{"id":124,"date":"2016-01-14T15:02:20","date_gmt":"2016-01-14T15:02:20","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/wwv.group.com\/whengodleftthebuilding\/?p=124"},"modified":"2016-01-15T14:23:27","modified_gmt":"2016-01-15T14:23:27","slug":"saying-good-riddance-to-church-dropouts","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wwv.group.com\/whengodleftthebuilding\/2016\/01\/14\/saying-good-riddance-to-church-dropouts\/","title":{"rendered":"Saying \u2018Good Riddance\u2019 to Church Dropouts"},"content":{"rendered":"

Saying \u2018Good Riddance\u2019 to Church Dropouts<\/span><\/h1>\n

by Thom Schultz<\/p>\n

News of the decline among America\u2019s churches is producing a strange new effect. Elitism.<\/p>\n

While church involvement continues to slide, some people are attempting to spin the decline into an odd source of pride and superiority. It\u2019s beyond putting \u201clipstick on a pig.\u201d It\u2019s trying to turn the pig into a prima donna.<\/p>\n

\u201cIT\u2019S NOT US\u201d<\/strong>
\nSome spokespeople insist on repeating the myth that church decline is limited to a few mainline denominations. And they often dismiss those losses with a certain disdain. \u201cThey\u2019re dying\u2013and deservedly so,\u201d goes the thinking. \u201cBut there\u2019s no problem among our evangelical churches.\u201d<\/p>\n

First of all, that presumption is false. Across the board, with few exceptions, the American church is losing ground. For example, the largest evangelical denomination, the Southern Baptist Convention, has reported losses in attendance and baptisms for multiple years now.<\/p>\n

Second, this deflection of the problem and disparagement of others is simply not helpful. It\u2019s another type of denial. And it delays or buries any effort to improve. \u201cIt\u2019s somebody else\u2019s problem, so we\u2019ll just keep doing everything the same way we always have.\u201d<\/p>\n

After watching the story of a troubled church in our documentary film When God Left the Building<\/a>\u00a0(now available on DVD), an audience member said, \u201cI\u2019m so thankful we\u2019re not like that ungodly church.\u201d<\/p>\n

I remember a similar statement in Luke 18: \u201cGod, I thank you that I am not like other people.\u201d Jesus cautioned us about this type of prideful elitism.<\/p>\n

DANCING AROUND DISMAL DATA<\/strong><\/p>\n

It\u2019s been interesting to watch some church and denominational leaders contort themselves to paint a pleasant patina on the decline. Some say, \u201cPeople aren\u2019t really leaving the church. They never should have been considered a part of the church in the first place.\u201d One of them said, \u201cWe would say they are Christians in name only.\u201d They seem to be saying that declining attendance and baptisms are positive signs that we\u2019re weeding out the slackers and reducing the pews to the loyal \u201creal\u201d believers like themselves.<\/p>\n

I recently heard a pastor tell his congregation that these slackers should not be a part of any congregation. \u201cThey\u2019re like barnacles on the bottom of a boat, impeding our progress,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Some leaders simply fear that admitting the declining numbers will demoralize the flock, which may cause the remaining sheep to wander away themselves. So they craft elaborate explanations to obscure the backward slide.<\/p>\n

A MORE HELPFUL RESPONSE<\/strong><\/p>\n

For all of us who love the church, today\u2019s news about the American church\u2019s slippage is difficult to hear. We wish all the trends would point upward. We don\u2019t want to be a part of a receding movement. So, how might we respond to the national data that reveal the church\u2019s national decline?<\/p>\n

Admit the losses. Know and understand the facts. It\u2019s like acknowledging a personal health problem. Only then will you be willing to consider doing what you need to do to return to full health.<\/p>\n

Stop blaming others<\/strong>. Resist the temptation to direct your angst at the messengers, the media, or the \u201cChristians in name only.\u201d Blaming those with \u201cspecks in their eyes\u201d will only delay your own work to make improvements.<\/p>\n

See the hope.<\/strong> Yes, the current form of the American church is struggling. But God\u2019s true church\u2013the Body of Christ, the community of believers\u2013will not go away. It is right now regenerating in fresh ways. And, at this time in history, we are privileged to be a part of something new that God is leading. We simply need to be open to his leading, let go of how we\u2019ve always done it, be willing to change and grow, and humbly learn to BE the church anew.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Saying \u2018Good Riddance\u2019 to Church Dropouts by Thom Schultz News of the decline among America\u2019s churches is producing a strange new effect. Elitism. While church involvement continues to slide, some people are attempting to spin the decline into an odd source of pride and superiority. It\u2019s beyond putting \u201clipstick on a pig.\u201d It\u2019s trying to turn the pig into a […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":71,"featured_media":129,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-124","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"\nSaying \u2018Good Riddance\u2019 to Church Dropouts<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"News of the decline among America\u2019s churches is producing a strange new effect. Elitism. 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