NOW IS THE TIME

When I look at the culture of US church it seems that we all have one thing in common. The culture around us is less likely to just come to a church building. Which brings me to conclude that we cannot continue to just do church within the walls of a building we must actively carry out the great commission of the church.

Rainer research reports… If your church has fewer than 100 in worship, it is likely to be a declining church. In fact two out of three of these small churches are declining.

Even more, there is a direct correlation with the rate of decline in a church and the size of the church. Simply stated, the smaller the church, the greater the rate of decline in attendance. Perhaps these three statements will clarify my point:

A declining church with an attendance of 200 or more declines at a rate of 4 percent each year.A declining church with an attendance of less than 100 declines at a rate of 7.6 percent per year.A declining church with an attendance of less than 50 declines at a rate of 8.7 percent a year.

It’s a death spiral. Declining smaller churches decline much more rapidly than larger churches. Once the declining church goes below 100 in attendance, its days are likely numbered. (Thom Rainer.com)

Forty-seven percent of evangelistically effective churches have a high percentage of unchurched attendees, 30 percent or more unchurched, compared to 27 percent of less effective churches, so 47 versus 27.

Our situation today reminds me of Nehemiah. (Read Neh. 1:1-3)

We Need To Realize The Situation Before Us (1:3)

On one hand, among U.S. adults overall, higher levels of education are linked with lower levels of religious commitment by some measures, such as belief in God, how often people pray and how important they say religion is to them. On the other hand, Americans with college degrees report attending religious services as often as Americans with less education.

A growing share of self-identified “evangelical or born-again” Protestants (41%) say it has become more difficult to be an evangelical Christian in the U.S. in recent years; just 34% answered the question the same way in September 2014. Only about one-in-ten evangelicals now say it has become easier for their community in the U.S., while nearly half (47%) say it has not changed very much.

The Holman Christian Standard Bible Chapter 1

The remnant in the province, who survived the exile, are in great trouble and disgrace

We Need To Realize The Importance of Prayer (4)

The Holman Christian Standard Bible Psalm 39

“Hear my prayer, LORD,

and listen to my cry for help;

do not be silent at my tears.

For I am a foreigner residing with You,

a temporary resident like all my fathers

The Holman Christian Standard Bible Psalm 39

“Hear my prayer, LORD,

and listen to my cry for help;

do not be silent at my tears.

For I am a foreigner residing with You,

a temporary resident like all my fathers.

Psalm 39:12 HCSB

“Hear my prayer, Lord, and listen to my cry for help; do not be silent at my tears. For I am a foreigner residing with You, a temporary resident like all my fathers.

Psalm 39:12

Prayer should move us to mourn over the condition

Prayer will place us before God’s heart

We Need To Realize The Necessity of Discipling (2:12; 17-18)

Make Disciples: Reaching the Postmodern World for Christ Chapter 1: The Great Commission: One Command—Three Tasks

In view of carrying out the Great Commission, is it the best of times or the worst of times? Perhaps it is both. Never has there been a time of greater opportunity for the church of Jesus Christ, and yet never has there been a time of such peril. For while men and women today are indeed seeking spirituality, they are seeking it on their own terms according to their own rules instead of on Christ’s terms and upon Christ’s rules

We must have a plan to bring others along

We must diligently work to reach unbelievers

The Holman Christian Standard Bible Chapter 4

So we rebuilt the wall until the entire wall was joined together up to half its height, for the people had the will to keep working