Context – The Church in Society of Today

  • Jesus met people where they were.
  • Reaching people where they are in the context of society today is important.
  • Society is undeniably evolving toward the decline of Christianity as the dominant social and cultural force in Western society and evidence of this “post-Christian era” is all around us.
  • We must keep this context in mind as we reflect on the community we are serving and how we face this reality.
    • About 4,500 Protestant churches closed in 2019, the last year data is available, with about 3,000 new churches opening, according to Lifeway Research
    • There is an ever-increasing portion of our post-Christian population around us who: 
      • Were not raised as Christians and have no experiences in being a part of a church (aka the “nones”) 
        • Some may not have had any Christian teaching
        • Some may have been raised in other faiths
        • Some may consider themselves “spiritual” but no specific thoughts beyond that
      • Some were a part of the church but have left (aka the “dones”).
        • Some were raised in the church but drifted away when they grew up.Some disagreed with the theology and/or have moved on to other faiths or are now agnostic or atheist.
        • Some were hurt (possibly deeply) by the church and are very resistant to the institutional Christian church, just out of fear that it is not a safe place.  Sadly there are many people in this category.
          • Sometimes we as the church need to repent of ways we have caused harm to others.  So much healing could happen if someone representing the church simply said they were sorry.
  • There are generational differences:
    • The Generations
      • Silent Generation (born 1928-1945)
      • Baby Boomers (born 1946-1964)
      • Generation X (born 1965-1980)
      • Millennials / Generation Y (born 1981-96)
      • Zoomers / Generation Z (born 1997-2012)
      • Gen Alpha (born early 2010s – )
    • Each of these generations have had very different life experiences, different family structures, different divorce rates, different male and female roles in society, maternal participation in the work force, different music, different entertainment / video gaming, political influences, different understandings about human sexuality, concerns about LGBTQ+ rights
    • Generation Y and younger care more deeply about social justice issues and making a positive difference in the community. If the church is not involved in these issues, they are not as likely to see the church as relevant.
    • A fact that can’t be ignored is that for the younger generations LGBTQ+ acceptance is a significant factor for many
      • A 2017 Gallup poll found that 74% of millennials support same-sex marriage, compared to 57% of Generation X and 30% of Baby Boomers.
      • A 2021 Gallup poll found that 1 in 5 Generation Z adults identify as LGBTQ+.
      • A significant amount of younger generations alienation from portions of the Christian church are centered on this one issue, because they have heard loud and clear the perspective that “you cannot be gay and be loved by God” and “you’re not welcome in God’s church.”  This one area is where there is a big “disconnect” between some parts of the Christian church and those who are younger than the Baby Boomer generation.
    • The younger generations especially are more likely to be in the “nones” and “dones” category and see little relevance in the institutional Christian church
      • They might still be open to Christianity but have little interest in the institutional church, at least in its current forms
  • Politics, media, and social media are proving to be harmful to society forming greater polarization and mistrust as people take “sides” on issues and are intolerant of differing views.  This is an unfortunate reality of today and this polarization gets carried into our churches.
  • We are not suggesting we throw away the Gospel of Jesus Christ to let society define the church’s message and mission. Quite to the contrary, we are looking at more fully living into the Gospel of Jesus Christ, choosing to love all persons as Jesus did, reaching out to all, including those who have been ignored or judged or treated as outcasts. Let’s strive to love them.

Let’s do what Jesus did: Love them.