The COVID-19 pandemic changed the landscape of the American church which was already in an unfavorable position. Churches scrambled to do church in a new way: online. Ministers who had never done sermon streaming were now basically thrown into new roles: YouTubers and Facebook preachers.
Not all churches adapted to this new online medium successfully and some have folded. In a post Covid world we will need new strategies. The days of big gatherings are over and we need to learn how to do church in a different way.
I’m reading From Megachurch to multiplication by Chris Galanos. It details how our strategy for winning the lost in America is failing. He talks about how evangelical Christianity is declining in baptisms, retentions, giving and attendance. That was pre-Covid 19. How many baptisms have you personally witnessed since Covid hit? I have not seen any.
If we want to reach the lost in America we have to first face the fact that we are living in a post Christian America. Christian America finished.
“What we are experiencing in America is the migration of our culture from being postmodern to being post-Christian, where real Christianity—authentic, sold-out, Christ-followership—is no longer the majority view or practice in society. In such a culture, we must become like Daniel and his friends exiled in Babylon; we must be able to relate to the culture, even become well-respected leaders within it, while being such committed followers of God that we do not bow to the unrelenting pressures of an unbelieving world that would erode and destroy our faith. If we can do that—while still loving others as being made in the very image of God—then the Holy Spirit can use us to reach this generation and the next and the next for Christ, until His return.”
Dr. Vance Nichols
What did Jesus say before he ascended into heaven? Go and make disciples of all nations. He meant that and it was important that’s why he said it last.
So where do we go from here? How do we recover? We don’t. Church as usual has got to go. Unbelievers don’t like it and it’s really not doing the church much good either. People get lost in big congregations. They go to church on Sunday but they don’t grow or reach the lost. If you aren’t interested in reaching the lost, that’s another issue.
Church: stop entertaining yourselves, win the lost and make disciples. Call a business meeting and discuss how to reach the lost.
Exit church as usual and enter church in a new way. Consider America a mission field. Use mission field strategies to win this lost nation. Use church planting techniques here in this country. Millennials are basically unchurched so it is the mission field. Only we’re right here.
Go and make disciples of all nations.
– Jesus, King of the universe
Enter DMM. That stands for discipleship making movement. In other words it’s doing what Jesus said to do. Chris Galano’s book tells a little bit about it and he recommends other books too. Start with his.
Next I plan to read:
- Church Plantology by Peyton Jones (have it)
- Contagious Discipleship
- The kingdom unleashed
- Spent Matches
The church I currently attend uses the DMM model. Small groups currently meet different days of the week. The big group meets only once a month on Saturday night. That may sound very strange, but you connect better when the group is small. In a big church setting, you can lose the sense of family. I came to this church in need of a spiritual hospital and they partnered with God to patch me up. That’s what the church is supposed to be: a hospital for the spiritually sick.
Click here to see a video on DMM
If the Lord wills it, I hope to start a home church by the end of the year. I’m starting with basically zero experience, but I do have a raging fire. My only qualification is the Holy Spirit lives inside me. The Lord’s power is greater than the one of this world and God is able to resurrect a new, transformed Church from the ashes of the current sleepy one.
What is God speaking to you? Have you thought about becoming equipped to reach souls? What do you think about what I have said?
Following Jesus 