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June 13, 2008
Okay, I know, So I haven't blogged in a while. Sorry for not keeping up with the times. On top of that I am going to blog on something that seems to be talked about to inifitum, but never seems to get through. I was confronted again by a faithful pastor who didn't seem to understand why we need new churches. The argument always seems to go like this; "Why do we need more churches, don't we already have enough? Why not put all that money into helping older churches?"
So, Here are a few quick reasons.
1. People need Jesus!
I know that you already believe this, but let me challenge you; this issue strikes at the very heart of our faith. Receiving Jesus is more than a neat thing to do. It is crucial. The Scriptures tell us that without Jesus there is no hope. "Jesus said to him, I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life; no one comes to the Father but by Me” (John 14:6). There is no other way. Jesus Christ is the only solution to the deepest longings of the human heart. He is the only answer to the problems that plague our society. Without Jesus, lost people will stay lost, not only now, but forever. Only the savior can change us and offer us hope and wholeness.
2. People need the church!
Why can’t people just love Jesus and never go to church? After all, we don’t need to go to church to be a Christian, right? No! That’s wrong. Nowhere in the Scriptures do we find this idea that we can be lone ranger Christians. Even Jesus surrounded himself with believers. Christianity, in New Testament terms, was never only about joining with Jesus, but also to be a part of a body of believers.
People need the church; it’s not optional. There is no plan B. If the church fails to do what God designed it to do, then there is no backup plan. It is essential to God’s plan for our lives. It is the only place God has designed for us to experience worship, fellowship, growth, and the humility of service. Being a part of a healthy congregation is a necessity for the personal growth of a believer. Americans have distorted, even ignored the theological understanding of community. We must correct how we view the church. When an individual is saved into a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, they are also saved into the church.
Honestly, the bigger question every church should ask is; "Why do people need this church?" If every church you go to is a cookie cutter of the last, what makes your church so differnt?
3. One local church can't do it all.
There are so many other churches in your city, why plant another church when yours is not full on Sunday morning? This isn’t a question the believers in the book of Acts ask. Instead, in Acts 1:8 they ask, “How, when, and where can we plant more churches?” Church planting wasn’t a program for the early believers; it was a way of life. It was like breathing air for them. It was a natural need, an evangelistic expression of the Great Commission.
How has Christianity changed from a faith that was spread primarily through church planting to a faith in decline? The answer is really fairly simple. American Christianity became an establishment and began to see the church plant as a competitor rather than a kingdom partner. In fact, the fear of that competition has become more important than reaching the unsaved. It’s time to get back to the basics.
Face reality, your church isn’t reaching everyone in your area; and it never will. In fact, it wasn’t intended too. Just like there are multiple radio stations for multiple listeners, there should be multiple churches for different types of worshipers. No one church can ever be designed to reach everyone. That was never God’s intention. No single church can handle the load of helping every newcomer.
4. The church in the United States is losing ground.
Over the last few decades, the church has lost its place and power in our society. It would appear that at a time in our history in America, when spirituality is at an all-time high, Christianity seems to be making little progress. “Today approximately 262 million people live in the United States…187 million of these people have yet to accept Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior.” There can be no doubt that most denominations have seen this trend and have already realized the need to plant new churches.
Over 32,000 churches closed their doors over the last decade. If you break that number down 3,200 churches closed every year, 267 closed every month, 62 closed every week, and 9 closed every day.
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