Is the Church Really in Trouble?
So many times churches hire based on talent instead of character Scripture is clear, but these “so called churches” want to play church and don’t really care what the Bible has to say about anything. So they hire whoever they want. Well, guess what happens when you hire someone who lacks Godly character, you don’t get to complain about it later. This isn’t a marital status issue, it is a character issue and I am getting so sick of churches covering up their messes (or trying to) because they hired the talented guy (who lacked character) and not the character guy. There are far too many examples of churches being exposed trying to hide or deny allegations of abuse of wrong doings by ministers or staff. Usually after years of knowing about the abuse by the “church” which then tries to then down play the allegations against them.
The American Church is in Danger
1. Complete lack of true Biblical love (1Cor 13) (church goers think they love, but they don’t always.)
2. Worship service looks more like a rock concert than a church service (rock band, light show, etc)
3. Singing Bethel, Evelation Worship, Hillsong, etc. It is not a style preference but it is a Theological! And Moral! Choice) those ministries are pure evil!
4. Sermons are more like Ted talks than actual sermons. Read a verse then talk for the next thirty minutes about how God wants you to have a postive self image or how to be happy or any other topic (which has nothing to do with the verse you just read) and boom, you have your average sermon today.
5. Focus is MAINLY on numbers NOT souls. (how sad and pathetic) as long as they can cram x number of people into their building to boost their egos they are fine. They may also start a separate “satellite campus” with those numbers counting towards the main campus’s overall numbers. They water down their sermons (see point #4) and starve the few sheep they may have, to please the wolves.
Again, many many churches hire ministers solely based on talent alone. What does the Bible say about this? 1 Tim 3 and Titus says to appoint based on character, not talent or any other charatistic. Obviously, the individual needs to have some skill to perform the job at hand, but the most important thing to keep in mind is not their skills/talents but their overall character. Today, church members want to be entertained not to be taught God’s truth’s.
Gen Z is Different, but The Church is Stuck in 1996!
Gen Z, the generation that almost everyone likes to make fun of. Some of which is waranted, some of it isn’t, but they ARE our future leaders whether we like it or not. I hope that title got your attention, because it should’ve of. They were born between the years of (1997-2012.)
Gen Z is the first generation to never have known what life was like with out the internet, or even 9/11. Being the most digitally connected generation ever has affected their habits; such less than 20 percent claim to read for fun, while over 80 percent use social media every day. (1)
However, that does not mean that these kids are digitally literate. Just because someone uses technolgy alot does not mean they know how to use it and use it well. In one area is: Communication. Many gen zer’s seem to struggle with face-to-face communication, that is one of the main reasons (my opinion) why the dating outlook is so grim for them.
Gen Z is coming of age and they are the least religious generation ever. Gen Z is the first generation to know what life is like without the internet, without instant access to technology and information at your finger tips. While less than 20 percent claim to read for fun, over 80 percent use social media every day. (2) Prior generations the concerns were things dealing with poor decision making. However with Gen Z that is not the case, the most significant worry with them is their mental health. Studies have shown that social media negatively affects teens, especially girls. One study done in 2017 showed that social media usage can lead to anxiety, loneliness, and fragility. Sleep deprivation is another effect of excess screen time and social media usage, which leads to other physical and mental issues. (3)
Although social media users may try to claim that using social media “excessively” helps them stay in touch with their friends. However, those connections may be superficial compared to face-to-face interactions. Their is one theory as to why women tend to be more affected by the affects of social media than men. Men are using social media as much as women are, but they are using it differently. Women tend to favor sites like Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest, while men go to places like Reddit. Women are more likely to make friends on a social media platform, men use that platform to discuss things online with others. According to a study, cyberbullying is now more common among Generation Z than among Millennials, the previous generation. (4)
Revival or Reform?
Yes, we greatly need revival that only God can bring however, will it be enough? I will argue a hardy, NO. We are too far gone, too many issues, yes God is a God of miracles. Yes God is always faithful and will leave a (faithful) remnant.
Church attendance has been on the decline for years now. Yet, the way churches conduct their services has remained unchanged for more than three decades, except in one main way. It has gotten WAY more showy. Showy? Yes, showy, entertainment driven, where everything in the church service is performance driven. From the song service to the preaching to even the smallest details, everything is planned to not bore the people in the pews. You may ask what is the problem with this, after all isn’t planning good? The first problem is, church does not exist to entertain you. Church exists for; Worship, Fellowship, Discipleship, Community, Mission. Another problem is authenticity, with Gen Z you have to be real, not fake.
Worship is something you bring. It is a communal experience that goes back and forth between the people leading and the congregation. The sense of worship as an offering has been lost in far too many churches today.
If Sunday morning doesn’t facilitate transformation, it’s time to rethink Sunday morning. Sure, small groups, one-on-one discipleship initiatives all spawn transformation, but Sunday morning can’t be left out of the picture.
The American Church has major problems that IT IS ignoring that it simply can not! From their three big idols of Money, Power, and Family Worship; to the SBC mishandling of its sex abuse case to much much more.
Anyone who goes to church that is paying attention can tell you that church attendance is declining. There are several reasons for that decline, but the Bible does predict that in the last days
10 And then many will fall away and betray one another and hate one another. 11 And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray. 12 And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold. 13 But the one who endures to the end will be saved (Matthew 24:10-13 ESV)
Now the Spirit expressly says that in later times some will depart from the faith by devoting themselves to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons, 2 through the insincerity of liars whose consciences are seared, 3 who forbid marriage and require abstinence from foods that God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth. 4 For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, (1 Timothy 4:1-4 ESV)
Simply identifying with a religious community is likely insufficient to increase social interactions and community connection. It is being active in a religious community that is the essential ingredient.
For a variety of reasons, Christianity does not enjoy the same place it once did, trust has eroded over the past two or three decades. Gallup found in 2021, only 37 percent of the public reported having a great deal or quite a lot of confidence in religious institutions, a massive decline since 2001 when it was at 60 percent confident.(1)