The Church in 2018

I shared in my opening comments in the last issue that I continue to be encouraged about the future of the church.  I am not alone in the effort to keep people informed and advocate the changes needed to reach today’s teens and young adults.  One to the respected voices I listen to is Thom Rainer, the president of Lifeway Christian Resources.  In a recent article Thom Rainer focused on four significant trends that he sees in growing churches as we move into 2018.  I would like to focus on two of those characteristics.

Growing churches have made a concerted effort to abandon the entitlement mentality. Too many congregations have become religious country clubs.  Like a in a club, members pay their dues, put money in the offering plate, and get benefits.  There are classes they may attend, social groups they can join and events they can participate in. The breakout churches made intentional efforts to abandon this mentality. They have moved from being inner-focused to being outer-focused.

As a result of the desire to be more outer-focused, they are fervently searching for new paradigms.  They are analyzing those new paradigms with a desire to accept them.  They also know that the methodologies that currently work might not be effective a year from now.  Ministry is always a work in progress.  Change is a necessity.  The reality according to Thom Rainer is, “your church will either change or die.” 

My prayer is that while you will embrace change, you will also keep the gospel message at the forefront.  Today’s teens and young adults need Jesus.