The handwriting was already on the wall before the pandemic killed it. Attendance at the evening service of a typical Bible-preaching church in America has been plummeting for years. Many abandoned it long before COVID restrictions forced each church to evaluate what was truly essential to its ministry. While some resolutely returned to the old schedule, many dropped their evening service in the subsequent years.
“I’m so struck by… the way [Paul] budgets his writing of Romans, spends about as much space and time talking about getting along together in our churches as he spent explaining the doctrine of justification by faith.” - TGC
“trying to recruit church volunteers primarily by making announcements from the pulpit, via email, or within the church newsletter. Here’s why that approach doesn’t work” - Chuck Lawless
“For the time being, we continue to offer it as a help to those who are legitimately unable to attend church due to illness. However, to ensure it is being used for only that purpose, we put it behind a password.” - Challies
“These four posts will move from the more fixed and foundational things to the more practical and flexible—from theological foundations (Part 1) to liturgical rhythms (Part 2) to preparation of a Sunday gathering (Part 3) to tips for getting organized (Part 4).” - 9 Marks
Read the series.
There’s one more thing we ought to take a look at in this series. Sometimes you need to change churches. The census bureau tells us that on average, 1 in 10 Americans change residences in any given year, and many of those moves will necessitate changing churches. Sometimes a church closes. Sometimes an opportunity arises, one you feel compelled to take. Sometimes you just have to leave.
How to proceed?
“It shall be left to each individual heart, and each member of the church, to answer for himself the question, whether his own church is in a state of spiritual health, taking these things as a test; namely, purity, soundness, unity, and prayerfulness.” - 9 Marks
Read the series.
We’ve looked at the need for you be an active part of your local assembly. We’ve toyed with some ideas, based on your gifts and abilities. Now we could use some help in thinking of things we haven’t thought of yet, and in evaluating the thoroughness of what we’re doing.
Read the series.
I’ve suggested that you ought to be part of a local church assembly, and that you ought to be active, not passive, in your membership there. So what does that look like?
“Around 3 in 10 (29%) U.S. Protestant churchgoers say their church’s ministry activities and methods would fit best in a time period before the turn of the new millennium….Close to half (52%) say their church’s ministry belongs in the 2000s or later. Another 19% aren’t sure.” - Baptist Press
