I’m reposting part of an article by Olivia St. John first published by the World Net Daily.
The church is in crisis. Outgoing president Rev. Frank Page estimates that only half of Southern Baptist churches will still exist two decades from now. The decline appears to be particularly acute among young people in the church. In 2005, 55 percent of Southern Baptist churches baptized no youths, according to Ed Stetzer with the North American Mission Board.
“They are discovering, as other traditional denominations are, that their future is tied to reaching younger people and more diverse people,” said professor Lovett H. Weems Jr. at Wesley Theological Seminary.
Ed Gamble, Southern Baptist Association of Christian Schools executive director, said, “our denomination grew at 1.2 percent last year, not even enough to match our birth rate. Rick Hughes, Baptist State Convention of North Carolina senior consultant for discipleship, states, “We must face the fact that much of the American church is declining for a very biblical reason: We have failed to be and make disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ.”
The entire article can be read here. Olivia goes onto talk about the need for Christian parents to consider homeschooling or enrolling their children in a Christian school. I agree with her conclusion but her article also talked about the need for the Church to reach out to their community. Most mainline churches are not growing because they are not reaching out to their community.
The great commandment that Jesus gave us is to go into all the world and preach the Gospel. That also includes the neighborhoods around your church. Many churches are not growing because people don’t know they exist or what is going on inside and if they do they don’t feel welcome. That is my passion. I want to help your church grow and reach out.
