Generation ἀποθνήσκω

Here are some statistics I shared with the group of elders I met with last Tuesday and at worship last night that I thought you might find them interesting/convicting.

(Statistics are for Americans, believe me they would be worse if we went international…)

Consider themselves to be believers / followers of Christ

Those between the ages of:

55-75     64%

35-55        36%

18-35        4% (predicted since not all are above the age of 21 yet)

17% of those between 18-35 attend church at least once a month (they did once on month to get the percentages up…).

98% percent of church growth in America right now is from transfer growth, meaning that all other means (mostly new converts) makes up only 2% of church growth.

Here is what this should tell us. We are on the right track by trying to reach this missing generation. Eventually those other two generations will be gone and we will be left with what we have built. A group of churches that only survives by inviting in those who were angry or frustrated enough to leave their last church residence.

Something has to change.

Who will do it?

You have to. Sideline Christianity cannot be afforded if we expect the church to survive. We have to take the gospel outside our walls, outside our homes and especially outside of our comfort zones. People! If we really believe that we are people who are known for love the greatest love we could ever enact on someone's life is to reveal the one who loved them enough to die for them. Again, to reach people no one else is reaching, we have to do things no one else is doing! So start doing something, that would be different.