Thinking of Leaving the Church the Young Preacher Thinks Again
A few weeks ago, I invited an influential evangelical pastor in Northern California to bout a local Bethany Christian Services location and meet with our social workers. We talked about a multifariousness of things, including care for parents facing an unintended pregnancy, children waiting for adoptive homes, the foster intendance crisis in America, and welcoming our neighbors who are refugees or unaccompanied children.
We discussed another interesting topic besides. I asked, "How can we help Christians move forward in unity for the sake of the Great Commandment and the Neat Commission, despite our many differences?"
You don't have to look far to run across partition inside American Christianity. We're still divided over the 2020 election, racial justice, fifty-fifty wearing face masks.
USA TODAY's opinion newsletter:Get the best insights and assay delivered to your inbox.
According to the Center for the Report of Global Christianity, more than than 200 Christian denominations operate in the United states. And at that place is talk of more denominational splits in the coming yr.
Sectionalisation is causing people to abandon Christian churches. Last year, Barna institute that the share of practicing Christians has dropped nearly in half since 2000. Gallup recently reported that U.S. church membership fell below 50% for the first fourth dimension in eight decades.
I can't help thinking that there could be a correlation between our public infighting and the undeniable fact that fewer people want to be associated with united states of america.
Young adults abscond the church
In a 2017 Lifeway Enquiry survey, a majority (66%) of Americans ages 23-30 said they stopped attending church on a regular ground for at least a yr after turning 18. Amid their top reasons was that church building members seemed divisive, judgmental or hypocritical.
Pastor Andy Stanley of the Atlanta area recently cited the top 5 reasons that people leave the church building. On the list was "they had a bad church experience," where church members prioritized or defended viewpoints over people.
At this pivotal moment in American history, I present every Christian with the question I asked that mean solar day in California: How can Christians motion forward in unity despite our doctrinal differences across denominations? Is that even possible?
Now, I desire to say that doctrine is extremely important. I am non downplaying the importance of theology and what the Bible teaches.
I am emphasizing that Christians are too often known for what nosotros're against, rather than what we're for. Too often we gloat sectionalization to bear witness we practice the purest form of Christianity.
In Luke 9:46, Jesus' disciples were arguing nearly the aforementioned thing. How did Jesus reply? Scripture tells usa, "Jesus, knowing their thoughts, took a little child and had him stand abreast him. Then he said to them, 'Whoever welcomes this little child in my name welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me welcomes the i who sent me. For it is the one who is least amid you all who is the greatest.' "
Similarly, the Pharisees confronted Jesus in Matthew 22:36-40 about which commandment was the greatest. "Jesus replied: 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the outset and greatest commandment. And the 2nd is like it: 'Dearest your neighbor equally yourself.' All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.'"
James, the brother of Jesus, writes, "Religion that God our Begetter accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look subsequently orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted past the earth" (James 1:27).
All three of these passages testify the priority Jesus gives to serving our neighbors and the nearly vulnerable. If this was so important for Jesus, shouldn't it exist important for united states?
Unify around core commands
Merely imagine if we Christians were primarily known for these activity items: loving God, loving our neighbour, and serving orphans and widows. I'yard optimistic plenty to believe Christians across denominations, with different doctrinal behavior, can unify around these commands.
At Bethany Christian Services, our staff, supporters and board members come from different denominations and hold different doctrinal views. But nosotros have determined together to build a wide coalition of Christians to serve children and families in the greatest need.
We have learned that unity doesn't equal uniformity. Nosotros can passionately work together to love God, love our neighbor, and serve orphans and widows despite our differences.
The reality is that our country has far more than children in foster care than adults willing to provide a safe, stable home for them. More than 400,000 children are in foster intendance in the United States, and more than 100,000 are waiting to be adopted. The statistics for children who age out of foster care are grim – higher rates of unexpected pregnancies, homelessness and incarceration. Children demand a family unit where they tin exist safe, loved and connected.
At the aforementioned fourth dimension, a record number of refugees from effectually the globe are fleeing violence, corruption, trafficking and unthinkable poverty in search of condom elsewhere. For most, leaving home is a life-or-death decision. I truly believe nosotros bring the Kingdom of Heaven to earth when we welcome refugees through refugee resettlement or by providing a home for children who had to escape their own.
Christians are called to walk alongside struggling people: an expectant mom facing an unintended pregnancy, a dad recovering from substance use, parents trying to keep their family unit together. The demand is nifty. Think what a great revival could break out if we focused more on loving God and caring for the most vulnerable.
At the terminate of our conversation, the pastor and I agreed that serving vulnerable children could be a unique opportunity to bring the large "C" church together.
The world is watching usa. For the sake of our Christian witness in a challenging culture, I hope for a day when Christians can unify around loving God, loving our neighbor and serving the vulnerable.
Chris Palusky is president and CEO of Bethany Christian Services.
Source: https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/voices/2021/06/29/american-christians-turning-people-off-church-bethany-christian-services/5370555001/
Belum ada Komentar untuk "Thinking of Leaving the Church the Young Preacher Thinks Again"
Posting Komentar