What Can We Do? (Part 1)

I have been blessed to be a part of this church (Sixth and Washington Street Church of Christ) for more than a quarter of a century. You have treated me and my family with love, respect, and the financial support that has made it possible for me to work in full-time ministry. For that I will be eternally grateful.

Throughout the years you have permitted me to be away a few weeks each year to conduct gospel meetings. My first year here I had ten meetings scheduled, and honored those commitments, but since then I have tried to limit that number to no more than four or five a year. Those times away afford not only opportunities for me to reach others with the gospel, but also provide time for me to write, to plan the sermons for the coming year, and to do some reading that I often don’t find the time to do when I am home. Because of your understanding and generosity I have had the opportunity to impact many more souls for Christ.

Almost everywhere I go these days, with rare exception, numbers are declining. I am asked repeatedly, “What can we do?” This is not a problem unique to us. Churches up and down the valley and beyond are experiencing the same thing. And, it is not just our fellowship. Rolls are declining among most religious bodies.

Now, according to the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life, one in five adults have no religious affiliation. “The number of Americans who do not identify with any religion continues to grow at a rapid pace. One-fifth of the U.S. public – and a third of adults under 30 – are religiously unaffiliated today, the highest percentages ever in Pew Research Center polling.”

“Further, in the last five years alone, the unaffiliated have increased from just over 15% to just under 20% of all U.S. adults. Their ranks now include more than 13 million self-described atheists and agnostics (nearly 6% of the U.S. public), as well as nearly 33 million people who say they have no particular religious affiliation (14%).”

The world has changed dramatically from the 1950’s and early 1960’s when we were the fastest growing religious group in America. And even when we look back to that period in our history, though we were statistically the fastest growing church in America, other religious movements were also experiencing significant numerical growth. Today that is no longer the case.

Now, even among congregations where numbers are increasing, with rare exceptions, we are not seeing growth, but swelling (this is the phenomenon where people leave one congregation for another). Growth is not the result of souls being added to the kingdom, but the result of people switching churches. And, yes, there can be times when that is the right thing to do.

The situation is certainly not hopeless. We do, however, need a more realistic view of the world and what we are facing. There is a certain element of society that will never find the gospel appealing (1 Corinthians 1:26). And the masses will not choose to “walk the strait and narrow” (Matthew 7:13-14). But there are still honest hearts among us, and we must continue to sow the seed (Luke 8:11). If we plant and water, God will give the increase (1 Corinthians 3:6). We cannot surrender simply because the battle is difficult (2 Timothy 2:3).

–Roger

(continue to part 2)