I was recently visiting family in the so called "Bible Belt" of America.
With the Bible Belt come small, home grown churches that are usually permanent fixtures and pillars in a community. They are generally years old, and the attendees, unfortunatly, seem to be as old as the building itself.
I myself grew up in a very similar church. It wasn't quite the center of the Fredericksburg community because of the size of the area, but it most certainly played an influencial and critical role in who I've become as an individual.
I say this as a disclaimer of sorts because I know that churches that fill these roles are not bad. If they are based on the gospel and the teachings of Christ, then fundamentaly they are correct.
But are they relevant?
Probably not.
I wish this were not so, but unfortunatly I could probably gauruntee that the outreach of many of those churches does not extend beyond their own church community. Little missions work is done, few efforts to truly reach out and impact the area are attempted and it would be rare to find many churches swerving from the well beaten path of tradition.
And while this country club mentality continues, a whole generation cries out for something more. Those churches, the ones that are shrugged off as irrelevant and full of old farts, are responsible for this generation.
Should not these old farts be connecting with the youth and pouring into them so that may have mentors? Should not the church be persuing the community as if their lives depended upon it? Should not they be making more than the halfhearted and limp efforts that they are?
Yes, they should!
The American Church, denominations aside, is falling behind. It happened in Europe, and it's rapidly occuring here. The younger generations do not see church as relevant, which is becoming more and more apparent as time progresses.
We need to learn how to role with the punches instead of being a condemning brick wall. We need to take a step back and listen to what the masses are saying around us. They are desperate for us, and we're falling miserably short.
