Everyday presents new opportunity to share the love of Christ.
Our sermon on Sunday was about the decline of the American church. The pastor shared about being in a group with other pastors from around the world and how the Christian faith was growing in other parts of the world against all odds, but diminishing here in America. I decided to go home and do a little research on this matter.
Somewhere between 77% to 79% (depending on the poll), of Americans consider themselves to be Christian, not too shabby. The big headline has been the rise of the Nones. The Nones are the people who have no affiliation to any religion. But, these people weren’t asked what they believed. They were asked what religion they were affiliated with. 20% of American adults said “none.” That’s kind of depressing, but there is a bright spot. You knew there would be, right?
Among the Nones, 68% said they believe in God. That’s a pretty nice chunk. They just don’t consider themselves affiliated with a particular church. 21% said they pray everyday, also promising, and 32% are under the age of 30.
I also read in an article online that people used to attend church because of societal pressures. They went because it was expected. If you didn’t go, you may be looked down upon by your neighbors or people may decide not to frequent your business. While we may lament that a large part of society no longer cares whether or not we attend church, it’s really kind of refreshing to know that the people who do attend really want to be there. I suspect that God would rather have motivated and interested people in church than people just sitting in pews because they felt forced to. God has always been big on free will.
The great news about the Nones is that most of them are believers and that means those of us who do attend church have the awesome opportunity to invite them in and share the beauty and comfort that Christian Community can provide. I mean, they already believe. They may just need an invitation.
The fact that a third are under the age of thirty is also promising. They are still young. I know an awful lot of people who start attending church regularly once they have children, which brings me to my final point.
According to a Notre Dame survey, those young adults who were raised within a strong Christian family, have stayed with their faith. So, if you are taking your kids to church, keep doing it. It’s working.
I have always been a glass half-full kind of gal and truly believe that Jesus was an optimist. Why else would he have willingly given his life for us? I think he cheers us on in getting it right and encourages us to look for opportunities to share. Easter isn’t very far away, let’s think about some of these “Nones” and invite them to be part of our church community.
And if you are a None, I invite you to check out a church. It may be just what you have been searching for.
Have an awesome day!
Wendy 🙂