The constant noise of contemporary life makes it easy to miss the most profound message the world has ever known: Jesus loves you. Innovative teachers Craig Gross and Jason Harper will separate the religious from the real as they show how this simple truth is worth our undivided attention. The authors weave Jesus' narrative with their own stories of serving among the "least of these" in this inspiring summons to world-changing faith. Join them as they encounter shut-ins, drunks, inmates, porn stars, and others while striving to follow Christ in their daily lives.
Lost & Found?
For years within churchanity, I have seen how there are two missions; reach the unchurched and disciple the churched. But after hearing the results of a recent study, I have seen a need for a third mission to emerge for a third, yet unnoticed group.
The Study
A study was done among those that attended church faithfully as far back as 2004. Basically, it was a look back over the last five years of American church attendance. The study concluded there was a massive number of people that have gone missing. I called them “once-churched.” Defined, they attended regularly at some point over the past five years, but were no longer attending. Their reasons were scattered and numerous. To grasp the number that is represented as “once-churched,” an anecdote was offered.
“If every person who attended church faithfully in the last five years were to return to church this Sunday, every evangelical congregation in America would be filled to capacity four times over.”
Whether or not this number is accurate or hyperbole is indifferent. I want to track the source and be able to see the raw data to track trends. However, the number is irrelevant to me. I just know two things that I observe and hear as I travel:
1) The number of people who were attending regularly who are not attending now is HUGE.
2) There are many reasons for this and one reason can’t be blamed exclusively.
The bottom line is that many God loving people have slipped out the proverbial “back-door” and are no longer in a faith community. Because of this, I am highly committed to begin to process of expanding into a three fold mission; reach the unchurched, teach the churched, and find the once-churched.
Think of those who you know that attended a few years ago. Are they still plugged in? Are they still attending and growing? Where are they? Can you find them? What if they are waiting to see if anyone noticed? You did. Find them and invite them to come back this Sunday.
In scripture, there are examples of what we are to do if something of value went missing; an all out search occurred.
Think lost coin, lost sheep, or lost son... Let’s figure it out together and love unconditionally.
It matters…Jesus loves the forgotten.
Searching for them,
Craig
Comments
Wow! So true! "once-churched" been there done that. been burned and scorned and back again. I can't wait to read the book.