The Challenge for the Church 1 Corinthians 9:19-23

The Challenge for the Church Church often has to be reactive to crises This is perhaps the most challenging time in American history for growing great families The church (our church) must be PROACTIVE

Time Southern Baptist churches have had a similar format for many decades We have been “program based” We have a similar schedule

Time Sunday– “Brotherhood” (1X month) early –Sunday School (9, 9:15, 9:30) –Worship (10:30; 10:45:11:00) –CT (5:00 or so) Youth and Children’s Choirs –Worship (6:00-6:30) Wednesday –Missions Programs; “Prayer Meeting” –Choir Practice

Time THAT WAS 50 YEARS AGO What do we see today? We have kept the same format with a little rearrangement of the deck chairs

Time The Result? –We are not reaching the current generation –We are not keeping up with the birth rate –We are losing the ones we have

Time Part of the reason is TIME The life pattern of the American family has changed; we have not adjusted and we are often trying to force families into models that do not work for them.

Time What Can We Do? –Study where they are and how we can help them –Expand our format –Cut where necessary –Streamline

Fragmentation We are ministering to a fragmented generation –People growing up without wisdom of grandparents –People with trust issues –People with ignorance regarding basic family life (life skills)

Fragmentation Blended families with their own set of problems We are following models of ministry that reflects an old context We segment our ministries (Titus 2:3-7)

Fragmentation We need families together more when we are here We need to deliberately structure ministry so younger people can be around older people

Dissonance There is discord in how families today put the faith together. They don’t see how faith and life fit together We don’t integrate well the whole picture for them.

Dissonance That is one reason our families are not holding together in the faith. We must build models that give them the big picture; We must prepare them for assaults on their faith (apologetics)

Dissonance WE MUST HELP THEM SEE THE MISSION OF THE KINGDOM OF WHICH THEY ARE A PART