Just ran across a blog post by my friend Dave Smith entitled, The Doctor’s Diagnosis. It is the summary of a talk given last year by Dr. Kent R. Hunter .  I found it very interested and  much of it resonated with me.   Here are the points that Dave noted on his blog. (You can click on the link above to check out his post and the comments that followed.)

  • Yes, we are in tough times, but people are more receptive to the gospel than ever before.
  • However, we have had six churches closing every day in America for the last 20 years.
  • People are interested in spiritual things, but 60-80% think the church is irrelevant. It’s the church’s fault this is the case!
  • 60-80% of all churches are declining in attendance.
  • 20-40% are vibrant and growing churches.
  • The local church is the answer to our country’s (& world’s) problems. Think about our grandchildren! What kind of world will they live in? Will we step up in this critical time of our nation’s history?
  • We are a country w/ the 3rd largest population of non-Christians. It is to the point that foreign missionaries are now coming here!
  • We need training to be missionaries in the U.S., shifting the way we think to be more like missionaries (i.e. Acts 1:8).
  • God is love. But He does not want us to be comfortable. Being uncomfortable is not bad. Often in the depth of discomfort does God speak to us. He’s much more interested in our character than our comfort. It’s not about out comfort!
  • We are a nation driven by comfort. But missionaries are not driven by comfort. We need to be missionaries!
  • Most churches die because it’s easier to die than to think like Jesus. We need to repent.
  • America is at a spiritual crossroads, and we could make history of eternal proportions.

 

Derrak