Be the Church
The Gallop Research Team just released a new report on the decline of religious gatherings. "Americans' membership in house of worship continued to decline last year, dropping below 50% for the first time in Gallup’s eight-decade trend. In 2020, 47% of American said they belong to a church, synagogue or mosque, down from 50% in 2018 and 70% in 1999. US church membership was 73% when Gallup first measure it in 1973 and remained near 70% for the next six decades, before begin a steady decline around the turn of the 21st century" (news.gallup.com).
This drop is not because of a pandemic. There is an epidemic among individual's ages 22-37 that have been leaving the church in alarming numbers. One study showed 59% of this group who were raised in church has already left (CBN News).
Living as Christ's Church has never been easy. Today we are bombarded with daily responsibilities that compete with The Responsibility of being the people of God together.
This completion is not new. The Holy Spirit called the first churches to be committed.
"Not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near" (Hebrews 10:25).
Faithfulness to Christ has never been about showing up a few hours a week in a particular place. You are to live together as the Church daily.
We are to encourage each other in the faith. We are to remind each other that this world is not our home. We are to look forward with each other to coming day of Christ return and final judgment.
Be the church this week. Take time each day to text another believer to keep their hope in Christ. Look for opportunities to help others keep the faith that has been delivered once and for all to the saints.
Matt Emerson
This drop is not because of a pandemic. There is an epidemic among individual's ages 22-37 that have been leaving the church in alarming numbers. One study showed 59% of this group who were raised in church has already left (CBN News).
Living as Christ's Church has never been easy. Today we are bombarded with daily responsibilities that compete with The Responsibility of being the people of God together.
This completion is not new. The Holy Spirit called the first churches to be committed.
"Not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near" (Hebrews 10:25).
Faithfulness to Christ has never been about showing up a few hours a week in a particular place. You are to live together as the Church daily.
We are to encourage each other in the faith. We are to remind each other that this world is not our home. We are to look forward with each other to coming day of Christ return and final judgment.
Be the church this week. Take time each day to text another believer to keep their hope in Christ. Look for opportunities to help others keep the faith that has been delivered once and for all to the saints.
Matt Emerson