Church Planting in the United States
As I was driving through Tennessee a few weeks ago, on my way to a mission agency board meeting, I passed a Baptist church that had a bus stop for another Baptist church in their parking lot. (Picture above) At first, I was a little frustrated as my mind wandered to all the places/countries in the world I have visited with no churches at all. A few weeks later, as I was going through my pictures, I was almost humored by the picture.
But a picture doesn’t always tell the whole story. In reality, the United States needs thousands of new churches.
One might reason that we already have an adequate amount of churches in the United States and that we need to focus our efforts elsewhere. However, America is rapidly becoming a mission field. Aubrey Malphurs said, “Essentially, what was a churched, supposedly Christian culture has become an unchurched, post-Christian culture. People in our culture are not antichurch; they simply view the church as irrelevant to their lives.” Consider the following “stunning” statistics:
1. Recent research states that there are now 195 million non-churched people in America, making America one of the top four largest “unchurched” nations in the world. (Behind China, India, and Indonesia…) Justice Anderson
2. In spite of the rise of mega-churches, no county in America has a greater church population than it did ten years ago. Ron Sylvia
3. During the last ten years, combined communicant membership of all Protestant denominations declined by 9.5 percent (4,498,242), while the national population increased by 11.4 percent (24,153,000). Tom Clegg
4. Each year 3,500 to 4,000 churches close their doors forever; yet only 1,100 to 1,500 new churches are started. Win Arn
5. Even though America has more people, it has fewer churches per capita than at any time in her history. Although the number of churches in America has increased by 50 percent in the last century, the population has increased 300 percent. There are now nearly 60 percent fewer churches per 10,000 persons than in 1920.- Bill Easum
1920 27 churches existed for every 10,000 Americans.
1950 17 churches existed for every 10,000 Americans.
1996 11 churches existed for every 10,00 Americans.
6. Today, out of the approximately 350,000 churches in America, four out of five are either plateaued or declining . . . . Many churches begin a plateau or slow decline about their fifteenth to eighteenth year. 80-85 [percent] of the churches in America are on the down-side of this cycle. Of the 15 percent that are growing, 14 percent are growing from transfer, rather than conversion growth.” Win Arn
7. In the average year, half of all existing churches will not add one new member through conversion growth. Ron Sylvia
8. One American denomination recently found that 80 percent of its converts came to Christ in churches less than 2 years old. Ralph Moore
9. Churches over fifteen years of age win an average of only three people to Christ per year for every one hundred church members. Churches three years to fifteen years old win an average of five people to Christ per year for every one hundred church members, but churches under three years of age win an average of ten people to Christ per year for every one hundred church members. Brian McNichol
Planting new churches is the single most effective evangelistic methodology! America is in desperate of new churches.
Trinity Baptist Academy Revival
Last week, I had the privilege of preaching the annual revival at my home church’s Christian school, Trinity Baptist Academy. Because I travel so extensively, I don’t have the opportunity to be around the kids and teens very often. It was a blessing getting to know our academy (and homeschooled) kids and seeing their heartfelt desires to serve the Lord. God did a special work in the revival, and we are excited about how God is moving among the students of TBA.
On Wednesday, I preached on ICHABOD and illustrated several prominent ministries that lost God’s power when He removed His glory. I shared the story of McKinney Avenue Baptist Church in Dallas that later became the Hard Rock Cafe. I showed them photos of First Baptist Church of Fort Worth when J. Frank Norris was pastor in the 1930’s and 40’s. Today, that city block is occupied by a parking garage and a bar.
On Thursday and Friday, I preached on how young people can grow up and live for the Lord in an ICHABOD situation and eventually overcome ICHABOD.
I want to encourage the kids and teens that made decisions for Christ to post a reply to this post. We would like to hear about your decisions and how God has moved in your hearts through the revival. Thank you for listening to the preaching and being willing to let God speak to your hearts.
Sacrifice of Praise
“By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name.” Hebrews 13:15
During the past few months, God has brought this verse to mind as our family has encountered some difficult situations. We are exhorted to praise Him even in trying times.
Matthew Henry, the British scholar famous for his commentary on the Bible, was once held up by thieves who stole his wallet. After the incident he wrote in his diary:
“…Let me be thankful first, because I was never robbed before;
…second, because although they took my wallet, they did not take my life;
…third, because although they took my all, it was not much;
…and fourth, because it was I who was robbed, and not I who robbed.”
A few weeks ago my niece, Kaylie Goff, who was 13 months old, died unexpectedly. We were all very grieved because of the suddenness of her loss and the tender age at which she was taken. In the midst of this trial, I decided to make my own list of things for which we could praise God:
1. I am thankful that Kaylie’s death revealed the strength and unity of my wife’s family. This strength was a supernatural working of grace. Brothers and sisters arrived from everywhere to help. No one panicked; I saw only a group of people totally dedicated to helping a grieving sister and brother-in-law. This seeming tragedy united a group of independent people to form a strong union of family dedicated to bond together with a common purpose.
2. I am thankful that Kaylie’s short life was used for His honor and glory. People were touched by her life in ways that fame and success could never duplicate.
3. I am thankful that God has protected all the other 42 grandchildren (on my wife’s side) from serious harm, sickness, or difficulty. This was our first exposure to tragedy.
4. I am thankful to God that death had only temporary power over Kaylie.
5. I am thankful to God that Kaylie is permanently healed of her Down’s Syndrome. She was given a new body, devoid of imperfection and pain.
I challenge you to take any event in your life and look for God’s silver lining in the situation, and offer your sacrifice of praise!