The focus of this book is not concerned only about the church, but about each and every member of every church, learning to witness as Christ would lead them.  In the same spirit that public schools wish no child be left behind, churches should desire that no Christian child or member be left behind, not a single one.

Each member of the church has talents and abilities that differ from the others.  It is in realizing those personal talents and abilities that they will be happy and effective, as a unique witness for Christ.  It is reasonable to assume that a Christian soldier that has lost a leg in combat is better (than one who is not a soldier and has not lost a limb) to witness to another soldier that has also lost a leg or limb. So it is with all personal characteristics, talents and abilities.

Many authors are writing books and articles about the large percentage of churches that have become lethargic, stagnant, plateaued, shrinking, or dying.  The pastor seldom preaches to a lost person, the choir seldom sings to a lost person, the Sunday school teacher seldom teaches to a lost person, the invitation is seldom given to a lost person, and everyone in the church seems satisfied.  These churches in their present character have become spiritually ill, because they have forgotten that Christ came primarily to seek and save the lost.

I have been checking many churches’ websites to ascertain their level of outreach.  The spectrum extends from those that are doing much to those that are doing nothing.  Some of the large churches appear to be a bookstore, for there is nothing else on there website. 

I think you know, as well as members in every church, what Jesus gave by his angel to John in Revelation to write to the seven churches in Asia Minor.  Those church conditions and judgments apply, in a small or large part, to just about every church.  We must be ever mindful of those church conditions and judgments stated by John.

It is said that learning to witness is similar to a child learning to walk.  A child does learn to walk and talk. A child of god likewise learns to walk and talk spiritually for Christ as he matures.  It takes time, experience and companionship of the Holy Spirit.

This book is my effort to create in every church a strong love for lost souls and for those souls that are weak and without achievement, purpose, or direction.

James 1:22 But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.

James 2:17 Faith that doesn’t show itself by good work is no faith at all, it is dead and useless.

I John 2:3 And how can we be sure that we belong to Him?  By looking within ourselves, are we really trying to do what He wants us to do?

The Church is not a Museum for the Saints;

The Church is rather a Family of Brothers and Sisters;

The Church is a Christian Education Seminary;

And the Church is a Hospital for Sinners!

Jerry Rogers

CORROBORATIVE RESEARCH

An analysis of the drop in church attendance 

Author G. Jeffery MacDonald of the Religion News Service
 

            Booming megachurches may grab headlines, but the bigger story of the American congregations is one of the accelerating declines, according to David T. Olson, director of the American Church Research Project.  Based on data collected from more than 200,000 churches, he projects that by 2050, only 10 percent of Americans will be in church on any given Sunday.

            Olson, who’s also director of church planting for the Evangelical Covenant Church, analyzes the situation in his 2008 book, The American Church in Crisis.  Some answers have been edited for length.

Why do you say the American church is in crisis?

            The big problem is America continues to grow in terms of population, but the percentage of Americans attending church on any given weekend keeps declining.  In 1990, it was 20.4 percent.  In 2000, it was 18.7.  In 2007, it was 17.

Polls suggest more than 40 percent of Americans are weekly churchgoers.  Why the discrepancy between those findings and yours?

            The pollsters ask people questions about what they’ve done in the past week.  I look at who actually showed up, according to head counts taken during worship.  I think head counts are much more accurate.  People want to look good for the pollster, causing something called the “halo effect,” and that definitely happens when the subject is religion.

Why is church attendance such a critical factor to measure?

            Part of following Jesus is being connected in an authentic, consistent way with a group of Christians so that it’s not just as individualistic act.  It’s a communal relationship with accountability.  So when I see that percentage going down, it lets me know that the number of people following Jesus in that way is diminishing in America.

Are certain types of churches faring better than others?

            Yes.  Since 2001 especially, mainline Catholic churches have been experiencing sever decline.  They are declining much faster than they were in the 1990s.  Evangelicals are still growing numerically, but that numeric growth is not keeping up with population growth.

What accounts for the decline that you’re describing?

            Churches tend to stay pretty stable.  So even though the community around them may be growing or be in transition with new people coming in regularly, churches often don’t notice those things happening and are pretty happy to just stay the same.  From 1990 to 2006, there were 68 million new births in America and a net gain of 23 million immigrants, but churches a lot of times are really not looking outside their doors to think about how to connect with those new Americans.

Is the problem mostly a matter of style?  Are evangelicals doing better because they’re often more amenable to using new technologies and forms of worship?

            Strategy and style are not the issue.  The real issue today is: Does a particular church have the ability to communicate the story of Jesus in a way that really connects with the people?  In my observation, American churches are not doing a very good job of thinking about how to tell that story in ways that really engage people in their communities.

Are churches not reaching the unchurched?  Or are they losing people who’ve just drifted away?

            It’s some of both.  Christians are increasingly cocooned and live in environments where they may not know many people who are not Christians.  And there are plenty of people who grew up in a church environment and now say, “You know, this just isn’t working for me anymore.”

Pray that God will call some to be Christian Politicians!

PREFACE

I an ashamed and distraught!  I have a Masters Degree in Divinity.  I’ve had both Greek and Hebrew.  I’ve pastored a small church.  In course work, I’ve had Old Testament intensive, New Testament intensive, and other semester studies in each of the gospels.  You name it and I’ve probably had it.  Furthermore, I’ve preached revivals, taught Sunday school, preached at many churches, etc, etc.  Ad infinitum! 

All of the above are totally without merit or purpose, because everything is peripheral to the single truth that God sent His Son to earth to seek and save the lost   That’s all, end of sentence, case closed.  Nothing could be simpler or more profound.  We-- all of us-- have beaten around the bush considering everything, teaching everything, writing about everything, but the central fact that Christ was crucified, I repeat CRUCIFIED, for the propitiation of our sins—not for the church or any of the church’s programs.  The church in every consideration should be geared to seeking and saving the lost.  Secondarily is the function of the church to edify the saints and their fellowship.

To be a Christian, we have to go where He would go, do what He would do and say what He would say.  We have to be like Christ. We have to seek to save!  We have to win lost souls to Christ.  Not the Church or the pastor or the missionaries only, but you and I.

Christ has forgiven me for my sins of omission, my lack of understanding and my lack of accomplishments for Him.  Nevertheless, I am still very ashamed and distraught that it has taken me so many years of my life to realize the priority of His commandments.