Freedom One generation away from....

 The famous quote by Ronald Reagon, "Freedom is a fragile thing and is never more than one generation away from extinction."   as profound as it was, still rings in our ears today. "One generation away from extintion....Reagon goes on to say that "it is not guaranteed".  Why do some churches grow and other's don't, because some fail to hold on to the next generation. They assume because their kids grew up in Children's Church and have memorized John 3:16 that they will automatically convert and be part of the Church as they grow older. Freedom is a fragile thing, and no more fragile is anything, than our spiritual freedom. We can have experienced a great deliverence in our own lives, only to watch are children caught up in some hideous sins.
     I saw a whole generation wiped out from our church.  Where did they go?  Some moved away, some married non-Christians, some got caught up in carreer and making money, some turned away from the faith, some joined the military, before we knew it they were all gone, literally, a whole generation.   This left a tremendous gap in our Church.  The 40 & 50 year olds were left to carry the brunt while waiting for the next generation to rise up. 
     We cannot simply dismiss that we are losing our youth and say, "let's press on". It is like taking a bullet and trying to press on as if you have not been shot. When a church fails to hold on to it's youth it suffers a severe blow.  Not only has that generation been lost, but also all the people/souls that would have been touched and brought in to the church by that generation. It is also a deterant to visitors that come and see no youth that are alive in your church, for Christ.  A church that fails to hold on to it's youth can be giving itself the "kiss of death".  A larger size church may be able to carry on the shoulders of the pillars in that church; as the next generation grows, but a small to mid-size church could implode right there.  We can also add to that that when a church fails to hold on to the next generation, it demoralizes the church, whether they want to admit it or not.  You can't help but wonder, "what's wrong with us?" "What's wrong with our church?"  "Had we been in another church would are children have stuck?"  A church that has watched the next generation go extinct will also have to deal with the ramifications of that. This will play out in the lives of the parents and grand parents as they are dragged through major trials and set backs that those children who have wandered will bring in to their lives.  Rather than concentrating on the church and the new members God is bringing in, they will be consumed with the problems of their children, ie: Divorce, spousal abuse, drug addiction, violence, 911 calls and so much more.
     Why do some churches grow and others don't, simply put, some do a much better job of retaining that next generation.  Remember, "Freedom is a fragile thing and is never more than one generation away from extinction."  Is there a program we can implement that will guarantee us success, of course not. However the first step is in being aware, "we are one generation away from extinction". What ever happened to the Salvation Army, the YMCA?  Ask any young person what YMCA stands for and they will not know.  I recently ask one of the teenagers in our group if they had received a bible when they went to the YMCA.  They didn't get the joke.  I said, "you know YMCA stands for Young Men's Christian Association" and that it was started as an OUTREACH PROGRAM to save souls."   It would behoove us the invest ourselves in our Children and not make them feel like they are second fiddle as we reach the world for Christ.  If we have failed to reach those that God has put right under our nose, than we have failed. If our Christianity isn't working at home, it is not working period. While it is true that every man and woman has a "freewill" and some of the best raised kids have gone rogue for reasons unknown to us. It is also true that many children have felt unwanted and unappreciated through some of the most crucial and critical years of their lives.  One teen told his father, "dad I wish I was a sinner" His dad asked why he would say such a thing.  The son's answer was, "because you'll do anything, go anywhere and always seem to have time for them, but never for me?"  Can we be so busy "reaching the World for Jesus" that we are failing to reach those that are right in front of us crying out, craving for our attention and this love that we preach so often? 
   

Why do you want your church to grow?

How do we begin to answer this question?  "Why do you want your church to grow?"  Is this a rhetorical question?  Is the person who asks a dumb question as dumb as the question being asked?  Why do you want your church to grow? What kind of question is that!!!

We all know what the text book answer is...

 "I want my church to grow because there are people going to Hell in droves and the more people we can gather in to the church, the more people we can get to Heaven, I have a heart for people, I have God's heart for people, I care for souls". 

There is the text book answer and I would not want to be quoted any other way!  However......however.....God looks at the Heart.

Without getting to heavy into the issues of the heart, see my blog at www.oneyearclub.blogspot.com

I have seen and heard of Pastors, that if you were to ask them that question, they would give you the text book answer penned up above, but yet, how do they treat the people that are presently in their churches?  Are they used as ponds to help further grow their empire...ooppps I mean church?  Are they taken for granted, as the people are simply used to further their agenda? Are they ridiculed, ignored, put to the side?

We are so focused on those "outside" the church we forget to appreciate and minister to those inside the church.  God has not called us to Pastor those "outside" the church but those he has drawn in.  We have "Outreach Ministry" but do we have "Ministry of the Interior".

We will spend time and money for those outside, but how much time and money will we spend for those that we already know are in (the church) and are not going anywhere (or so we think).

So back to the question, "Why do you want your church to grow?"  Men are driven to want to succeed.  Could it be that a large church equals success to us.  After all, if I have been sent to start a church than a big church means I have largely succeeded therefore I am a success.  How else do we measure success?

Nobody asks us how many people we are loving, caring and nurturing, they only ask us "how many people are in your church?".

Could pride and ego be at the root of why you want your church to grow?  And the answer..."of course not, how insulting!".

I remember numerous times being embarrassed at the size of my church when family came to visit.  I remember on one occasion my Aunt saying, "Richard, your mother told me you were starting a church, this isn't a church, this is a handful of people in a little hotel lobby".  Now don't get all spiritual on me, I know "where two or more are gathered, there I am...." but my Aunt called it they way she saw it.

I often wished, and of course prayed, that I had a larger church, but WHY?

For sure, part of it was because it meant more people going to Heavan, but was that my sole motivation in wanting a larger church? And to break it down further, what was the percentage between caring vs. my pride? Who knows, except God.  I cannot even truly know because I will lie to myself.

Why do some churches grow and others don't? It would take a whole book to dig in to that, but could one of the many, many reasons be, THE HEART!

And I know, I know, you're heart is pure as the driven snow and the Pastor's heart down the street is fueled by Pride and Ego.

Examine your heart? Ask yourself, is your focus more on the people outside your church, that are not coming, or is it on the precious few that God has given you. 

How do you see them? As ponds to further build your church or as people God has given you to love, care and nurture?

And so I must asked this stupid question once again, forgive me....but "Why do you want your church to grow?"

"Do you see what I see"

We really do depend upon the supernatural to build our churches. This may seem “unorthodox” to say, but sometimes we rely to much on God!

In Tom Reiner’s Book “Surprising Insights from the Unchurched” Tom really brings it down.  While you might say, “I’m believing in God bro” (aren't we all?) and if so, then why aren't all churches experiencing growth.  If God wants the church to grow and we want the church to grow, why isn't it growing? Could it be that 99% of our success will come from us and God’s 1% will make up the rest.  “No bro, it’s 99% God, 1% me, don’t’ you know “it’s not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit….”  Yes, yes, I know.  

Jesus told the disciples to walk their butts down to the beach, fill the jugs with water and lug the heavy jugs back to the wedding and then He turned them in to wine.  So who did more?  Jesus or the disciples, well obviously the miracle is the greatest part of that whole story, but much was laid upon the disciples.

I've had the opportunity to be in many different churches and some, quite frankly, as a visitor, I would not return to.

Dirty bathroom facilities, broken faucets…..,kids running all over taking over  the church,  Pastor is running around like a mad man, yelling at his disciples, stressed out….all you feel is stress, there’s nobody to greet you except for the Psycho who just started coming who wants to tell you about his visions.

There is still food on the floor from the last Fellowship, the sermon has 20 points mixed into what he says is 3 points. You don’t know if the sermon was on marriage, evangelism, giving, faith or all of the above.

I know what you’re saying, “Easy for you to say, you’re the arm chair quarterback” why don’t you get out here and do it yourself if you’re the expert, instead of criticizing”. 

I had a couple of Evangelists give me some hints of what wasn't that pleasant or good in my church and I did appreciate it.  Other’s just collected the paycheck and went home. 

While we don’t need everyone that comes through our churches telling us what we lack or what’s wrong, there should be a few that can.

I remember my aunt coming through our church and she sized me up big time.

She criticized me for wearing pants that didn't fit, they sagged in the butt and dragged on the floor. She said I looked sloppy and I should wear clothes that fit and look more professional. She was right!  I wonder how many visitors had noticed the same thing?  She criticized me for taking opportunity to take a cheap shot at Bill Clinton when it had nothing really, to do with the sermon (she was right).  How many visitors in the past had I offended with “not the Gospel” but my personnel opinion??? Then she criticized me for being long winded, going on and on….She was also right.

It’s all the little things, but they add up to convince visitors, “not to come back”.  

What are you doing or not doing that you are not seeing?  Are you your only critic?  Are you open to criticism about your church, your preaching, and the ambiance in your church?

Is your church going to grow by just the awesome Supernatural Means, 99% God, 1% you, it’s all God, it’s all God or will you take as much responsibility upon yourself and then, and only then, leave the rest to God.