World Renewal International

I hope you are having a great day! I so enjoy you stopping by. I was asked the question from yesterday's writing, "What should we discard?" I think the question was in response to my observation that Churches need to discard religious and historical junk that was once useful but not needed now. The translation The Message in Hebrews 12 speaks to this subject and declares that we need to do a "house cleaning." It says "getting rid of the historical and religious junk." 85% of the churches in America, according to stats, have stopped growing and are either leveling off or on the decline. 90% of the church growth in America is taking place in 5% of our churches!





From my point of observation that junk usually consists of methodologies that once were used of God but are no longer effective because they have lost cultural relevance. We tend to make sacred God's creation or methods that have been used by Him. I'll give an example. When I was a kid, more people attended Sunday School than the Worship service in many evangelical churches. Today, you could spend a lonely hour during the traditional Sunday School time of many churches. No one is there. Many churches do not have Sunday School. But the evangelical churches that know the necessity of teaching God's word find a way to study God's word, but it may not be called Sunday School.

If I remember right, Sunday School is barely 300 years old as a method of the church. No where in God's word does it talk about the importance of Sunday School. However, it does clearly teach the importance of studying God's word. Is Sunday School still relevant? Should we put it out in the "yard sale" of discarded methods? Only if it is not working anymore.


What we need is to find a time and place and a title for effective Bible study for boys, girls, men and women. What we call it and when it takes place will change from time to time in the history of the church. However, if we are having a church activity that is not being effective, should we continue or should we find a way to be effective reaching people?




This is of course true with the music used in worship churches. There has always been a tension in the church about new, verses old. Each generation wants to express their hearts about God in music that is relevant to their culture.





It seems we cling to methods rather than trust our Savior. Was it any different when Israel said they wanted a King? They didn't want to have to seek God's guidance themselves. "Let's get a King to lead us, he can talk to God about the direction we should take as a nation." New methods may require new faith. Sometimes using an old method requires new faith. New faith comes from the daily relationship with God that comes from His word and prayer. The real question is what does God want and are we willing to seek His desire then do it? It is worth it, Amen?

Above is one of my favorite pictures. There were over 3000+ people in the auditorium that night. People started coming to the altar for prayer before I could invite them. Hundreds "came forward" that night. We ran out of room at the altar and seekers were kneeling in the aisles. I love altar services. However, even I have to admit that "coming forward" is really and American method of encouraging seekers of God to make public their intentions and testimony of commitment to God. I have had to change my methods to fit the needs of seekers over the years. Not my will but thine be done.

Thanks for stopping by.

That was a good post Dad.

Reading your posts always challenges me. It reminds me to pray for World Renewal and your family (which I miss very much).

I agree with your son. F Penna

This was an excellant post. This could apply to not only churches but our personnal lives and any Christian entity. The one thing you said that stuck out to me was the part where you said, "The real question is what does God want and are we willing to seek His desire then do it?"

Alot of times we seek God's desire and when He tells us or shows us, we hesitate to do it because it isn't what or how WE THINK it should be most of the time.

Again, this was excellant. We all needed to hear this. Thank You.

Gary-

I guess when I hear words like "cultural relevance" I am immediately suspect.

I find it interesting that a great deal of growth is happening in Reformed churches. Christianity Today had a recent article entitled "The Young, The Restless,The Reformed." In my humble opinion, I believe people (my age) have realized that seeker-senstive churches can be theologically bankrupt.

Some methodologies such as Preaching are always going to be considered foolish (1 Corinthians 1:23) to the world.

I agree with what you said at the end of your post, we must trust the Savior. I believe one way to have "new" faith is in the area of personal evangelism.

Witness to your neighbor, the person at the grocery store or out walking in your neighborhood.

Far too many Christians put their faith in methodologies (e.g. seeker sensitivity, purpose driven church, emergent churches) when all one needs to do is to trust the Word of God that lives and abides forever. As Hebrews 4:12 says, the word of God is sharper than any two-edged sword.

Christians need to get back to basics.