Remember the point of the exercise. It is about the transformation of America by God-directed influence and actions of his people in the nation…flavoring a nation with the culture of Christ.
All of my life, that objective…a primary directive of Christ…has been the domain of the institutional church. It still should be. However, institutional churches are failing in their efforts.
The two largest sociological groups in history are in a continuing transition…baby boomers on the way out of primary influential engagement and millennials (age 31 and down) rising into the primary influential slots.
Up to 70% of millennials who grew up in traditional churches are leaving those churches to find engagement with God without what they consider to be meaningless forms and traditions. Add to that the millions of that age group who demonstrate no intent to seek God.
As many as 90% of those same churches are on a slow death track as the remaining active members age to and through senior adulthood. And, as that transition continues, biblical literacy among American adults is in a free-fall with only 9% holding to basic tenants of a biblical worldview.
That sets the stage for the emerging corps of leadership in our nation to be virtually unequipped with principles, values, and ways of thinking based upon scripture…principles and values upon which our nation was founded. The policies those leaders are establishing for business, religion, education, social order, political action, etc., follow in course…increasingly away from biblical standards.
If current measurable trends continue unaltered, in less than 60 years, the influential religion in America will be Islam, the dominant culture will be pagan, the superpower of the world will be China, and the culture of Christ as a defining factor in America will be a distant receding memory.
Personally, I find that to be an unacceptable situation. So, Christian…what are you going to do about it?
Choose the contest...Iron Bowl, World Series, Daytona 500, or the battle for American culture...I can tell you who will win. The team that wins will be the team that most effectively adjusts to the evolving environment of the contest.
So, how is your church adjusting to the cultural and spiritual environment of America?
Here are some uncomfortable evaluative questions to ask about your church fellowship that will provide the answer.
Uncomfortable evaluative question #1. If everyone my age and up (60+) was instantly removed from your active fellowship, what would be left of your church?
Uncomfortable evaluative question #2. What is currently occurring through your fellowship that is effectively engaging persons 30 and under?
Uncomfortable evaluative question #3. If your fellowship ceased to exist today, would anyone in your community notice?
Back to question #1, take the average age of your active fellowship and subtract it from 70. The resulting number is the remaining mission life of your church…if you do nothing different.
So, where do you go from here?
The initial answer to that question is detailed in the book, “It’s Time”. Long term, the answer depends upon your willingness to follow Christ on His terms in your world. That will require removal of just about everything you have comfortably stacked around your religious experience.
Are you willing? Our nation is at stake.
