The opinion editors at The New York Times found this piece valuable. I am not entirely sure that I agree, but you tell me.
From where I sit, the authors Joani and Thom Schultz have identified four frequently cited reasons that people don’t attend church, and then provided four cures for what ails us, only the last of which is remotely original. But, again, I could be wrong.
Their list:
1. Radical hospitality: People crave a sense of belonging. They’re looking for the kind of open acceptance that Jesus exemplified — initiating with love rather than condemnation.
2. Fearless conversation: This interactive culture wants to engage in a dialogue about faith. Rather than merely passively listen, they want to converse and ask hard questions.
3. Genuine humility: People hunger for a community that says: “We’re all in this together. We all struggle. No one has all the answers. We’re all trying to know and follow Jesus together.”
4. Divine anticipation: People want to know God is real. In addition to the biblical stories of God, people long to experience God in action today.
What if people don’t come to church any more because they no longer feel the need to worship either individually or in a community? What do we do about that?