I remember once watching an episode of Married with Children where Kelly Bundy said, “I thought it was Sunday today.” When asked why she thought that, she replied, “Because when I drove past church there was nobody there!”
The church is relationship. I believe in the future of the local church, engaged with the local community, finding its unique local expressions. There is a future. We need a new generation of pastors who can build relationships in community, and empower and release the gifts of the people, however young or old. It's a mission field, but the fields are white for harvest. It has begun.
This is a sobering and enlightening read. You have in my opinion nailed it when it comes to the diagnosis of the problem. As one living in America that is exactly what I see. I also applaud the solutions you and the authors have suggested. I will buy the book and promote it!! Thank you!!
Great commentary on the book I may try to read it sometime. So many books now and so little time. I’m from USA 🇺🇸 New England so I’m used to living in a very non-churched/ nominal Roman Catholic and secular community. We definitely are not living in the Bible Belt and I do see just from my on own local church (Confessional Lutheran) that the younger people are not committing to the local Christian Church. My congregation is mainly people in there 50-70’s with some young middle aged. New England is said to be just about 2% for confessional Protestant Evangelicals church all states combined so we are a small minority and we accept that knowing God is faithful
A friend read this book and he and I had some good chats about it. I'm not gonna lie, Dr. Bird, I'm both apprehensive and excited for the future of the [American] church. I live in Texas and my wife is Southern. The book really drove it home for me that there is a category of unchurched but orthodox and it pains me that this category exists.
In Texas, the mindset is that big churches are successful so it draws people. What concerns me is this mindset of "bigger is better" because it leads people to join churches that don't drive home the beauty of the Gospel nor how Jesus won't fail them. It often centers around people and experiences which will eventually fail them.
But I am excited. I think that the book showed us Americans that despite all of the fractures, there is hope. I generally am critical of statistics but I think the authors did a thorough work. If all it takes is a friend to get people back, for us to participate in their lives, that feels like a really low bar. This is especially true in Texas where the exponential growth - and the exponential miles driven to do the most basic errand - has made life very lonely for a lot of people. I know that uphill battles isn't something people want to endure but sanctification involves it and to be more like Christ means we have to let him walk alongside us as we climb those steep hills.
The church is relationship. I believe in the future of the local church, engaged with the local community, finding its unique local expressions. There is a future. We need a new generation of pastors who can build relationships in community, and empower and release the gifts of the people, however young or old. It's a mission field, but the fields are white for harvest. It has begun.
Phil, may it be so!
Many thanks - a very thought-provoking read.
This is a sobering and enlightening read. You have in my opinion nailed it when it comes to the diagnosis of the problem. As one living in America that is exactly what I see. I also applaud the solutions you and the authors have suggested. I will buy the book and promote it!! Thank you!!
Thanks Stan!
Great commentary on the book I may try to read it sometime. So many books now and so little time. I’m from USA 🇺🇸 New England so I’m used to living in a very non-churched/ nominal Roman Catholic and secular community. We definitely are not living in the Bible Belt and I do see just from my on own local church (Confessional Lutheran) that the younger people are not committing to the local Christian Church. My congregation is mainly people in there 50-70’s with some young middle aged. New England is said to be just about 2% for confessional Protestant Evangelicals church all states combined so we are a small minority and we accept that knowing God is faithful
A friend read this book and he and I had some good chats about it. I'm not gonna lie, Dr. Bird, I'm both apprehensive and excited for the future of the [American] church. I live in Texas and my wife is Southern. The book really drove it home for me that there is a category of unchurched but orthodox and it pains me that this category exists.
In Texas, the mindset is that big churches are successful so it draws people. What concerns me is this mindset of "bigger is better" because it leads people to join churches that don't drive home the beauty of the Gospel nor how Jesus won't fail them. It often centers around people and experiences which will eventually fail them.
But I am excited. I think that the book showed us Americans that despite all of the fractures, there is hope. I generally am critical of statistics but I think the authors did a thorough work. If all it takes is a friend to get people back, for us to participate in their lives, that feels like a really low bar. This is especially true in Texas where the exponential growth - and the exponential miles driven to do the most basic errand - has made life very lonely for a lot of people. I know that uphill battles isn't something people want to endure but sanctification involves it and to be more like Christ means we have to let him walk alongside us as we climb those steep hills.