This book is the result of trying to raise the right questions and gain some perspective on the mission of the Lutheran Church in Australia, but you could transpose the principles to any church. We are a church in decline and we are facing all sorts of problems. This book aims at refocussing our mission.
We need to start taking this problem seriously, not just the little churches, but the big ones in the cities and towns as well. Is it that we have lost our way? Have we lost our direction? If our goal was to nurture Lutherans effectively, we are not achieving that goal. If we were aiming for non-Christians, don't you think we might at least hit one every now and then?
In a church in decline, the focus is, “How can we survive?” “How can we keep our doors open?” when the question is supposed to be, “How can I reach the lost for Christ?” That is our great commission, making disciples, not running a church. Running a church is incidental to the mission and should support the mission. It is not in itself the mission.
Just because a church is old and in decline however, does not mean that the time of the church in a particular area is over. By the same token just because a church has been there for 100 years or so, doesn’t mean that it should be there tomorrow.
But maybe it is time to look to what God is doing in the community and what the church needs to do and be in the current climate! Maybe it’s time to look at our mission, look at the community and look at the church to see what needs to be done to get those 3 to meet in a new way.
Change will come to your church whether you want it to or not.
So don’t just let it happen, Make it happen!
Contact Rob Edwards directly
or Visit Australian Christian Resource
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