Across denominations we know baptisms are down. Churches are dying. We are told young people are no longer interested in attending church services, and people in general have little interest in Christianity. This, despite the fact that we are also told that people in the 21st century tend to be more spiritual and are seeking spiritual truth. The problem is they do not believe they will find what they are seeking in the traditional church.
Wait a minute! Churches are actually growing in South America, the Philippines and Africa. In fact, they are growing at an incredible rate. Here is the US there are churches that are experiencing tremendous growth, not by stealing sheep from other churches, but by regularly helping unchurched people find a relationship with Jesus Christ.
A church I sometimes watch on You tube announced at their New Year's Eve celebration that in 2023 they led over 2,200 people to faith in Jesus Christ and baptized 381 individuals. I have attended this church while on vacation and, like I said, I sometimes watch the services online. I am amazed at the number of young adults and teens in that church. The number of small groups overwhelms me. The energy in their worship services is unlike anything I've experienced before. Why are they able to reach young people, celebrate with joyful worship each week, preach doctrinally sound messages each Sunday and lead so many people to faith in Jesus Christ when we are constantly being told none of this is possible today in America? I've decided the answer is really quite simple: They intentionally plan on doing each of these things.
They recognize their mission is found in the Great Commission. They do evangelism on purpose. Not by knocking on doors or passing out tracts, but by demonstrating Christ in everything they do. Their worship calls people to faith in Christ. In fact, the pastor often invites people to receive Christ as Lord and Savior, not at the end of his sermon, but at the close of the worship time. When many churches are moaning about how it's impossible to reach teens and young adults, they are doing it. When churches go for years without seeing one person come to Christ, this church is seeing over 2,000 people a year come to faith. When some church's baptisteries have cobwebs growing in them, this church is baptizing several hundred people each year. Again, they are intentional is sharing the gospel, and they expect people to respond.
The great pastor Charles Spurgeon was once confronted by one of his students who was concerned about his lack of converts. He admitted to Spurgeon that he had been preaching for months and had not seen a single conversion. Spurgeon asked the young man if he really believed that God was going to save souls every time he opened his mouth. The young man responded, "No sir." Spurgeon then responded that was the reason the young man was not seeing people saved. If he had believed, the Lord would have given the blessing.
Until we believe that people will respond to the Gospel and receive Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior it probably isn't going to happen in our churches. Until we become committed to fulfilling the Great Commission we will continue to lose this current generation. Until we become intentional about sharing our faith with those who do not yet know Christ, we will never see souls saved.
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