In This Issue... Philippians 3:8, Quotes by David Jeremiah & Doug Stringer, Jesus Deaf Film Trailer, Articles by Lexi Fromm & Chelsea Kingston Erickson, and Song by David Ryan Cook...
In 1976, 91 % of the people in the US identifyed as Christians. In 2016, it had changed to 73.7 % and today it is 63%. I believe there are a lot of factors that have caused this huge change in Christianty. I believe the number one factor, is the change in the way we worship our Lord and Savior. The change in the worship service is s strong one. My greatest joy on Sunday mornings, was to have my 3 children sittings by me, singing and listening to the sermon. This changed when the church started a seperate worship service for children who were going to school. I thought it would be a wonderful way to grow in the Lord, but it had the opposite effect. The only one that continued to grow was my oldest child. He changed churches at 16. I didn't want him to but he said he was not happy with the way our church had changed. He did grow and continued to grow in the Lord and is a strong Christian today. He is a certfied pastor and teaches a class in his home. My other two children did the opposite, they did not grow in Christ, today they do not go to church or teach their children about the Lord. There are a lot of changes that have taken place in the Church. Music has also changed in the worship service. There are 2 books that have always been a staple in Church Worship. These are the Bible and the Song book. They are a staple to worship. The big white screen has taken their places. When The Country Church started, every Sunday the pastor asked, how many of you brought your Bibles today? Almost every adult hand went up, and also a lot of young people. Today, I doubt that would be the reaction. As for as music is concerned, it has also taken it's toll on the worship service. The big white screen has taken the place of the songs that people like to sing. Every week someone asks, why don't we have special music anymore. They also want to sing songs that they have heard all their lives. Songs like, Jesus Paid It All, Send the Light, Sweet Hour of Prayer, The old Rugged Cross, In the Garden, Standing On the Promises, There is Power in the Blood. All of these songs could probably be sung by 60 % of the congregation without a book. These songs are like the Bible, they never get old, and they have a message about the Lord. The gap in the amount of people who identify as Christians will continue to shrink, if we don't bring families closer together as they worship. Could this be the way that the Church continues to shrink. As a nation we need to learn from the past. If the way we use to worship worked, then return to what worked. The white screen can still be used for scripture and song, but make it known that bringing your Bible to church is important. I also like what you have done, to tell people how important it is for them to take notes while the preacher preaches. It helps us grow, in the word. I also personally thing that most people now depend on the screen for songs and scripture and they wouldn't know what to do without it. It would be good to sing and hear old songs sometimes about the sacrifice that Jesus made on the cross. Sometimes those songs cause and electric current that runs through the people. It is the power of the Holy Spirit.
Changes and Causes of the Decline in Christianty.
In 1976, 91 % of the people in the US identifyed as Christians. In 2016, it had changed to 73.7 % and today it is 63%. I believe there are a lot of factors that have caused this huge change in Christianty. I believe the number one factor, is the change in the way we worship our Lord and Savior. The change in the worship service is s strong one. My greatest joy on Sunday mornings, was to have my 3 children sittings by me, singing and listening to the sermon. This changed when the church started a seperate worship service for children who were going to school. I thought it would be a wonderful way to grow in the Lord, but it had the opposite effect. The only one that continued to grow was my oldest child. He changed churches at 16. I didn't want him to but he said he was not happy with the way our church had changed. He did grow and continued to grow in the Lord and is a strong Christian today. He is a certfied pastor and teaches a class in his home. My other two children did the opposite, they did not grow in Christ, today they do not go to church or teach their children about the Lord. There are a lot of changes that have taken place in the Church. Music has also changed in the worship service. There are 2 books that have always been a staple in Church Worship. These are the Bible and the Song book. They are a staple to worship. The big white screen has taken their places. When The Country Church started, every Sunday the pastor asked, how many of you brought your Bibles today? Almost every adult hand went up, and also a lot of young people. Today, I doubt that would be the reaction. As for as music is concerned, it has also taken it's toll on the worship service. The big white screen has taken the place of the songs that people like to sing. Every week someone asks, why don't we have special music anymore. They also want to sing songs that they have heard all their lives. Songs like, Jesus Paid It All, Send the Light, Sweet Hour of Prayer, The old Rugged Cross, In the Garden, Standing On the Promises, There is Power in the Blood. All of these songs could probably be sung by 60 % of the congregation without a book. These songs are like the Bible, they never get old, and they have a message about the Lord. The gap in the amount of people who identify as Christians will continue to shrink, if we don't bring families closer together as they worship. Could this be the way that the Church continues to shrink. As a nation we need to learn from the past. If the way we use to worship worked, then return to what worked. The white screen can still be used for scripture and song, but make it known that bringing your Bible to church is important. I also like what you have done, to tell people how important it is for them to take notes while the preacher preaches. It helps us grow, in the word. I also personally thing that most people now depend on the screen for songs and scripture and they wouldn't know what to do without it. It would be good to sing and hear old songs sometimes about the sacrifice that Jesus made on the cross. Sometimes those songs cause and electric current that runs through the people. It is the power of the Holy Spirit.