Your Church is A'Changing! (Part 1)

The church you attend is changing. 

It doesn’t matter where it’s located, its denomination, or how long it has been around. Your church is changing. 

It’s growing, dying, or transforming, but it definitely isn’t staying the same.

Now someone is going to say, “my church hasn’t changed in the last [insert number here] years.”  Well my friend, if you think that, then you might want to take another look at your church. 

How many adult conversions have taken place over the last year, or two years, or three?  Now, how many members have died, transferred, or simply quit coming to services?  Are a significant number of your folks noticeably growing in Christian maturity?  How is attendance at Sunday School, Training Union, small group studies, etc.? 

Here’s some trivia that isn’t trivial: the Millennial generation—born in the 1980s and 1990s—is larger than the Baby Boom generation (roughly 80 million and 76 million respectively).  Take a look at your congregation.  What is its composition age-wise? 

Maybe your church is holding to its core beliefs and decidedly growing in membership, baptisms, discipleship, and other relevant measures.  If that’s the case, then great… you’re apparently doing something right.  Maybe you’d like to share your secrets.

On the other hand, if your church is declining (or, at best, holding steady) in these areas, then please realize that it’s not a matter of needing to change.  Your church is already changing.  And the change is not for the better. 

Some may point to their new carpeting, repaved parking lot, flashing sign out front, or increase in “fellowship meals” as evidence they are changing for the better.  All those are nice and potentially worthwhile, but we’re talking about changes that God deeply cares about; changes that matter for eternity.

If your church isn’t noticeably growing or positively and visibly transforming, then you may be wondering, “What should our church do?” 

But the real question is: Are you willing to adapt to changing circumstances, hold true to core Christian beliefs, and step out in faith to follow where God leads?

Why? Because it’s not solely your pastor’s job to adapt the church to changing situations.  It’s not your deacons’ job.  Or elders, presbyters, trustees, etc., etc.  It has to start in you.

To be continued…