Tag: generation
Have You Ever Wanted to Leave Church? You’re Not the Only One!
Posted on November 17, 2015 in Theology by Nathan Cherry
Have you ever considered walking away from church?
That question has become a central topic in many churches, conferences, and publications. The rise of the “dones” is a phenomenon that is both interesting to watch and terrifying. For many pastors and church leaders it is a nightmare that they are facing and trying to figure out. For church culture commentators it has become a routine topic of discussion.
So, who are the dones?
The dones are the most committed, involved, faithful members of a congregation. They are leaders in ministry; they are teachers; they are the biblically educated; they are the givers. And they are walking away from church. They don’t relocate to another church, and they aren’t retreating to house churches (not all of them). They are simply walking away from the organized, institutional church…forever.
Some will be quick to judge and say that these are backslidden people that need to “get right with God,” and get back in church. Others are little more judgmental and claim that these are people that “may not be saved at all.” Name-calling and judgment won’t stop the dones from walking away so it might be a better use of our time to figure out why they are leaving.
What Will Future Generations Think When They Look Back On Us?
Posted on August 17, 2015 in Life by Nathan Cherry
In this short video the head writer for Glenn Beck’s television show, Dan Andros, says that our defining moment as a generation is here before us now. Future generations always look back and recognize a key moment that defined the previous generations. Images of Adolf Hitler, the moon landing, and JFK come to mind, and in some ways speak about the generation that witnessed those events. What will future generations think of when they remember us?
According to Andros, our defining moment is here. And this short video explains that moment in a somber, sobering way. Watch it. Share it. Think about it.
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Biblical Illiteracy: It’s Not Just Younger Generations That Are “Embarrassingly Ignorant” of Their Faith
Posted on April 18, 2014 in Theology by Nathan Cherry
In recent years I’ve often said that one of the most challenging dynamics for churches to overcome is biblical illiteracy. Presently it seems to me that there is an abundance of biblical illiteracy in the church among both lay-people and leaders alike. That being the case it is easy to see how the church has lost much of its power, influence, and cultural relevance.
The church has experienced loss in a broad range of areas – numbers, giving, baptisms – over the last decade and a half as it simultaneously faces unprecedented persecution from government. Prominent pastors have publicly endorsed and embraced heretical doctrines (think Rob Bell’s “no hell” doctrine), while others have publicly endorsed sin (such as homosexuality). Constant in-fighting over non-essentials (alcohol, tribulation, carpet color) has also served to disillusion younger generations that see a lack of authenticity.
For me, personally, nothing is as pressing and critical as the issue of biblical literacy. This is far more than the ability to read the Bible and understand it; this is about being able to rightly govern one’s life through the filter of grace, redemption, and sanctification. What’s missing currently is a biblical worldview that shapes and informs every aspect of life to the place that sanctification becomes evident.
Mentoring: Where Older Folks Can Impact the Younger Generation
Posted on February 7, 2014 in Family by Nathan Cherry
We live in a society where the family structure has changed dramatically from what it was even just 50 years ago. There are far fewer homes with a father and mother and their biological children. There are many more homes with second marriages, step-children, and single parents. We can sit and debate the pros and cons of this social paradigm shift all we want, but the fact remains that as the church we need to stand ready to love and support every family that walks through the doors.
Of course we never want to condone sin. It seems the word sin as it relates to people’s relationships has become very blurry in our culture of “acceptance.” But the Bible still lays a blueprint for the right and the wrong way to do things. To this end we must uphold that Biblical truth regardless of shifting cultural opinions.
Millennials Complain About Politics and Sex in the Church. Should We Care?
Posted on December 16, 2013 in Marriage, Theology by Nathan Cherry
Much has been said and written in the last decade concerning the troubling trend of Millennials leaving the church. Those that were born between 1980 and 2000 have been the subject of much speculation as they walk out of the church doors and appear to abandon their faith. The alarm has been sounded so loudly that it has reshaped the landscape of the American church as young pastors and seasoned veterans of ministry seek to retain the Millennials they have and reach the ones down the street.
A recent article titled “5 Possible Reasons Young Americans are Leaving Church and Christianity Behind” explores this topic with analysis gained from the vast resources of groups like Focus on the Family and the Barna Resource Group. It’s an interesting read.
While several of these reasons are suspect, to me, at least two of the stated reasons were easy to guess; and I would have been surprised if they were not on the list. The two are: Politics in the Pulpit and Sex.