For two weeks straight we have had the exact number of people in both services. The wild thing is that 50% of those people are totally different than the people we had last week. One of the challenges all over the country is to get people in the regual habit of going to church. Why have so many people become complacent about regular church attendance? Is going to church important?
Even mega-church pastors are puzzled by the lack of consistant participation of Christians in church services. Could it be that Christians have found more stock in athletic events, recreation and "family time" than they do worshipping God on Sundays. I put family time in quotes because you would not believe the number of "Christians" that have told me they don't go on Sunday so they can have "family time". Before you crucify me please remember I preach family time...all the time.
As leaders have we turned our churches into consumer driven marketplaces? Like WalMart you just go when you have time to go or when you need something. Or am I just missing the boat? I am seriously considering running tv advertisements urging Christians to go to church. A GET OUT TO CHURCH CAMPAIGN!
This blog is not just geared towards my church...but all you church folks that follow my blog...answer this question...Why do so many Christians miss church services on Sunday morning?
Take time to rest
10 months ago
4 comments:
I am totally with you Bro. Mike! I believe church people have become complacent. I am not tooting my own horn but my wife still came to church this sunday after giving birth to our new daughter only 5 days prior. That is the way it should be! I think alot of people have become desensitized to the true reason we go to church! Church isn't about going and hanging out with other people. Church should be about collectively coming together as followers of The Lord Almighty and worshipping Him in spirit and in truth! But for some reason, like you said, people don't think of it that way anymore! If you want to run a Get to church campaign I am behind you 100%. These are obviously the last days we are living in. People need to be hearing the gospel of Jesus Christ preached and teached. We have got to get back to the basics of christianity in the churches today! Thank you for being obedient in your leadership and your relationship with Jesus! You will never know the impact you have made on my life the past 7 years! God has used you in my life in many ways! And i want to thank you for being suh an avenue of blessing in my life! God is going to bless you for what you are doing! You have my support all the way! I love you Brother Mike! Ciao!
In our busy lives, it is easy to put church on the backburner. Missing services may start with valid excuses, such as illness or having to work. But after a while it becomes normal to only go once a month. And if sin creaps in, it becomes more difficult to get back into the habit of going every week. In our current culture, church attendance should be a more important part of our lives. Where else are we going to fellowship with other believers, hear God's Word preached, and worship? How can we invite unsaved people to church, if we aren't there consistently?
-Justin
I agree with Justin and I see myself in that mirror.
It can be so easy in today's world to just sleep late, relax, read the Sunday paper and watch an old movie on TV. Next thing you know, it's Noon and you missed church.
In yesterdays service, Craig Groeschel(sp?) said the closer you are to Christ the more you will care for the things of Christ. The farther you are from Christ the less you will care about the things of Christ. Being lazy about going to church allows a crack to form in your relationship with Jesus, which widens as you begin to sleep late on Sunday morning and miss that fellowship with Christian people. Each Sunday excuse causes the crack to become wider and wider until you don't see Jesus anymore and none of it seems important like it once was. When we get to that point, we wonder what we ever saw in church. It's viewed as a waste of time in an already too busy life. Now, the door is flung open to sin.
We as Christians have to really guard ourselves against this type of attack from satan. Oh, how sneaky he is!!
Not to be the negative guy ...but, maybe some do not come to our churches as regularly as we want because they are not getting what they "think" they need.
Here's a leadership thought Pastor Mike: Invite someone to your church who you know is faithful to another church. Afterwards, have them fill out a questionairre about the service, i.e. cringe factor; music; preaching relevance, friendliness, children's ministry, etc ... But, the key to all this is for them to evaluate secretly. don't tell ANYONE who it is or when they are coming. In fact, don't tell anyone you're doing it. to everyone else in the church they should just be a visitor. It would be sorta like a Mystery Shopper in the retail business.
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