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Are the bells tolling for the American church?

From LifeWay Research comes the following trends which may soon affect American Churches:

1. Our nation will see the emergence of the largest generational mission field in more than a century. According to our current research, the Millennial generation, those born between 1980 and 2000, will have a very low Christian representation. Our estimates now are that only 15 percent are Christian. With a huge population of nearly 80 million, that means that nearly 70 million young people are not Christians.

2. The dominant attitude of this huge generation toward Christianity will be largely indifferent. Only 13 percent of the Millennials rank any type of spiritual matter as important to their lives. They are not angry at churches and Christians. They simply ignore us because they do not deem us as meaningful or relevant.

3. Senior adult ministries in churches will experience steep declines. As the large Baby Boomer generation moves into their older years, they will resist any suggestion that they are senior adults, no matter how senior they may be. Unfortunately, many churches are slow to adapt to new realities. If they do senior adult ministry the way they’ve always done it, it will be headed for failure.

4. The large Boomer generation will become more receptive to the gospel. Our data is anecdotal for now, but we are seeing indications that the Boomers may actually become more interested in spiritual matters in general and Christianity specifically. If so, this trend will be counter to other trends where adults tend to become less receptive to the gospel as they age. The Baby Boomers have tried it all and found no joy. They may likely turn to the hope of the gospel.

5. Family will be a key value for both of the large generations. For the Millennials, family is their most important value. Nearly eight out of ten of the Millennials ranked family as the important issue in their lives. They told us that they had healthy relationships with their parents who, for the most part, are Baby Boomers. Some churches say they are family friendly, but few actually demonstrate that value. Churches that reach both of these generations will make significant changes to become the type of churches that foster healthy family relationships.

Read the whole thing: Five major trends for churches in America

Response: Many secular folks are anticipating a huge decline in membership for Christian Churches in America. As the Boomer generation gets older and begins to depart from this earth, many expect that the Christian influence in America will finally decline and go the same way as Europe.

The key to that expectation lies with the small number of Millennials that are actually Christians and involved in churches in America. The writer of the Lifeway article views this as a wide open domestic mission field opportunity.

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The Christian Post put up some observations by mega pastor Francis Chan about the American Church.

Pastor Chan questions whether today’s church is anything like what God originally intended. Here’s some of the quotes –well worth reading:

“You go to a building, someone gives you a bulletin, you sit in a chair, you sing a few songs, a guy delivers maybe a polished message, maybe not, someone sings a solo, you go home.”

“When you read the New Testament, you see the Holy Spirit was supposed to change everything so that this gathering of people who call themselves Christians had this supernatural element about them.”

“Do you really see this supernatural power at work when the believers gather together for what we call church? Isn’t it the same Holy Spirit that’s supposed to be available to us today? Why is it so different?”

“I heard one person say the church nowadays is neither super nor natural,” he says. “Everything is predictable and everything is expected.”

“There’s a truth to that. I feel bad about it. Being around a church culture, even leading a gathering of believers, I’ve gotten pretty good at predicting what’s going to happen in a church service. Was that the way it was supposed to happen?”

“When Jesus said this power (of the Holy Spirit) would come upon you, it really did come upon them and they were powerful beings (Jesus’ disciples). Why is it that in the church so many people are weak or defeated or we get so insecure because we look at ourselves rather than God? It doesn’t make sense.”

“…the response among His people today is: “Hi, welcome to church. Here’s your bulletin. We’ll get you out in an hour. Come back next week.”

“I mean, really? Is that all God intended for us?”

“What would the church look like today if we really stopped taking control of it and let the Holy Spirit lead?”

“I believe this is exactly what the world needs to see.”

Response: I really like the ending. Here’s one pastor who obviously gets it. Those of us who have been seeking revival and renewal have all talked along the same lines about what we observe in the American church.

This is why many of us believe that when revival does come to America it will happen in the public square and in the Marketplace first just like where it started in the first century with the Apostles and also in the ministry of Jesus. The church will be substantially dragged along later kicking all of the way.

This does not mean that there will not be churches involved in the revival. There will be key congregations and groups all across North America that will prepare their members to respond, facilitate, accommodate, and make a place for the move of God. Come Holy Spirit. 

This last week Roman Catholic authorities in America were gathered together in a conference on Exorcism noting that the ministry had declined considerably in America.

The meeting, was held in Baltimore with over fifty bishops and sixty priests in attendance discussing and learning the procedures of the Catholic ‘Rite of Exorcism’.

Dr. Albert Mohler (President of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary) responded on his blog with his views on Exorcism and why ‘evangelicals’ don’t have a ‘rite of exorcism’ in the following article:  “On Exorcism and Exorcists: An Evangelical View”

Here’s the money quote from the article:

“We should respect the power of the Devil and his demons, but never fear them. We do not need a rite of exorcism, only the name of Jesus. We are not given a priesthood of exorcists — for every believer is armed with the full promise of the Gospel, united with Christ by faith, and indwelt by the Holy Spirit.”

Response: I respect Dr. Mohler and normally agree with him on most issues. I even met him at a blogging conference several years ago. However on this issue he came up short as far as I am concerned. 

He acknowledged that Jesus and the Apostles cast out demons but really didn’t seem to consider any special attention to it as necessary today.

I know that in Pentecostal and Charismatic circles there are those who specialize in Spiritual warfare and casting out demons. Dr. Mohler didn’t say that ‘exorcism isn’t for today’ but from my perspective seemed to imply it.

What do you think?

I have participated in praying for folks and casting out demons in the past and have some incredible, exhilarating, and chilling memories of the experience.  One thing I know is true- the ‘name of Jesus’ is above any other name.           

Rom 15:5-7
5 May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus, 6 that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. 7 Therefore welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God.  -ESV

Last weekend was spent at a men’s retreat up at Big Bear, CA. I always look forward to the time spent together with other men from my home church- VCC Laguna Niguel as a high point of every year and was not disappointed.

The best part is the encouragement that I always receive and the clarity of vision for ministry that I usually come away with.

Pastor Dave gave the keynote talk and the scripture above was one of the references. Interestingly at least twice when he was pointing out the importance of supporting one another with endurance and encouragement he mistakenly (?) combined the two words together and said- ‘enduragement’. It became a running joke for the weekend. However, I found the new word to be especially helpful in remembering and applying the message. Now I am not all that sure it was really so much of a mistake.

The best part of the weekend was when we got into small groups and prayed over each other’s families, jobs, and ministries and the Holy Spirit fell on everyone there. There is nothing like having other brothers pray with you over the most important and intimate things of your life. Then feeling and receiving not only support from brothers in the faith but also encouragement to endure and live out your faith in such a way that it actually makes the world around you a better place to live.

So I submit this to you:  I pray that all of you will receive the same kind of ‘enduragement’ that I received last weekend from my brothers in Christ. If so, then Revival could become a reality in your everyday experience of living.

Come Holy Spirit and bring new vision and enduragement to all who read this and let them be touched with fresh fire that ignites their lives and touches everything and everyone they come in contact with- families, neighbors, workers, store clerks. Let the light of the Holy Spirit in them leap out and touch everyone. Let it be a surprise and let it be revival- not in tents or churches but everywhere.   

This morning at the Marketplace Prayer Group the Holy Spirit showed me a picture of the Lord slaying giants.

The theme of the morning was ‘crossing over Jordan’. there was a sense that many of us there this morning were on the bring of being able to cross over into ‘the promise land’ in our jobs, businesses, and ministries.

The vision originally came in response to one particular brother who had been experiencing health and financial issues and at the same time had received miraculous provision.

However also during that time he had received numerous words that seemed almost ridiculous in the face of what he was currently facing yet the lord this morning was confirming the validity of all of the incredible words for future business and ministry he had received.

While meditating on the vision I believe that the Lord told me that it was also for everyone there and the American church in general.

Many of us have been facing ‘giants’ standing in the way of fulfilling the visions and calling that the Lord has given us over the years. Sometimes those words seem almost ridiculous in the face of all of the challenges that we are personally facing.

Many of us have been looking for and praying for revival in America. Now is the time to cross over and receive it. Now is the time to step forward in faith. It is time to stop looking at all of the ‘giants in the land’ and the reasons it can’t be done. The Lord himself is slaying all of the giants standing in the way. Praise God!