AUTHOR: Robin Dugall DATE: 7:55:00 AM ----- BODY:

2. SNAPSHOTS OF THE REALITY OF THE CONTEMPORARY CHURCH “Throughout the history of the world, Christianity has fallen on hard times…more than statistics, some Protestant groups in particular appear to have no future at all…(they are) losing ground at an alarming rate.”3 a. Picture from the Church in Europe – fast becoming an American Reality: “In a London school a teenager with no church connections hears the Christmas story for the first time. His teacher tells it well and he is fascinated by this amazing story. Risking his friends’ mockery, after the lesson he thanks her for the story. One thing had disturbed him, so he asks: ‘Why did they give the baby a swear-word for his name?’ One Sunday in Oxford a man visits a church building to collect something for his partner who works during the week in a creative-arts projects the church runs. He arrives as the morning congregation is leaving and recognizes the minister, who he knows. Surprised, he asks: ‘what are all these people doing here? I didn’t know churches were open on Sundays’”4 b. Stories from Denominations and Local Churches “My Church is closing!” - Churches are folding at a rate unprecedented in history. For example, in 2004, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America will close more churches for good than they will plant churches in communities across the United State. In addition, Churches across the country are aging with the median age of the average congregational adherent growing to past 50 years of age. The Barna Organization reports that even among pastors in mainline denominations, the median age exceeds 50 years of age. A majority of congregational leaders have had their most significant spiritual and leadership influence in days that have passed. That is reflected not only in outdated ministry strategies but also in a general “worn out” feeling among older clergy many of which are looking forward more to retirement than to the next wave of renewal in ministry. Massive congregational programs are being less and less impactful or relevant to contemporary living in an ever-changing culture. With most ministries clinging to strategies that date back to the 1950’s, there is shrinking consequence to a world that is changing at an exponential rate. Local congregations are looking more like museums than mirrors reflecting a redeemed people living in the 21st century. “People are hypocrites in the church” - In addition, there is an understandable critique by people within and outside of congregations about the lack of spiritual and ethical authenticity exhibited in Christian churches. Local churches are imploding because of pastors who have more of a corporate take-over mentality than that of a Christ-like Shepherd and sacrificial servant. One church I am aware of in California has had two Senior Pastors attempt to organizationally highjack the leadership of the church because of misguided, egocentric understandings of biblical texts of who should lead the church and how it should be led. It has resulted in organizational splintering, devastated emotions and disgrace in the public arena. “They are spending so much money on buildings, what about the poor?” - Billions of dollars are being spent in constructing new Buildings for American churches that will most likely become the monuments of futility, as are many of the cathedrals of Europe. Local churches are being discouraged because they cannot build in a manner that would keep up with the perceive American Church dream. Many local churches believe more in a phrase popularized by the movie, Field of Dreams” if you build they will come” than they do in the discipleship and evangelism training. “I’ve had it!” - Burn out is persistently entrenched itself within the culture of ministry leadership. Pursuing an “American Dream” of Church Growth (visible success in terms of big buildings, big budgets, big programs, big exposure, big resource sales, etc.) has led to a proliferation of frustrated and spiritual impoverished leaders. Instead of pursuing spiritual and Kingdom objectives, leaders are ruthlessly running after the “carrots” of the Christian sub-culture. In the process they are losing their soul. In addition, an entire generation of young leaders is watching the carnage of leadership burnout. Ministries that are built and led more like a Fortune 500 company than like the incarnation of the person and presence of Jesus in our contemporary world are burning many of the young leaders of the contemporary church out. One youth worker writes: Ministry is tough. Ministry is hard on the spiritual life, self esteem, family life, and I would say it is hard on our "call." You can get so caught up in the activities associated with ministry that you loose sight of what it is that God is calling you to. How can you lead when you feel dry inside? How can you set an example when you have no joy? Why would you expect your students to want to come to church when you don't want to? I know that I have felt these feelings and had these questions a several points in my ministry. It reminds me of a dog that returns to his own vomit... it is no good for the dog to put it back into it's stomach, but it does. I have felt at times that church is the last place I should be, and yet I return to it like a stupid dog. I think that it is best at these times to step back, refocus, and to be selfish. I have found that at these times in my ministry, it is time for me to cut way back, take a leave of absence, or leave the church altogether. I get the feeling that my family is not happy either. In fact they have told me. My joy is gone. Their joy is gone. I’m burned out. I’m tired of giving and sacrificing my family for ministry. We don't look forward to church anymore. “You’re kidding me?” - Despite the emphasis on Cell Groups and Small Groups, most groups are superficial at best in their ministry and transformation potential. One group that I am aware of endured a crisis-pregnancy, divorce, an affair and an entrenchment of alcoholism within separate group members with none of the other group members knowing a thing. Accountability is practically non-existent in the local church even in circles where accountability is taught and preached. We are not holding people accountable to spiritual truth or Christ-like living. There is more disconnection and consequently, more decadence and spiritual compartmentalization. The culture is dictating the behavior of the Body of Christ. c. Quotes from authors who have a passion for the Church: “…The world (i.e. church) that has largely forsaken its missional covenant with God to be a part of kingdom expansion. It has, instead, substituted its own charter of church as a clubhouse where religious people hang out with other people who think, dress, behave, vote, and believe like them.”5 “The Church is not being defined by the Church but by the Media” George Barna “Churches always have agendas – join us, give money to us, make our effort mean something, validate our existence”6 “Churches are always trying to sell me something. Most churches bulletins read like a brochure from Amway”7 “Even though we have the largest number of teenage students involved in youth groups in local churches, we also have the largest teen group measured over the past 25 years that will be least likely to be involved in church as an adult” George Barna “Evangelism without discipleship is spiritual abuse. Discipleship without evangelism is legalism” George Barna “When the church loses its sense of mission, the focus of church begins to center around the event of worship”8 “I like your Christ but I don’t like your Christianity. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ.” Mahatma Gandhi “Because I grew up in a safe cocoon of big Christianity, I came to believe that anything outside the church was filled with darkness and unlove”9 “Too much of our time is spent trying to chart God on a grid, and too little is spent allowing our hearts to fuel awe. By reducing Christian spirituality to a formula, we deprive our hearts of wonder.”10 “It frustrates me, as I see the growing search that is all around us and reflect on our apparent inability or unwillingness to engage with it. It annoys me as I see small-minded autocrats refusing to face the reality of the decline and spiritual stagnation that is so obvious a feature of church life”12 “Taking church too seriously can damage your spiritual health”12 “I guess my problem with the church is not that I’ve lost any faith or feel like its hopeless or that kind of thing. It’s more that I’m bored with it. I go to church and I hear sermons and I think, ‘I just don’t want to hear this…’”13 “The current church culture in North America is on life support. It is living off the work, money and energy of previous generations from a previous world order”14 d. Statistics and Observations from Research Experts: NOTE – all the comments below have been derived from in-class lecture material given by Dr. George Barna, Haggard School of Theology, July 2004. The Church is made up of individual Christ-followers. Although it is not the task of this paper to give a thorough delineation of the dangers inherent in cognitive belief at the expense of concrete, life action, Christian researchers have given us examples of how individual believers are living. It is impossible to take the temperature of an institution’s health. We can only ascertain the health of the whole by analyzing the sum total of its parts. Among adult believers, nobody said their most important goal in life was to be a devoted follower of Jesus or to be someone who sought to make a difference maker in their world for anyone else but their glory. One in five had specific and measurable goals for spiritual formation and spiritual development unto maturity in Jesus. Less than 1 in 5 described their faith as the most serious commitment in their lives. Most believers’ self-identity is not clarified as that of a Christ-follower. Most believers, by far, would identify themselves as an American, a consumer, or as a specified professional individual versus demonstrating that their identity is primarily that of a person of faith. 9% of believers have a biblical worldview. Only 51% of Pastors have a biblical worldview. Most adults in Church do not believe that there is such a thing as absolute moral truth. Many people are dropping out of Church especially “leadership types” of men in the marketplace because they cannot make a significant impact on entrenched church hierarchies and outdated political systems. $5 Billion being spent on buildings in America.

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