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3 Fundamental Problems Facing the Christian Church in the U.S.

Last year, pre-pandemic, we proposed that the 2030 church landscape in the U.S. will look dramatically different—mostly gone as we’ve known it! You can download the epub or a PDF

There are 3 fundamental problems facing the church in the U.S. Allow me to simply name them today and talk about doing something with them next week. Rest assured: under the blessing of God, you can do something about it. 

1. No One Knows a Christian They Respect

Simple equation. The younger the person plus the larger the metropolitan area where they live equals the lower the probability that they even know a Christian they respect. There’s a high probability that they don’t even know a person claiming to follow Christ who can challenge their stereotypes of Christians, let alone hear the Gospel from.

2. No New Leaders Coming Up

Programs that once seemed to work in raising up next generations of leaders in congregations stopped working, and we haven’t invested in discipling a new generation. 

  • Congregations rely on the same few trading leadership hats year by year.
  • Enrollments in almost all U.S. seminaries are a fraction of a decade or several ago.
  • The candidate list for your next capable pastor or staff person seems too thin.

3. No Vibrant, Healthy Churches that Can Impact and Reach a Community

There are 350,000 churches in the U.S. Approximately. Estimates run that only 10%—push it to 20% maybe—are vibrant, healthy and able to impact and reach their community. That’s not many churches to serve and reach 331,000,000 people!

Allow me to encourage you to do two things with the leaders from your church!

  1. Download The Church in 2030 ebook (epub or a PDF) and read the vision of a possible future.
  2. Discuss these 3 problems facing the church. Agree? Disagree? What do you want to add? 

Thanks!

Jock Ficken

One Response

  1. Eric says:

    The three things plaguing the church of the USA are 1) fear 2) fear 3) fear. 2020 has shown worldwide that the Church lives in fear. She ran from coronavirus, she ran from her bullies, she ran from her mission. She showed that her faith was nonexistent. Your issues are all due to fear in the Church. If she would believe in Jesus as Lord, and believe He is able to do what he promised, and returned to her first Love, your three issues would vanish like smoke.

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