Church in the Eyes of America

December 06, 2002

Category: Church

According to this article, “less than one-third of non-Christian adults have a positive impression of born-again Christians and less than one-fourth have a favorable view of evangelicals.”

“One of the reasons it’s hard to attract non-Christians to church is the negative impression that many unchurched Americans have about believers.”

This doesn’t really come as a surprise to me. Christians in America seem to have found themselves too often in the position of being the naysayer against culture. This is especially true when it comes to things in the media, the place where America’s values are portrayed. I’m not saying we should do away with our values as Christians, but in fact the opposite. We should place ourselves at the “crossroads of culture” in order to influence more of it.

But the whole idea of people not liking church also scares me. It doesn’t scare me because I think the church is dying, but because it tells me that it’s only going to get worse.

Church is going to have to change for people to like it.

Posted by pablohart on December 06, 2002 05:47 PM

Comments

Church is going to have to change for people to like it.

that statement is a theological minefield. you might just as easily say, "people are going to have to change to like church." the question is thus, Is the church truly following Christ? if it is, then the world will necessarily not like church (the world disliked the Truth of Jesus because it disrupted worldly structures). if the church is not acting like Christ, then you're absolutely right...the church needs to change. but then the cycle continues...if it is Christlike, the world won't like it... my head hurts.

Posted by nathan at December 7, 2002 2:33 AM

i agree with Nathan, hesitantly. I think i understand what pablo means when he refers to change in the church. The message will NEVER, EVER change, nor should it. But the methods always will. Pablo is right that the church needs to change. And it will. Think of the 1st century church and how that was different than the 10th century church and how that was different than the 17th century church, etc. Think of the last 100 years. has the church changed? Of course! The Church has always been cultural. Big Shock? Not really. Jesus was VERY cultural. He took things people knew, understood, could relate to (read "Culture") and made parables. Shepherds, mustard seeds, wheat, pigs, clay, prodigal son (inheritances), house on rock, fig trees, farming, oil in lamps, wineskins, jewish wedding traditions, sheep gates, kings, tax collectors, etc. Now, truly, how many of those things that I just listed do you have much or ANY knowledge of? None? Then why did Jesus use these as "props" when He taught about the Kingdom? Because the people He was speaking to knew, in no uncertain terms, EXACTLY what He was talking about. SO, why don't our churches of today do the same thing? Why are they so afraid to be relevant in the culture? My guess, and it's only a guess, is that because so many things in our culture have not been influenced by the church, there is much corruption. It is hard, therefore, for the church to dissect and discern what is "usable" and what isn't. (By far, not the only reason but probably the biggest one).

BUT, this is where real people live. IN the culture. We cannot escape it. We can, however, influence and change it for the Kingdom. And yes, people will still not like it....

Posted by Chris DuMond at December 11, 2002 3:57 PM

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