Pastor Jesse's Blog

There is a rather interesting news story about Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church in Fort Lauderdale.

Senior Pastor Tullian Tchividjian, Billy Graham’s grandson, has announced they are eliminating the separate traditional and contemporary Sunday worship services. There will now be only one service, with an essentially blended worship. The news story said “that means no more separation based on age, likes and comfort.”

Senior Pastor Tchividjian said, “The best way a church can demonstrate (the) unifying power of the gospel before our very segregated world is to maintain a community that transcends cultural barriers. The church should be the one institution, the one community…in our world that breaks barriers down.” (Christian Post, 8.25)

That sounds down right Biblical to me!

The senior pastor noted that many churches around the country are following the lead of the advertising world by targeting specific age groups and using separate contemporary and traditional worship service models.

He also said, “That may be good business but it’s bad worship; it’s bad church.” I will follow this development prayerfully and hopefully.

Has the United States begun the same pattern of decline in membership, attendance and visibility that has led to the near collapse of the church in Western Europe?

If polls are any indication, the answer is, yes. Pollsters say the only conservative church groups not declining at present are the Assemblies of God and the Church of God, Cleveland, Tennessee. This year’s “Yearbook of American and Canadian Churches” traces the loss in membership of several groups. The Lutheran Church Missouri Synod lost 45,735 members last year (1.44%). The Presbyterian Church in America (PCA) lost members for the first time in its 37-year history. The Southern Baptist Convention lost 40,000 members (0.24%) – Martin E. Marty, US Conservative Churches in Decline, 12/15.

What does all of this mean? I’m not sure exactly.

I do think we are in the Laodicean age of the church. And, I don’t think mere numbers tell the whole story. Sometime less is better. Big numbers provide big bragging rights, but not a whole lot more. Also, keep in mind, at any time, God can send a revival and sweep millions into the fellowships of Bible-believing churches. I also think Bible-believing churches must guard against watering down the truth of God’s Word to get a crowd. It’s not about getting a crowd. It’s about building a church.

USA Today in their December 17th edition did a major article entitled “Multi-site churches: a new variety of religious experience.” The article featured the multi-sites where Pastor Tim Keller, well-known preacher in New York City, preaches.

He is the founder and senior pastor of Manhattan’s Redeemer Presbyterian Church. At present he speaks at 4 locations. The attendance for all services combined is about 5,500. It is a new model spreading rapidly across the U.S. Most of these sites have a lead pastor who speaks, with other ministers on location who do counseling, conduct small group activities, etc.

The article cites some of the advantages—it doesn’t require new buildings; there is adequate parking space. Some call it “church in a box.”

The article says 67% of the country’s 100 largest churches have 2 or more sites. Not everyone is thrilled with the concept. One member of Keller’s church said, “I do miss having a pastor at the door shaking hands in the ‘check-out line.’”

I’m still chewing on and thinking through this concept. Obviously, we want to reach people with the Gospel.

Is this the best way to do it? Today, I’m not sure there is a “best” way to reach people for Christ. What I am certain about is the ways we reach people need to be Biblical in their theology and methodology.