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Ministry Encouragement Podcast – Episode #096 7-10-14
Your Host: Rev. Jim W. Hollis Sponsored by: Proactive Ministries (www.proactive-ministries.org)
Hello! Thanks for joining me for this ninety-sixth edition of The Ministry Encouragement Podcast. Your presence in sharing in our podcast and discussions is a tremendous encouragement and my prayer is that you will be encouraged spiritually through the Community that God continues to build among us.
The purpose of this podcast is to spiritually encourage all Christ Followers who are actively engaged in ministry to find new hope, spiritual motivation and practical strategies for being more like Christ each day. We talk about ministry realities, strategies for initiating and building new relationships and growing together in Christian Community.
Today I will be focusing on the the topic:
How Can Dying Churches Become Revitalized?
There is a growing expression across many mainline, denominational churches today in the United States, “We want to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.”
This is appearing in massive percentages of publications, promotions and being discussed in both pulpits and classrooms. Yet, upon closer inspection of the current reality of these churches, on average, 60 – 65% of them have not received one person on profession of faith in Jesus Christ in the past 12 months or longer. In some districts, even in the Bible Belt of America, up to 70% of these churches are in serious decline. The pastors and leaders in these churches want reach others and grow but don’t know how. They know there is serious trouble and yet they are clinging to hope in Christ. WHY?
There are two major reasons why we are so reluctant to share our faith and the love of Christ unconditionally with those we don’t know:
Reason #1: Fear of personal rejection
Reason #2: Not knowing what to say or how to initiate a new friendship with someone we don’t already know
Out of the hundreds of churches we have worked with across the nation over the past 21 years, we have proven statistically that the above reasons shake out as Reason #1 and Reason #2 in 99% of surveys given in local churches.
So what’s the answer to this major crisis in so many churches today. The answer it three fold:
1) We want to create powerful times of worship and praise in which we can share the good news that God has sent the Savior of the world, who took on humanity, and loved every one of us enough to die on the Cross that we may have not only eternal life but abundant life each day.
2) We can learn Biblically based, common sense, relational strategies of HOW to reach out beyond the walls of our churches and initiate new, authentic, lasting friendships with persons and families in our community that we have not yet met. Some of them we can meet in restaurants as they introduce themselves to us as Servers. Others we will meet as we drop off our clothes in the Dry Cleaners. Still others we will get to know because they work as cashiers in check out lines at Home Depot, Publix or other retail shopping stores.
3) As we find the spiritual empowerment through the Holy Spirit to learn this kind of ministry and we begin to live this out consistently, we will see God begin to use us to actually reach others as they choose to become authentic disciples of Jesus Christ today.
So new ministries must emerge that will cause us to risk ourselves in new and exciting ways as we go where the Spirit leads and discover how God will use people like us, with our many limitations and struggles to make an incredible difference in hundreds of lives.
What now? Pray and talk about the opportunity to have us in Proactive Ministries come and share outreach ministry experiences with your congregation. The process can bring spiritual renewal and the initiation of many new friendships across your church and your community. There IS hope for dying churches. They can become revitalized. Will you take action to see this become a reality?
Give me a call soon and I’d love to hear about your personal walk with Christ, the ministries you love and your desire to see more of the presence of Jesus in your life and congregation.
You may reach me at:
Ministry Offices: (770) 803-9988
Email: jim@ministryencouragementpodcast.com
Facebook: Jim W. Hollis
LinkedIn: Jim Hollis
OR leave a Voicemail right on this page, on the right side click on the voicemail button with your mouse and use your computer microphone to speak and it will record your message and send it directly to me.
Until the next time, may the Lord of all life bless you and keep you. May Christ make his face to shine upon you and give you peace and joy.
In Christ’s Grace,
Jim
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