Musings: Notes From My Daybook

What brought me to St. Louis is an event hosted by the Kairos group. Kairos is a new ministry that is focused on planting new churches in North American contexts. Working from the basic principle that established churches nurture established Christians best and new churches nurture new Christians, Kairos offers varied resources to help with the launch of new congregations.

This summit was designed to bring church leaders among Churches of Christ from across the country to reflect on the historical, theological, and financial resources that can be brought to bear on such initiative. To begin the summit, Thom Rainer, a noted researcher and author, presented some of his research.

Here is a summary of one of his presentations on Ten Reality Checks for churches:

1. Marked increase in the unchurched population in the US. By unchurched persons, Rainer means persons who attend 1 time or less in the past year. In 1965, approximately 38% of the population were unchurched. In 2004, the figure is 61%
2. Decreased evangelistic effectiveness in new churches. In 1985, it took, on average, 23 persons to reach 1 person. In 2005, it takes 34 people. This figure is in new or recently established congregations. In established churches the figure is 86 to 1. That is to say, the average rate of members to conversions is 86 to 1.
3. Wide open back door in churches. On average, after five years, only 29% of new members have actually assimilated into the church’s life. Rainer notes two major causes for the lack of commitment to faith—the low expectation church leaders place before congregations and the lack of healthy doctrinal instruction. In short, we have dumbed down church and made it some optional.
4. Ironically, in the midst of these depressing realities, there is a growing receptivity by unchurched non-Christian people. 38% of the unchurched population of American are receptive to the Christian faith.
5. Additionally, of those who are receptive, 80% of them would say yes to the most simple of invitations—an invitation to come to a worship service. Sadly, over 80% of these people have never been invited to come to a worship service. When asked what would be helpful in accepting an invitation to come to a worship service, most unchurched people said, “If someone would meet me and walk into the building/service with me.” Rainer’s group tested this theory and found that 69%, in fact, would come and go to a worship service.
6. Conversions of young people are exceedingly vital. 81% of all Christians become Christian before they are 20. And 75% of all Christians become Christian before they are 15.
7. Church health is deteriorating. Of the 400,000 churches in America, 62% are in decline, 21% are growing but are growing at a slower rate than their outreach area, and only 17% are growing more rapidly than the community they are located in.
8. Ministers/church leaders are not engaging in evangelism. 54% shared their faith 0 times in the past 6 months.
9. Mid-size enigma. Not known why, but the greatest evangelistic effectiveness if found in churches in the 200-400 range.
10. Church’s satisfaction with mediocrity. Rainer noted that it is a sin to be good when God has called us to be great. Likewise, he noted the inward turn in churches—a focus on members, rather than on mission.

For more material on Rainer see his book.