HOW TO DEAL WITH DISASTER (1)
Scripture: Nehemiah 1:1-11
This content is part of a series.
How To Deal With Disaster (1)
Series: Rebuild, Restore, and Revive
Donald Cantrell
Nehemiah 1: 1 - 11
I - Nehemiah and His Bad Report (1 - 3)
II - Nehemiah and His Broken Reaction (4)
III - Nehemiah and His Bold Request (5 - 11)
This sermon contains a fully alliterated outline, with sub-points.
Theme: ''Nehemiah teaches us how to respond to bad news''
Five Reasons Why Churches Are Dying and Declining Faster Today
''In the past, I've been able to lead churches to growth. I can't do it anymore. I don't know what's wrong with me.''
A pastor shared those sentences with me just three days ago.
He was frustrated. He was confused. He was exhausted.
And he is not alone.
With some exceptions, it is indeed more difficult to lead churches to growth. Such is a reality that is about 15 years in the making.
The obvious question is ''Why?'' Allow me to articulate five of those reasons.
1. Cultural Christianity is declining rapidly. It is really a misnomer to call it ''cultural Christianity,'' since it's not true faith in Christ. In the past, many people felt it was culturally, economically, or politically advantageous to be a part of a congregation, even if they weren't true believers in Christ. These attending non-believers padded our numbers. Or to say it another way, the pool of willing attenders has diminished greatly.
2. The exit of the Builder generation. The Builder generation has kept many churches alive, even if the congregations are on life support. This generation, born before 1946, is fiercely loyal to institutions, including local churches. They stuck with congregations in good and bad times. But, in 2015, there were only 28 million Builders left. Another 13,000 Builders die every week. The loyal generation is few in number and will soon be no more.
3. Migration from rural areas and small towns to the cities. In 1790, only 5% of Americans lived in cities. By the 1960s, the percentage of Americans in cities skyrockete ...
Series: Rebuild, Restore, and Revive
Donald Cantrell
Nehemiah 1: 1 - 11
I - Nehemiah and His Bad Report (1 - 3)
II - Nehemiah and His Broken Reaction (4)
III - Nehemiah and His Bold Request (5 - 11)
This sermon contains a fully alliterated outline, with sub-points.
Theme: ''Nehemiah teaches us how to respond to bad news''
Five Reasons Why Churches Are Dying and Declining Faster Today
''In the past, I've been able to lead churches to growth. I can't do it anymore. I don't know what's wrong with me.''
A pastor shared those sentences with me just three days ago.
He was frustrated. He was confused. He was exhausted.
And he is not alone.
With some exceptions, it is indeed more difficult to lead churches to growth. Such is a reality that is about 15 years in the making.
The obvious question is ''Why?'' Allow me to articulate five of those reasons.
1. Cultural Christianity is declining rapidly. It is really a misnomer to call it ''cultural Christianity,'' since it's not true faith in Christ. In the past, many people felt it was culturally, economically, or politically advantageous to be a part of a congregation, even if they weren't true believers in Christ. These attending non-believers padded our numbers. Or to say it another way, the pool of willing attenders has diminished greatly.
2. The exit of the Builder generation. The Builder generation has kept many churches alive, even if the congregations are on life support. This generation, born before 1946, is fiercely loyal to institutions, including local churches. They stuck with congregations in good and bad times. But, in 2015, there were only 28 million Builders left. Another 13,000 Builders die every week. The loyal generation is few in number and will soon be no more.
3. Migration from rural areas and small towns to the cities. In 1790, only 5% of Americans lived in cities. By the 1960s, the percentage of Americans in cities skyrockete ...
There are 30732 characters in the full content. This excerpt only shows a 2000 character sample of the full content.
Price: $5.99 or 1 credit
