The Last Day of the World

The following is taken from the writings of Robert Spenser. It is a very timely reminder of the intentions of imperialist Islam. The fate of Constantinople should remind us all to be vigilant.



May 29 marks the anniversary of the real Nakba, or perhaps more precisely the καταστροφή -- the Catastrophe: on this day in 1453, the armies of the Ottoman Sultan Mehmet II entered Constantinople, marking the end of the Eastern Roman Empire, more commonly known as the Byzantine Empire.
If anything deserves to be called an occupation, and a nakba, it is this, although it has, like so many other bloody conquests in human history, been legitimized by time. Still, if the descendants of the Christian inhabitants of Constantinople and Anatolia were to demand, and receive, a right of return, rapidly-Islamizing Turkey would look vastly different from how it looks now.
On this day in 1453, the conquerers were extraordinarily brutal. Historian Steven Runciman notes that the Muslim soldiers "slew everyone that they met in the streets, men, women, and children without discrimination. The blood ran in rivers down the steep streets from the heights of Petra toward the Golden Horn. But soon the lust for slaughter was assuaged. The soldiers realized that captives and precious objects would bring them greater profit." (The Fall of Constantinople 1453, Cambridge University Press, 1965, p. 145.)
Some jihadists "made for the small but splendid churches by the walls, Saint George by the Charisian Gate, Saint John in Petra, and the lovely church of the monastery of the Holy Saviour in Chora, to strip them of their stores of plate and their vestments and everything else that could be torn from them. In the Chora they left the mosaics and frescoes, but they destroyed the icon of the Mother of God, the Hodigitria, the holiest picture in all Byzantium, painted, so men said, by Saint Luke himself. It had been taken there from its own church beside the Palace at the beginning of the siege, that its beneficient presence might be at hand to inspire the defenders on the walls. It was taken from its setting and hacked into four pieces." (P. 146.)
The jihadists also entered the Hagia Sophia, which for nearly a thousand years had been the grandest church in Christendom. The faithful had gathered within its hallowed walls to pray during the city’s last agony. The Muslims, according to Runciman, halted the celebration of Orthros (morning prayer); the priests, according to legend, took the sacred vessels and disappeared into the cathedral’s eastern wall, through which they shall return to complete the divine service one day. Muslim men then killed the elderly and weak and led the rest off into slavery.
Once the Muslims had thoroughly subdued Constantinople, they set out to Islamize it. According to the Muslim chronicler Hoca Sa’deddin, tutor of the sixteenth-century Sultans Murad III and Mehmed III, "churches which were within the city were emptied of their vile idols and cleansed from the filthy and idolatrous impurities and by the defacement of their images and the erection of Islamic prayer niches and pulpits many monasteries and chapels became the envy of the gardens of Paradise."
It has come to be known as Black Tuesday, the Last Day of the World.

A Very Present Help

A Very Present Help in Times of Trouble
Matthew 10:16-31

Where do we find help?
Trouble never seems far away when we live for Christ. We try to be faithful, to respond to the call into the harvest field (9:37), to leave behind the attractions of this world and to live as radical disciples of Christ. And we fool ourselves into thinking that, because we are obedient, the world will congratulate us. Of course it will not. We are not immunized against trouble. In fact, obeying Christ is a sure way to find trouble. The question is, how can we deal with it when it comes? How can we live victoriously?


Here are four sources of strength.

First: Remember the Promise Verses 16-20
But when they arrest you, do not worry about what to say or how to say it. At that time you will be given what to say, for it will not be you speaking, but the Spirit of Your Father speaking through you. (10:19-20)

Sheep and wolves do not mix well, but we are not defenseless. We have a shepherd. And when it comes to defending ourselves it need not be all bleating and baa-ing. The promise is that the Spirit of the Father will, at that time, speak through us.

Some years ago I helped with a mission led by a Christian Union in a major university. A debate was held between a communist and a Christian. Five hundred people came to listen as the two sparred. The Christian was relaxed, funny and insightful. His opponent was like a coiled spring, so nervous he could not marshal his arguments. It was no contest. The Christian won hands-down. Afterwards, I asked him how he had done it. His response: He had prepared by re-reading some important books, such as several by Francis Schaeffer and C. S. Lewis. He had prayed, and had been supported during the debate by a group praying in another room. He had also claimed the promise of Matthew 10:20, that the Spirit of the Father would use his lips as instruments of truth. We can do no less today.

Second: Look to the Future Verses 21-23
Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; children will rebel against their parents and have them put to death. All men will hate you because of me, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved. (10:21-22)

We must keep the end in sight. A teenage girl, dreaming of becoming a doctor, must not worry about all the years of study, the residency, and the temptations to quit; instead she must keep her eyes on the goal. A woman in labor, wondering if she can bear the pain, will conquer it if she remembers the reward, the child, struggling into the light of day, who will one day call her “mother.” Suffering does not endure forever. Salvation will come. We will have our reward (10:42).

Verse 22 does not mean that we risk losing our salvation if we do not stand firm, rather, it reminds us of the fruit of faithfulness. We show, by our standing firm, the work God has already done in us.

There will come an end. There will be a reckoning. The just will be vindicated. The faithful will enter in to their reward. Keep a heavenly perspective. To look to the future is to live in hope.

Third: Follow the Master Verses 24-27
A student is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master. It is enough for a student to be like his teacher, and a student like his master. (10:24-25)

How are we to be like our Teacher, our Master? By being obedient to the Father’s will. Our response to the call of God into the harvest fields is to discern our Father’s will, through study of the Scriptures, through ardent prayer, and through the counsel of Godly friends; and then it is to be obedient.

Our Master was “despised and rejected of men, a man of sorrows and familiar with suffering.” (Isaiah 53:3) Some people thought He was from the devil. Some people may think that we are from the devil too! We may be called all manner of things. Count it as joy to be defamed and abused because of our obedience to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. What a privilege to follow the Master. He trod the path we must tread today. He suffered. So why shouldn’t we suffer too? Gain strength from the knowledge that, if you are truly faithful, your suffering is the result of your obedience.

Fourth: Trust the Father Verses 28-31

Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from the will of your Father. (10:29)

Why should you trust the Father? Two reasons:

First, He is the One whom we should really fear.
Do not be afraid of those who can kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell. (10:28)

God is the One who has our eternal destiny in His hands. We should be so afraid of Him that we should fear no human agency. Ours should not be the fearful dread that makes us run from Him, but the holy awe that drives us to His feet.

Second, He is the One who really cares for us.
Don't be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows. (10:30)

If God, in His providence, can watch over the smallest of creatures, surely He can also watch over you. God did not send His Son to die for sparrows; He sent Him to die for you. He cares for you. You can trust Him.

Bearing faithful witness during troubled days can be a daunting task. It is easier to keep quiet; but silence is not always an option available to us. In this passage, Christ reminds us that even in difficult times, when we face opposition, God will not leave us without the help we need, the hope that will not let us go.

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?

Apologetics

Last Sunday I made mention of several helpful books in Christian apologetics. Here's a fuller list. It could have been a lot longer, but this should be enough to get you going!

There's a temptation among some Christians to shy away from criticisms of the faith, and to cede the intellectual battleground to the secularists. The result is often a kind of anti-intellectualism that does us no credit. Some Christians try to hide behind the ultimate mystery of God, and to say that, since we can't know anything we shouldn't even try. But God gave us m inds as well as hearts, and we have a responsibility to employ both in the service of our Savior.

Anyway, enjoy the list.





Orthodoxy: G.K. Chesterton

Chesterton was a great thinker who delivered his penetrating insights with flare and humor. An old book now, but well worth reading.




The Problem of Pain: C.S. Lewis

Thoughtful little book on the problem of evil for Christians. How can a loving God allow pain?





Jesus Among Other Gods: Ravi Zacharias

Contrasts the claims of Christ with those of the founders of other major religions.







Know Why You Believe: Paul E. Little

Popular with college students, a simple introduction to apologetics.







The Case for Christ: Lee Strobel

Part of a series. A former skeptic journalist examines the Christian faith.







When Skeptics Ask: Norman Geisler

Covers the major questions asked by those who have doubts about Christianity.








Defending Your Faith: R.C. Sproul

Basic and effective primer. Engaging style.







Mere Christianity: C.S. Lewis

Reduces Christianity to its essentials. A reasoned and reasonable defense.








The Twilight of Atheism: Alister McGrath

Intellectual book from a man with advanced degrees in both science and theology.






A Schaeffer Trilogy: Francis Schaeffer

A little dated now, but contains three of Schaeffer's most famous works of apologetics.

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?