Church attendance in decline

[RdJ]

I did see online, also from churches with a paid pastor, that they need a lot of volunteers and these men are like: I go work and take care of my wife, so she can do a volunteer job in church. It's just like why there are so many women taking care of the elderly. It pays lousy, but their men get the money in, so it doesn't matter.

And there are not enough christians. If I look at my mom and her sisters, she's now 88, one got a christian husband. The rest married an atheist. Why doesnt the man go to church? Because he's an atheist and God has chosen the weak and he gets saved on his death bed. Eve, a woman, was the first to leave and women are the first to come back and the poor. Look at Africa. So many christians and so little christians in Europe.

[D. Adrien]

1 hour ago, RdJ said:

I did see online, also from churches with a paid pastor, that they need a lot of volunteers and these men are like: I go work and take care of my wife, so she can do a volunteer job in church. It's just like why there are so many women taking care of the elderly. It pays lousy, but their men get the money in, so it doesn't matter.

And there are not enough christians. If I look at my mom and her sisters, she's now 88, one got a christian husband. The rest married an atheist. Why doesnt the man go to church? Because he's an atheist and God has chosen the weak and he gets saved on his death bed. Eve, a woman, was the first to leave and women are the first to come back and the poor. Look at Africa. So many christians and so little christians in Europe.

Sinners do create a lot of drama!

[Dennis1209]

21 hours ago, existential mabel said:

and all this is currently happening whilst we still have bibles! which makes me think that bibles that we know currently, value and love will be an offence to this new normal...you can 'see the seeds' of persecution developing imo

Ephesians 6:12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

Persecution in America has not started in earnest yet; however, we see precursors of it coming. More and more people are accusing the Bible of hate speech, discrimination, and intolerance. Proclaiming evil is good and good evil.

From Muslim soil and to paraphrase, “America is no longer just a Christian nation.” ~ Obummer

Christians are a basket of deplorables. ~ H. Clinton

Opening a session of Congress in prayer by a guest demon praying to Brahma and closing his prayer with “A Man, and A Woman.”

God’s plans and purposes are unfolding before our eyes. God is in control, and nothing takes Him by surprise.

 

[RdJ]

11 minutes ago, D. Adrien said:

Sinners do create a lot of drama!

Really. So annoying. Can't they just think about christians? Once my former colleague was really down, so I thought the dad from his girlfriend died, cause he had cancer. No he had planned euthanasia next week. My goodness. And the colleague was atheist. Can you tell him the Gospel? Is he a bit open to it? No not at all. He makes dark jokes. Fine. I fasted the whole week, prayed non stop. My ex thought I had gone nuts. I refused to eat. Total panic. I did get 2 dreams that he got saved, but it would be so relaxed if they could just cosily get saved in time. My dad was obedient. He got saved 2 years before he died. After ages of always playing the boss he now listened to my mom who said he had to get saved now.

[Vine Abider]

On 5/14/2024 at 10:57 AM, Jayne said:

I hear this all the time. I don't know what it means nor do I understand why it's the fault of women that men don't do their part in church and/or just quit coming.

It started with our forefather (Adam): "It was that woman You gave me!" 

[Vine Abider]

22 hours ago, Marathoner said:

There's only one direction to look: at Christ. Anything else is subject to the flesh. His Body continues on, and will endure until the end when He returns in the same manner He ascended to sit with the Father upon His throne. 

The tares grow with the wheat; so what? The Lord informed us of that long ago. We don't require anything to be a certain way in this world, for we are not of the world nor are we moved by it. The Spirit moves us, so we are content regardless of what surrounds us.

Grumbling is a work of the flesh. 

Amen brother!

A focus on ANYTHING other than Christ and the level of life and love goes down in our gatherings.  People are attracted to Jesus* . . . and His life manifested in and through His followers.  Period.

Methods of man (marketing programs, flowery speakers, big screens, fog machines, etc.) may work for a time, but any deviation to these things from Christ alone will have the results we're seeing.

* "If I am lifted up from the earth I will draw all men unto Myself."  John 12:32

[George]

Honestly, I see this period of time as the pruning of the Church.  In the 3 years that I've been "stuck" in America, the churches that I've been speaking at have grown immensely over the past 3 years.  I believe what the world is witnessing is the pruning of the "dead" church, and the true church has been growing and continues to grow exponentially.  The problem is our definition of "church."  Is it the True Church ... and when I say church, the entire body of believers that is shrinking?  I don't believe so. 

In my humble opinion, we're simply seeing the stripping away of the dead branches!  :)

[Marilyn C]

On 5/14/2024 at 5:11 AM, RV_Wizard said:

It is no secret that church attendance is declining in America.  Two decades ago, an average of 42% of U.S. adults attended religious services every week or nearly every week. That number is currently at 30%. This decline correlates to an increase in the percentage of Americans with no religious affiliation: 9% in 2000 versus 21% in 2023.  In a survey of young adults aged between 18 and 22 who had attended church regularly for at least a year during high school, seven out of 10 had stopped attending church regularly.  According to Pew research, in 1972 92% of Americans said they were Christian.  By 2070 that number will drop to below 50%.

 

Yes, attending a public religious meeting run by religious organizations is in decline. However, the Body of Christ is NOT that or measured by that.

The Lord Jesus said He will build His called out ones, of which He is the Head. Over the centuries and across the world the Lord by His Holy Spirit has been building His Body, and maturing it till He comes to take it to glory. 

[BibleStudent100]

On 5/14/2024 at 5:34 AM, Ray12614 said:

Yet the NT principal to assemble, and the command to not forsake the assembling together remains . . . .

Well stated brother!

[RV_Wizard]

7 hours ago, George said:

I believe what the world is witnessing is the pruning of the "dead" church, and the true church has been growing and continues to grow exponentially. 

I wish I could agree.  Millions are flocking to the mega-churches that offer feel-good messages instead of preaching the gospel of salvation through Jesus Christ.  While these people identify as Christians, the power of positive thinking never saved anyone.  False teachers like Benny Hinn, Kenneth Copeland and Joe Osteen are making millions of dollars while dedicated servants of the Lord are working second jobs to stay in the pulpit.