Lifeway Research reports that almost 7 in 10 U.S. Protestant pastors (69%) believe there is a growing sense of fear within their congregations about the future of the nation and world. Additionally, more than 3 in 5 (63%) say their churches have a similar increasing dread specifically about the future of Christianity in the U.S. and around the world. With the church struck by the mental double whammy of pastors and churchgoers fearing the loss of their Christian faith and the downturn in the spiritual and economic economy of the church’s life, how can they be moved to win the lost for Christ?
Each week, pastors stand in the pulpit and look out on half-empty sanctuaries, preaching the Word with power and conviction, but fewer and fewer people are hearing the message. While pastors and lay leaders fear the future, they must begin to recognize that with God, they can overcome any challenge and obstacle that is before them. It starts by seeing Jesus in those around them. Realize there is not a lack of people but a lack of sowing into the gospel field as a missionary for Christ.
Do Ministry That Matters.
Every community has a section of town that people try to avoid. Why? Because it is dangerous. But what about the people who live in that area? Don’t they need a church that rises over fear and into faith? .
I must be frank with you—I am tired of doing ministry safe. Ministry safe has slowly killed the Christian church because bottoms in the seats and weekly offerings became more important than lives transformed with the gospel. Jesus did not die on the cross for big buildings but for those stuck in sin. You might have heard that when Rome burned, Nero played the fiddle. The dichotomy of the matter is that the church is allowing the community to burn all around them, while they sit in their comfortable empty building watching and waiting for Christ’s return.
Ministry is right outside the church’s doors, but the church must be willing to get uncomfortable to serve in difficult areas and to see transformation take place not only in those they are helping but in their own lives.
Invest Resources Where They Can Help.
I have never been at a church where I have not heard, “Where will we get the money for that?” One church I served in had more than $350,000 in the bank and no debt, yet I still heard those words. Sure, churches must live within their means; however, they should never seek to lower their ministry viewpoint to the budget number on the page.
Research shows that 2022 marks the first time since 2016 that more than half of pastors feel the economy is having a negative impact on their churches and the first time since 2012 that fewer than 10% of pastors see the economy as having a positive effect. Yet, statistics go on to say that most churches have seen that giving has increased. Lifeway Research says that around 7 in 10 U.S. Protestant pastors say giving at their church so far this year is at or exceeding their budget, including 46% who say giving has been about what was budgeted and 23% who say it’s higher. Close to 3 in 10 (29%) say giving is below their 2022 budget.
So, what is happening? The wrong resource is being shared. The mind overcomes the heart. God did not call his people to hide, but live out their faith, faithfully.
Where in your community today needs a gospel witness? What partnership can be had to secure a God advancement? There are people, places and partnerships willing for you and your church to walk alongside them. What will it take for your church to become a church on a mission? Whatever resources the local church has (people, properties, finances), leverage them to expand and equip the kingdom of God.
Change the Spiritual Scorecard.
The way the world measures effectiveness must not become the way the church does. The scorecard that the church has used for decades has become broken. Measuring effectiveness by buildings, programs and money is a surefire way to deflate the kingdom of God down to numbers and miss the souls impacted by the gospel.
When you read the Bible, what scorecard did Jesus use?
- Life changes through seeking forgiveness.
- Returning what was taken through sin and restoring what was lost through Christ’s blood.
- People matter more than their position in the world.
- Love overcomes all sin when the sinner repents of their sin.
See the world outside of the church as a place Jesus is calling. Begin to adapt to the needs around you and not the conditions inside of you. Capture the Christ spirit you have learned about inside the church and begin to spread it wherever you go daily.
The community around you needs the message of God’s saving grace, but who will tell them if not you? The scorecard of ministry is changing. It is no longer bigger is better, but people over things. Love over hate—forgiveness over condemnation. Be Jesus in the face of trouble, and watch how God uses you and your church to transform lives and the community in which you live.