The 40% Solution - What is the church up against?

The church is up against “declines,” as symptoms of a much larger challenge that the church is facing. In the mid 1990's it was predicted that by 2020 40% of mainline churches would be forced to close or would no longer be functioning as viable congregations. This group will host ongoing discussions around the realities of how congregations are facing and dealing with the guilt and frustration of leading communities that face the "declines" of average weekly worship attendance, shrinking resources and contributing base, the ever shrinking number of young families and young adults, aging of the congregation, and recycling leaders.  This conversation will explore how the Holy Spirit is already working within and beyond our church walls and how congregations and emerging faith communities can collaborate in this work.  Specifically, how can we be part of the SOLUTION.
 
Here are 7 points of discussion:

• The church is no longer needed in the same way—spiritual, social, moral or educational.  People have turned to other sources to have spiritual needs met.  Community is found beyond the potlucks and fellowship events of those cultural churches of the past.  People have a choice to take the time to participate in the church activities or not.
• In most of our pews, the folks are aging fast.  Many mainline faith communities missed or lost the entire boomer generation.  Most GenXers and Mosaics view Christianity as nonessential or, in the extreme, as an immoral religion which justifies condemnation, exclusion and self-righteousness.  Membership losses in these denominations continue at a frightening pace. Almost 200,000 baptized members leave the ELCA each year.
• Churches are financially surviving on “retirement” income.  Many communities are using up foundation and endowment resources for operational expenses.  The major source of revenue is not from working families, but from retirees.  If the top five givers were to leave or die the congregation, how many new families would it take to make up that difference?  Various figures range from five to ten people for each top giver.
• Church is just one more activity competing for time, resources and emphasis along with everything else.   On Sunday, church programs and ministries are in competition with soccer, hockey, recreation, and employment.  Sunday mornings and Wednesday evenings—traditional church “sacred” times—are now open times.
• Christians have lost credibility with many young people for not addressing the moral and systemic concerns that they are passionate about.  Churches refuse to talk about these controversial issues—use of military force as first option, inadequate health care coverage, protection of individual and privacy rights.  Churches act in ways that demonstrate that it is safer to not upset the current aging membership than to be an effective moral voice in our communities.
• Most denomination strategies for evangelism and church growth have been unsuccessful.  New programs, models and purposes have not made much of a dent in the overall numbers of believers connected to faith communities.  What has worked elsewhere will most likely ineffective without similar style, commitment and energy of the leadership.
• The church battles of the 70s and 80s—worship, sexuality, abortion, civil religion--continue to be fought and lost.  Folks have had enough and find other options.

We could spend a lot of time taking apart any one of these bullet points, but as this group moves forward, we'd like you to look at the whole conversation and what's being put forth, as a whole. The Holy Spirit is already doing the work, we just have to catch up. What is the Holy Spirit stirring up, unfolding, and challenging us to do and be for the sake of the gospel?