It seems that, for the majority of Americans, the idea of church has lost its relevance. Of the roughly 60% of Americans for whom religion is important, only 41% express that value by attending a church or synagogue.[1] The following two figures show that while religion as a broad concept has grown in perceived value, this has not translated into an equal growth in church attendance.
These statistics are summarized well by Bruce Demarest who observes that while organized religion is not considered a valid expression of personal faith, people are still looking for a vital “spiritual” experience.[3] One explanation for this statistical paradox is our strong American tradition of individualism which has removed the perception that personal meaning comes from community.[4] In part, this also helps explain why so much has been written on the topic of discipleship for the individual Christian, and left churches to pursue an ad hoc approach of incorporating individualistic discipling methodologies into their current political and corporate structure. In terms of getting people connected to a life-transforming community, the results in recent decades have been moderately encouraging, but certainly not overwhelming. According to a year 2000 survey by The Barna Group (I would love to see some more current stats), of those involved in Churches, only “16% are involved in a discipleship process of regularly meeting with a group or individual for spiritual growth.”[5] Small group participation has grown from 12% in 1994 to only 20% in 2004.[6]
Efforts to solve these issues have led to some different approaches. The “house church” movement has attempted to recapture what they consider to be a biblical paradigm for what makes church meaningful, but has, in some cases, simply assumed that moving from a big building to a small home will solve the Church’s problems.[7] In saying that the local church can only meet in a person’s home,[8] this movement has created an unnecessary theological barrier to reaching the unsaved and finding healthy partnerships with existing church and para-church organizations.
Another approach has come from what some call the “emergent church” which has attempted to reach the unsaved through innovative and creative approaches that focus on the biblical ideal of relationship. This effort to connect with modern culture is valuable, but the downside to this movement is that it tends to thrive in an environment where theological acumen has little perceived value and personal experience has become, for some, the central core of Church.[9]
While the above paints the picture with a fairly broad brushstroke, it paints an accurate picture of the minefield through which each church and each disciple of Jesus must navigate. Together, we must reinvigorate the Church and reestablish our societal influence by recognizing that “[c]onnecting is the center of everything, and a vision for what we could become gives it power.”[10] The Family of God must arrive at a healthy holistic view of the local church which seeks to combine theological integrity, structural freedom, and cultural relevance into a straight forward guide on how to refashion and or plant a significant disciple-making Body.
[1] Joseph Caroll, American Public Opinion About Religion [Internet] (The Gallup Organization, Mar 2 2004, accessed Aug 14 2004); available from http://www.gallup.com/poll/focus/sr040302.asp.
[2] Ibid.(accessed). This research is reinforced in the following source. Thom S. Rainer, Surprising Insights from the Unchurched and Proven Ways to Reach Them (Grand Rapids, Mich.: Zondervan, 2001), 34, 108.
[3] Bruce A. Demarest, Satisfy Your Soul: Restoring the Heart of Christian Spirituality (Colorado Springs, Colo.: Navpress, 1999), 44.
[4] Randy Frazee, The Connecting Church: Beyond Small Groups to Authentic Community (Grand Rapids, Mich.: Zondervan Pub. House: Willow Creek Resources, 2001), 44.
[5] Faith Commitment, [Internet] (The Barna Group, 2000, accessed Aug 14 2004); available from http://www.barna.org/FlexPage.aspx?Page=Topic&TopicID=19.
[6] Small Groups, [Internet] (The Barna Group, 1994, accessed Aug 14 2004); available from http://www.barna.org/FlexPage.aspx?Page=Topic&TopicID=45.
[7] Wayne Jacobsen, Why House Church Isn’t the Answer [Internet] (Lifestream Miinistries, Feb 2002, accessed Aug 14 2004); available from http://www.lifestream.org/LSBL.Feb02.html.
[8] Rick Porritt, His Church [Internet] (2003, accessed Aug 14 2004); available from http://www.newtestamentpattern.net/biblestudies/hischurch.htm.
[9] The following source provides some anecdotal evidence to the notion that the emerging church lacks a strong theological core. Darren Rowse, Emerging Church – Theological Position? [Discussion Forum] (LivingRoom, 2004, accessed Oct 9 2004); available from http://www.livingroom.org.au/cgi-bin/MT/mt-tb.cgi/5275. A simple and well researched Encyclopedic article can be found at the following source. Emerging Church, [Encyclopedia] (TheFreeDictionary.Com, 2004, accessed Oct 9 2004).
[10] Lawrence J. Crabb, Connecting: Healing for Ourselves and Our Relationships: A Radical New Vision (Nashville, Tenn.: Word Pub., 1997), 51.
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I have come to think of “church” more than just a good idea and a nice community to an/the essential aspect of the church gathered.
Nowhere are we told to come together and worship (though undoubtedly that was a major activity as they gathered), but come together as a family community to encourage, share, and support as in the various “one another” comments that Paul said we were to do when we gather.
Too often we have gone so far as to limit our “community” aspects to “greet the stranger with a welcoming handshake”.
No time or way to really build a church community.
We are then told that if we really wanted to be in a community, we could join a small group — much better than nothing, but not like Paul expected, I would guess.
Thanks JR for your post on this very vital topic. I am one of those who no longer attend church and have been struggling to figure out how to follow God in a meaningful way in community.
RV
llamapacker,
Absolutely, church is an essential part of our relationship with Jesus.
Anonymous,
You certainly are not alone in your experience, but let me encourage you that every church has flaws and please find a place for community and do not stay long on your own. You know, Paul wrote letters to many churches with many flaws and never did he encourage people to quit or give up in search of a “better” people. Instead, he encouraged them to use their giftings to make church a stronger family and a better community.
Of course I do not know your personal story, but I hope you find a way to rediscover lost community.