government relations;
- national experts could direct national programs, used throughout the denomination;
- financial support from congregations allowed the growth of national bodies.
Unchurched context:
- congregations find that other congregations often have more helpful advice than the national body;
- a feeling of distance has developed between national bodies and local congregations;
- decreased funding for national bodies;
- demoralization of regional and local staff members;
- renewed emphasis on work “at the coal face” of the local congregation, and of the need to get help from wherever it is available.
Where are we most likely to get our good ideas?

Transitions Affecting Everyone

These transitions describe overarching concepts and provide a general framework for the other transitions.

Transition 21: Uniformity is being replaced by choices and paradoxes.

Churched context:
- search for the one, best program to meet a general need;
- publishers produced materials based on what was identified as the one, best answer;
- seminaries taught the one, best way to do the business of the church;
- the system worked.
Unchurched context:
- hundreds of programs and activities are produced to meet specific needs;
- there is no one, best way of doing anything any more;
- many choices are available for every function of the local church.
How could we go about finding help with specific local issues – for example, the timing of worship services?

Transition 22: Control is being replaced with trust.

Churched Context:
- control was assumed, uniformity expected to prevail;
- worship was expected to be standardized;
- participants were willing to accept opinions given by experts, and to be under denominational control.
Unchurched context:
- control is having to be replaced by trust, or relationships are broken;
- leaders concentrate on mission and ministry, not on administration;
- disagreement is seen as an opportunity to grow and learn;
- emphasis on goals, rather than methods.
What happens when trust is replaced by an attempt to regain control?

Which of the 22 transitions do you consider to be accurate?
What are the two or three transitions that have the strongest impact on your life? on the church?


Jesus said: “Go therefore and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.” Matthew 28:19

How well are we responding to our Lord’s Great Commission?

In Search of the Unchurched Part IV

IN SEARCH OF THE UNCHURCHED

Chapter 7 Worship Style: A Lightening-Rod Issue

Worship is an issue that generates heat (but often precious little light).
Disagreements result in “worship-wars.”
However, worship is important, because:
- it is the main entry-point into the congregation.
- it is a mirror of the congregation’s attitudes as a whole.

“Traditional Worship”
- Means forms are familiar within a denomination.
- Common hymnody.
- Becomes problematic when a particular form is regarded as the only proper way to communicate.
- Can lead to “pseudotheology” when a liturgical form is treated as an end in itself, a substitute for Scripture.

How do you respond when someone says ‘But that’s not the Presbyterian way’?

Changing Rules

Unique mission fields require unique methods of communication.
This concept offends some people, but the number is shrinking. Why?
1. Because there are fewer people with an attachment to or memory of a particular worship style.
2. Because some of those raised in a formal liturgical style are now attending less-formal worship – often for the sake of their children or grandchildren.
3. Because inter-denominational marriage has led to uncertainty about standardized forms of worship.

Adding a New Service

1. Focus on ministry, not music.
- Which group are we trying to reach?

2. Communicate effectively.
- Discover what people are looking for.

3. Empower a Team to do the job.
- Don’t get bogged down in structure.

4. Determine form.
- Include many representatives from the target group as you decide.

5. Add, don’t replace.
- Show respect for traditional forms.

6. Beware of trying to blend styles.
- Rotating styles can be very confusing.

The Language of the Unchurched

Congregations that are serious about reaching out should employ as many different worship languages as they can.
- e.g. traditional/spirited traditional/high-energy participative/rock and roll/alternative/country western.
- Sermons must be tailored to the situation.
- Different perspectives should be celebrated as different ways of reaching new people.

Typical Problems
- Clothing acceptable to some may offend others.
- Raised in an either/or world, both/and solutions may be unacceptable to those who want to win.
- Fear of splitting an already small congregation.

The Real Issue
Debate about worship style is often only a symptom of a wider issue.
The real issue is – Is the congregation serious about reaching people for Christ? Will our mission include those who are not members?

For Reflection and Discussion
Whom, in our neighborhood, are we not reaching?
How could we arrange to visit with several of these people?
If we empowered a mission team to create a new service, who would be on the team?
Are we open to reaching our neighbors if that means holding an additional worship service using a different style of worship?


Chapter 8 Ideas That Do Not Automatically Work

Some ideas seem good, but are not as helpful as is often thought. For example:
1. New Member Studies.
It’s helpful to know why people join (if they will tell you).
It’s more helpful to know why some don’t join (if they will tell you).
Best bet – find out where former visitors are worshipping now, and try to find out what is different about that church.

2. Parochial Schools as Outreach.
- Some congregations experience membership gains through the school and other sources. This is healthy.
- Some congregations experience membership gain only through the school. This is probably manipulative.
- Some congregations don’t experience any membership gain. This is probably terminal.
- Often schools get blamed for problems that originate in the congregation.
- Often schools become a financial drain on declining congregations and are closed to save money.

3. New Church Planting.
Statistically, new church developments (NCD’s) bring the largest number of new members into a denomination. However:
- Most NCD’s stay small.
- “Build it and they will come” doesn’t work anymore.
- NCD’s can be very expensive, especially if started on a top-down structure, with the denomination taking responsibility for land, property, and personnel.
- Don’t expect weak churches to plant healthy NCD’s.

Was there a time when our church was actively reaching out to new people?
What was happening at the time, in the congregation and the community?
Can that excitement be recovered?

Chapter 9 Seven Words Say It All.
Solutions lie in individual, motivated congregations, taken one at a time.

Individual
Denominational problems can only be solved at the local-church level, when individual congregations become stronger.

Motivated
Congregations that focus on members grow weaker.
Congregations that ignore their neighborhoods die.
Congregations that focus on non-members find ways to grow stronger.
Congregations that are motivated by the Great Commission grow.
We cannot expect the denomination to solve local problems.

Taken One At A Time
Three General classifications:
Group A Congregations: are organized to reach new people, intentionally include newcomers while serving existing members.
Group B1 Congregations: are interested in becoming type A, but they are still attached to some churched-society habits that are barriers to outsiders.
Group B2 Congregations: are not interested in change.
Solutions are local, but some general principles apply.

Principles for Congregational Change
1. Knowledge of need for change must precede attitude change.
2. Attitude Change must precede behavior change.
3. Individual Behavior Change must precede organizational change.
4. Organizational Behavioral Change is more complex than many people imagine.
5. Attempt a Limited Number of Changes
6. Different Perspectives must be recognized. Often, people talk past one another without really communicating.
7. Sequence of Change.
- Realize there is a problem.
- Accept the fact that the world has changed.
- See the difference between internal and external focus.
- Decide that Great Commission outreach is achievable.
8. Help is Available. Why not learn from others?
9. Patience is Necessary. New ideas take time.

How many people in our church:

- Recognize that there is a problem?

- Accept that the world has changed?

- Can see the difference between an internal and an external focus?

- Believe that Great Commission outreach is possible for us?

In Search of the Unchurched Part III

IN SEARCH OF THE UNCHURCHED

Chapter 5 Ministry beyond Members

How do effective congregations respond to the needs in their communities while still meeting those of their own members?
It’s all about:

Action, Attitudes and Activities
The responses of effective churches to their communities are as varied as those communities, yet they share common characteristics:

1. Outreach-oriented congregations are motivated to extend mission beyond current membership.
- intentional about being inviting.
- Programs and marketing without a change in attitude usually accomplish little.
Are we more inclined to use a ‘magic pill’ approach to evangelism than to seek to change attitudes?

2. Outreach-oriented congregations seek local, contextual answers.
- learn all they can about their communities.
- Always adapt resources for their context.
- Know the difference between renting space to outside groups, and being involved with people.
How can we convert presence evangelism opportunities into Great Commission outreach? How can we increase the number of first-person contacts?

3. Outreach-oriented congregations meet people’s needs, not needs of the organizational structure.
- focus on people, not on structure.
- Motivate members to support mission, not infrastructure.
When we recruit volunteers, do we emphasize what the church needs, or how we can help people?

4. Outreach-focused congregations organize around mission, not structure.
- remove structural barriers to ministry.
- More interested in ministry than in micro-management.
Are we more interested in structural control, or in letting the Spirit move us in new ways? Do we sometimes let operational problems interfere with ministry opportunities?

5. Outreach-focused congregations use members’ gifts in new ministries.
- make extensive use of spiritual gifts.
- Operate a ‘priesthood of all believers.’
How could we encourage the use of skills and gifts to meet needs in the community?

6. Outreach-focused congregations see clergy and laity as partners.
- see clergy and laity as partners.
- develop an atmosphere of trust.
Do we have hidden obstacles that prevent members from undertaking tasks traditionally reserved for clergy?

7. Outreach-focused congregations value ‘mistakes.’
- not afraid to attempt new things.
- Learn from their missteps.
Can you name any mistakes from which we have learned recently? Why not?

8. Outreach-focused congregations care for people.
- seek to provide places of healing and hope.
- love takes precedence over judgment.
Why would a person who gave up on organized religion years ago return to our congregation?


What Motivates Great Commission Congregations?
- not growth, but people.
- growth as by-product of focus on people.
What are we focused upon?

Expanding the Reach of Congregations
- actively establish a variety of programs as entry points.
- Social activities used as opportunities to build relationships with the unchurched.
How could we expand our reach?

Igniter Events
- most have experienced significant events that have changed the emphasis of ministry.
- igniter events, positive or negative, involve a large number of people.
- igniter events fundamentally alter how a congregation thinks about its ministry.
Have we experienced any kind of igniter event?

How many of the characteristics of Great Commission congregations apply to our church? How could we develop these characteristics?



Chapter Six The Unchurched: Who are They?
- not necessarily people without faith.
- not necessarily those who will be attracted by traditional forms of church communication.

The Effectively Unchurched
- 50% of population of the US.
- some are not members of any congregation.
- some are inactive members of churches in different States.
- Some are inactive or lapsed members of churches in communities in which they live.
- 70-80% of effectively unchurched people say that faith is important in their lives.
- 40-60% pray daily or weekly.
- 30-50% read the Bible regularly.
- May not be asking salvation questions, as much as wanting to know what they can do to make life work.
Are we answering questions that the unchurched are not asking?

Reasons for Leaving and Motivation to Return

Why do people leave the church?
- been hurt by insensitivity at time of trial.
- harsh treatment by members and clergy.
- hypocrisy
- theological belligerence
- sexual harassment
- bias
- bigotry.
What would make them want to return?
- Scripture-based teaching.
- Good music.
- Moving worship.
- Programs for children.
However, most of those who have been hurt have no intention of returning.
Only traumatic life events will drive them back to church.
The church must be ready to respond at these times.
Are we doing a good enough job at reaching out to those who return following a traumatic event in their lives?

Other Reasons for Leaving
- 50% of formerly churched people simply dropped out when they moved away.
- 50% of formerly churched people simply dropped out without moving.
- 30 million Boomers drifted away. They are now having grandchildren who have never been in a church.
- Retirement communities often contain large numbers of those who have retired from the church.

After They are in the Door
Effective congregations do more than offer old-fashioned new member classes. There must be an intentional attempt to integrate newcomers into the life of the congregation.
One possible pattern:
1. Discover the Congregation.
2. Discover Maturity in Faith.
3. Discover Ministry to Others.
4. Discover Mission in our Backyard.

How effective are our attempts at new member integration?
How could we listen to the hopes and dreams of the unchurched in our community?

In Search of the Unchurched Part II

IN SEARCH OF THE UNCHURCHED

Chapter 3 The Source of Solutions: Congregations

Key findings from the Church Membership Initiative Study –

1. This is a Congregational issue.

2. Congregations that want to grow might grow.

3. Congregations that do not want to grow will not grow.

4. There are two different kinds of outreach
- Presence outreach
- Great Commission outreach

5. Size is not the issue.

6. Growth is not the issue
Congregations become larger by focusing on people, not on growth. Growth is a side effect.

7. The key is the attitude of congregational leaders and members.
When congregational leaders and members focus on themselves, the congregation has decided to die.

How do you react to these general conclusions? Do you find them to be too simplistic? How do they apply to us?


Chapter 4 Ministry to Members Only

Congregational attitude is the critical difference.

Closed congregations are very poor at welcoming newcomers.
How well have you been welcomed when you have visited another congregation? What was helpful/unhelpful?

Identifying Unhelpful Attitudes.

1. “Adding a second service will destroy our congregation”
- but not doing so will limit growth to the size of the sanctuary.

2. “Adding members will damage the relationship between the pastor and the people.”
- but must the size of the church be limited by the number of relationships the pastor can manage?

3. “Anyone is welcome to join us (as long as they are willing to become like us).”
- which means that we are not willing to consider the preferences of those who are not (yet) members.


4. “Our community is declining, so why expect growth?”
- usually an excuse given by those who are internally-focused. There are still a lot of unchurched people out there.

5. “We are interested in spiritual growth, not numerical growth.”
- the two are not mutually exclusive; a growing congregation need not compromise theology.

6. “We are a friendly congregation!”
- But to whom?
- Example of retired pastor ignored in churches he visits.
- Many churches are effectively closed to strangers.

Are we effectively closed to strangers?
How well do we welcome those we do not know?




Examining Entry Points

Declining churches usually have very few entry points into the life of the congregation, often, only the worship service. Is this enough?

Examine a typical calendar. There will be three main types of events.
a. Events and activities for members.
b. Events supporting congregational structure
c. Events intended to attract those who are not already members.

How many type ‘c’ events do we have in a typical month?
How can we encourage more?

Characteristics of Declining Congregations

1. Members have a ‘poor me’ attitude about their congregation.
- Low self-esteem.
- Concentration on financial problems.
- Board meetings focus on problems and complaints.
- Very little cooperation on shared goals.
- Planning meetings focus on listing problems.


2. Members are not aware of their congregation’s strengths.
- What are our strengths?


3. Members are not involved in their congregation’s neighborhood.
- Negative attitudes to the neighborhood: apprehension, fear.
- Development of ‘island’ congregations.
- Resignation to continued decline.
- Are we in danger of becoming an ‘island’ congregation?


4. The congregation is served by a few, long-term lay leaders.
- Burn out is common.
- Few young people take leadership roles.
- Negative reactions to new ideas.
- Concentration on existing activities reduces the pool of potential leaders.
- How many new activities have we begun in the last year?

5. The congregation’s community is declining.
- Economic and social decline.
- Typical responses: a feeling of helplessness in the face of community decline, together with the use of outdated strategies; envy of other congregations that are overcoming community decline.
- What can we learn from growing congregations?
- How could we go about learning?


6. The congregation sets up invisible barriers.
- Barriers are visible to outsiders, but invisible to current members.
- ShipofFools.com (Mystery Worshipper)
- What are our invisible barriers?
- How could we identify them?
- What can be done about them?


7. Members see themselves as family.
- How do people get to be members of a family? Birth/marriage/rarely, by adoption.
- Families are often closed systems. Difficult to enter.
- Without an external source of new blood, families eventually disappear.
- What is healthy about being a family church?
- What is unhealthy about being a family church?

In Search of the Unchurched Part I

We've got a small group in the church doing a book study of "In Search of the Unchurched" by Alan C. Klass. It's a deceptively simple little book, based on the findings of a major study by US Lutherans some years ago. I'm going to post my summary notes so that we can share the discussion more widely. If it's easier, just email me directly and I'll share your comments with the group.

IN SEARCH OF THE UNCHURCHED

Introduction

Two theses:
(i) The most important factor in declining membership is the change from a churched to an unchurched society.
(ii) The best hope for dealing with a changed society lies in the individual congregation.

Things have changed!
What were gas stations like thirty years ago?
What are they like now?
Same question for – grocery stores; hardware stores; transportation; communication; leisure time.

Is the church affected by similar changes?
Is the church a place of refuge from comfortable change?

Chapter 1 Things Were Going So Well

Seven Transitions
1. We have shifted from a churched to an unchurched society.
Which is the one most significant way your work with the church is affected by the transition from a churched society to an unchurched society?

2. People participate in congregations for different reasons.
People have separated the miracle of faith from the concept of congregational participation. What is the most powerful impact the separation has had on your current ministry activity?

3. People have less loyalty to denominations.
What is the most powerful implication this loss of denominational loyalty has for your current ministry activity?

4. Congregations have different purposes.
Is the focus of your ministry on current members, or on reaching out with a healing Jesus to broken and hurting people, especially to non-members?

5. The mission field has moved.
List two or three things you would do differently in your current ministry if that ministry were located in another country.

6. Different people do the mission work.
How would your work in your current ministry be different if the people saw themselves as personally involved in the mission of spreading the Gospel?

7. Different denominational communications systems are developing.
What has changed about the way people communicate with you now, compared with methods of getting your attention twenty to forty years ago?

Chapter 2 The Problem

Examples of the effect on organized religion of sociological change.

1. Of 500 Presbyterians confirmed 25 years ago, 48% are no longer members of any congregation; only 29% are still Presbyterians.
2. In 1990 there were 12 million Lutherans, but only 8 million were members of local congregations.
3. 15 congregational activities were ranked by Lutheran members and clergy. Evangelism was not selected as one of the top six purposes of the congregation by 99% of laity, and 94% of clergy.
4. One mainline denomination of 5 million has lost 200,000 people annually over the last ten years, through ‘the back door.’

Membership losses were not taken particularly seriously by denominational leadership, until those losses started having financial implications.

When did we start to see the effects of societal change?