What needs to change

This post is from the defunct blog “Dying Church”

Connor Carney comments on my latest column at Christian Week:

I know exactly 2 people my age who go to church on any kind of regular basis. Most of the rest would never set foot in a church — and it's not because the church places too many demands on them.

The church, in fact, either makes no demands at all on people, or makes only demands related to supporting the church. These aren't the kinds of demands that make an organization worth joining. As much as modern Christian leaders like to talk about making the church more "relevant" to the culture, they're usually just talking about modern music or casual dress or new technology.

But no music, dress code, or technology will make the church relevant. The church is relevant if and only if it changes lives. And, frankly, the church is not changing very many lives. Church members come to church, are entertained by well-produced music and smooth speeches, and then go home and live their lives in pretty much the same way they did before. If the church is going to survive through my generation, that is what needs to change.