Your Spiritual Journey
What's Happening to the Church
What’s Happening to the Church?
We’ve all seen it. Churches that have been around for decades, even some in our neighboring communities, are closing their doors or modifying their formats to attract more parishioners. In fact, a recent Gallup survey shows that in 2022 less than 50% of the U.S. population say that religion is very important to them and that they belong to a church. That’s down from a high of 61% as recently as 2003, and the trend is pointing to further decline. Now, I know that polls can’t reach everyone and that there is a margin of error at play, but this is not an encouraging sign.
There are plenty of reasons for the decline in importance, from disillusionment due to tragedy or disagreements between other children of God, to lack of availability of locations to worship, to health reasons, and so on. Hebrews 6:6 tells us that those “who have fallen away…are crucifying the Son of God all over again”. While using this passage might guilt some back to Christ, using guilt as a weapon against someone is not how Jesus, or God, ever wanted to build a relationship with us. He wants us to love Him because he loves us. We need to read a little further to Hebrews 6:10 to know that “God… will not forget your work and the love you have shown”. God is ready to welcome you back at any time.
Some folks even say that they don’t need a church family because their personal relationship with Jesus is private. This is also a sign that the message is being missed. This world is full of temptations and the only one who beat all those temptations is Jesus. We humans can be weak and give in to the fleshly desires of this world. Gathering with fellow Christians helps to strengthen our faith and fend off these temptations.
The best way to approach someone who has fallen away is the same way to approach someone who has not heard God’s word – with kindness and patience and not with guilt. Do you know someone who has fallen away or is struggling? Reach out to them with the love that Jesus showed us and let God work in their heart.
James Passmore
