What's Wrong with the Church Today?

That's the question everybody is asking, and nobody is answering definitively. What is wrong with the church? How come some churches have lots of people, and others have very few? How come the older members think they're being shut out, while the younger members think they're the ones being shut out? How can EVERYBODY be shut out? If they all are out, then who's in???

I wish there were better guidance on how to get people to come to church. It's tiresome to hear the same old complaints-- like how better music would draw people in, or like how the time of the service keeps people away. It's all bunk. I think the real reason people don't come is different for each person or family. None are really valid to keep people from worshiping God, but perhaps Bonhoeffer was right and the church has moved toward becoming a religionless church, so that less emphasis is put on corporate worship, and more on simply personal relationships with God. I don't know. Even that theory doesn't answer why some churches are growing.

Our church gets its share of visitors each year, but can't seem to retain the majority as regular attendees. Why? I'm not sure. Maybe it's too small. Maybe the people are too cliquy. Maybe I'm not what they need, or the people in the congregation aren't the right fit, or there aren't the programs that address their needs. Maybe it really is the music-- but if traditional music isn't one's thing, they can come to the praise service and enjoy MTV-like music.

Where are the kids attending? Many people think it's instant gratification that youth crave. They say it's videos, games, not really a desire to be in communion with God. I don't think that's true. I think perhaps most youth have too much on their plates-- work, sports, homework, family obligations, etc-- and squeezing in church becomes difficult for them. It shouldn't be that way, true, but it is. Maybe they get their religion from KLOVE. Maybe they get it from a podcast, or other internet outreach. Maybe they get it from television, though I doubt it. The point is they are not in most churches, just a few. Why?