Dear Friends in Christ:

It feels comfortable addressing you as a "friend in Christ," but there are less and less people in the United States who share that feeling.  According to a recent Newsweek article, "the percentage of self-identified Christians has fallen 10 points in the past two decades."   In addition, "the number of Americans who claim no religious affiliation has nearly doubled since 1990, rising from 8 to 15 percent."  (For the entire Newsweek article, go to:  http://www.newsweek.com/id/192583.)

Many churches are at a loss about how to deal with this phenomenon.  Some are following the mega-churches and trying to provide more programs, services and activities to attract more people from the community.

Others, primarily from the house-church movement, are attempting to be Christ to the community by meeting unmet physical and social needs of those around them.  In short, they are trying to be incarnational.      

 

So, which is right, "Incarnational or attractional?"  The answer is both.  We have to have churches that go into the community with the Gospel and invite the unchurched to join Christ's community.  Of course, that's what the TCN process is all about.  Read some stories about how churches are using both of these approaches.

Written By: ntieman
Date Posted: 5/19/2009
Number of Views: 218