I’m reading a book called Essential Church? Thom and Sam Rainer talk about how the church in America is becoming non-essential in people’s lives. They give some pretty alarming statistics that show the light is going out in our own backyard. In the last 20 years population has grown by almost 20%, while church attendance has dropped by almost 5%. Now less than 30% of people attend church.  In the book, they give the 7 sins of dying churches.

7 Sins of Dying Churches

Sin 1. Doctrine Dilution

Watering down scripture is not the answer to reaching a younger generation for Christ. At Connection Church we will always serve God’s truth at full strength.

Sin 2. Loss of Evangelistic Passion

They putter around in sharing their faith. At Connection  Church our number one focus will always be to reach people far from God.

Sin 3. Failure to Be Relevant

Churches that keep their internal culture unchanged for fifty years while the world around them goes through continual periods of metamorphosis typically die with that old culture. At Connection Church we will always change with the culture with the unchanging gospel of Jesus Christ.

Sin 4. Few Outwardly Focused Ministries

Dying churches gorge themselves on closed study groups and churchwide fellowship events while neglecting outreach in the community. At Connection Church we will always have a community center mentality, not a country club mentality.

Sin 5. Conflict over Personal Preferences

Internal conflicts smother the church. When the church focuses on trivial matters, the greater gospel message is left on the sidelines. At Connection Church we don’t major on the minors. We will always major on the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Sin 6. Priority of Comfort

People in dying churches choose their priority of comfort over reaching beyond the church bubble into a community full of specific and difficult needs. At Connection Church ministry will always be messy because we’re always going to reach out to the messed up.

Sin 7. Biblical Illiteracy

Since the people of the church do not understand the foundation of their faith, they stand on shaky ground and falter during the first time of trouble. At Connection Church helping people understand and  study God’s Word will always be a top priority.