2021 STATE OF THE CHURCH ADDRESS
Pastor Timothy Porter
Text: Acts 2:41-47
INTRODUCTION:
Current State of The Church In America
1. 1,700 pastors in America leave the ministry monthly.
2. Only 8% of churches in the United States are growing and just 2% of those are growing by conversion growth.
3. 12,000 churches in America disappeared in a five-year period.
4. Only 35% of the U.S. population attends church regularly.
5. The number of people in America that do not attend church has trippled in the past 15 years.
6. No more than 30% of the population attends church at all and that's in the Bible belt.
7. Though the Bible Belt still boasts the highest percentage of church attendees, many of those churches are filled with extreme legalism or extreme liberalism.
8. The vast majority of churches have an attendance of less than 65.
9. There are over 100 million unchurched Americans, 20% of them claim to be born-again.[ They have either left the church or never connected for some reason.]
10. The median adult attendance per church service pre COVID-19 was 90 people which was declining prior to covid
11. Only 1/3 of the adult population attends some sort of small /life group to stay connected.
12. Only 65% of Americans donate to a place of worship. Of Evangelicals, however, 70% donate to their church, yet only 7% tithe.
13. 20-25% read their Bible consistently, 59% attend church weekly, 16% listen to Christian radio, 7% watch Christian TV, and 6% are held accountable to someone.
14. Only 60% of Christians say they are deeply committed to Jesus and His Church.
15. One in four have a place in the church where they serve.
16. Less then 50% say that the Bible is totally accurate, yet 60% of those that claim to be born-again.
17. Just 1/3 of church attendees believe that they have a personal responsibility to share their faith with others.
18. 60% of the population believes that salvation can be earned and shockingly, 28% are among evangelical churches.
19. Giving to charities increased in the past decade yet giving to local churches is declining.
20. Out of 100,000 churches in America less then 2% are considered mega-churches, (1,000 or more).
21. 1 out of 5 church attendees are considered church hoppers.
POST COVID - Pew Rearch Center
70% Of all belivers ar no longer attendinmg church
33% Say they attend monthly not weekly
72% Say they watch on-line
1 in 8 say attend services during the month [12%]
Prior to the outbreak Christians say they werer participated more in person than on line
26% of Catholics & 22% of Protestants state they have done neither.
Folks, that is the state of the church here in America! As you can see, the church as a whole is in a mess, and it is a long way from what it was at its beginning.
READ TEXT
I have read this as my text because this passage shows us what a church should be and can be if it is totally sold out and dedicated to the Lord.
This text tells of a vibrant, growing, worshiping church that was filled with glory, power and love for Jesus.
The early church was marked by Unity; Mutual Concern; Community Spirit; Evangelistic Zeal; the Manifest Power and Presence of the Holy Spirit; Purity of Doctrine; Profound Growth; and acceptance of all people.
Many things have changed, and not for the better! We need what they had in our day!
We may wonder what this has to do with The Bridge Church today.
I want to take a few minutes and speak about The 2006 State Of The Church Address. I want to talk about where we have been; where we are and where we are going in 2021.
I.) The Experiences of 2020
? Let's reflect back on what we experienced this past year.
GRACE -
?COVID - We are still here when others have had to shut down / even after closing for 12 weeks
?Relaunched In person services in a saqfe and stategic way
?Lauched Bridges Boxes
?Relaunched several ministries
?Many of have had the virus and have recovered well
GROWTH-
?Even with covid we have seen several families join us here at The Bridge
?New style of worship / with a new worship leader
?The Purchase of this beautiful building
GLORY-
?42 SALVATIONS AND BAPTISMS
? We have experiences God's Holy Spirit manifisted in our worship services
GIVING-
?Even with covid you still gave to God and His work
?We have also taken up and given love offerings to those in need. It has been a good year financially considering.
GRIEF-
?We have had some leave us by the call of God
?Death
?Sickness
?Suffering
II.) The Essentials of 2021
What will it take for The Bridge Church to excell and be all she can be in the present year?
? Prayer & Fasting
Joel 1:14 Consecrate a fast; call a solemn assembly. Gather the elders and all the inhabitants of the land to the house of the Lord your God, and cry out to the Lord
? Unity
1 Peter 3:8 (ESV) 8 Finally, all of you, have unity of mind, sympathy, brotherly love, a tender heart, and a humble mind.
?COMPASSION - Philippians 2:4 (NLT2) 4 Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too.
?CONCERN - For the unsaved / unchurched
?CONVICTION - I realize conviction is the work of God and that we cannot produce it. But, we can hinder His ability to work in this place.
We can create an atmosphere in which the Lord will have a hard time moving. Or, we can work to ensure that The Bridge Church is a place that encourages the Holy Spirit of God to do His work among us.
? If we want see God move, we have these four things:
1.] Atmosphere — v. 41-42 — This place is to be a place of worship! Love, and a place where you set your heart on the things of God. This done by keeping distractions down.
2.] Attitude — v. 42-43 — If we can condition ourselves to come to this place anticipating God to do something special, we are more likely to see Him do something special. Come praying; come worshiping; come excited and watch the Holy Spirit move.
3.] Action — v. 42 & 46 — Come to Church determined to be obedient to the Holy Spirit.
One of the problems in the church of today is that the altars are not used; praise has been neglected and worship has been regulated. Obedience to the voice of the Holy Ghost would create an atmosphere in which it is more likely that God will move, 1 Thess. 5:16-20
4.] Attendance — v. 46 — Just being in your place and being ready to worship the Lord is an encouragement to everyone else. Attendance at church is not an option, Heb. 10:25. Habitual absence is a vote to close the doors!
Doing these things will not make The Bridge perfect, but it will help us to develop a church in which God can move easily and in more power.
? CONFESSION - We need to keep short accounts with God. We need to be very familiar with the path to the altar. We need to get honest with Jesus about the condition of our hearts and our need for forgiveness.
? Commitment to Service - a fresh commitment from each of us to pull in the same direction as your pastor will lighten the load. The task is too large for just a few. If we will work together we will begin to see God do things that can't be explained. Be faithful in service and greatful in the grind.
III.) The Elements of 2021
? The Lord has big plans for The Bridge Church. If we are going to be all that God desires and wittnes all that He has planned for us, there are a few basic things that we must have.
A.] There Must Be an Acknowledgement
We must acknowledge the fact that we cannot do what God has called us to do on our own. We must confess our need of God and His power.
?Reopen and launch a brand new Bridge Kidz
?Keep In person services open at all cost.
?Continued connection - Bridge groups/ converge
?student camps and retreats
?Create more parking
?Relaunch Next Level Bible study
?Launch a second WORSHIP service
?Bridge Boxes every week
The Lord cannot and will not bless our pride; but He will honor our humility
B.] There Must Be an Appetite
If we would see the Lord move like we need Him to, we must possess a desire to see that happen. We must refuse to be satisfied with the way things are.
Evangilistic events to reach more people
Major community outreach ( start a spanish ministry, service)
Building upgrades ( bathrooms for all these people coming)
C.] There Must Be Advancement
In the budget
In Technology ( build our online church)
Out Reach
In Connections
In Volunteers
In Leadership
For our Ladies
Men
Kids
Students
Stick with the plan, Grind it out
That is, we need to get up and get busy doing the things God has revealed to us and birthed into our hearts. He has given us a task to accomplish for His glory.
Ecclesiastes 9:10 (NLT2) 10 Whatever you do, do well. For when you go to the grave, there will be no work or planning or knowledge or wisdom.
Proposed Budget - How are going to do this in 2021
