by Steve Murrell

Note to pastors and youth ministers who choose to live in denial:
the following stats do not apply to YOU and YOUR church, only to other churches and other youth groups that are not as spiritual, strategic, relevant, cool, committed or emerging as you are.

The American church loses 70% of its 18 and 22 year olds. SEVENTY PER CENT! That’s scary. Think about your youth group - the teens in your church and in your family - by the time they are 22 years old - 70% will no longer go to church.

There’s a lot of talk about reaching the “un-churched” – but what about the “de-churched” who walked away from the church of their parents? Thousands of young people used to go attend church, but not any more. Why?

According to research in a soon to be released book by Thom S Rainer (the Simple Church dude) and Sam Rainer III (son of Simple Church dude), here are the top 10 reasons young Americans quit church.

10. I was only going to church to please others.

9 I want to spend more time with my friends.

8. I disagreed with the church’s stance on political or social issues.

7. I didn’t feel connected with the people in my church.

6. I became too busy.

5. I moved too far away.

4. My work responsibilities prevented me from attending.

3. I started college and stopped church.

2. Church members seemed too judgmental or hypocritical.

1. I simply wanted a break from church.

The #1 reason young Americans quit church is tragic – “I wanted a break from church.” But why do they want a break? I think maybe #2 causes #1.

Did you ever dropout? Why?
Why did you go back?
What about other nations, why do non-Americans dropout?

Steve Murrell is a missionary, pastor, and the author of “The Reluctant Leader” and “The Accidental Missionary.”

by Steve Murrell
Another day, another flight. Nashville to Minneapolis to Calgary. I’m now in Minn, waiting.

Sat next to the Marlboro Man on my flight from Nash to Minn. Since all USA flights are non smoking, this guy had a cup of coffee instead of a cigarette.

He kept on sipping his coffee, but for some reason the coffee never ran out. Strange. It seemed that very time he put his mouth to the plastic spout on the coffee cup lid, there was MORE coffee in the cup, not less.

Then i figured it out - he was spitting, not sipping. The Marlboro Man was chewing tobacco. Nashville.

While dodging liquid tobacco, i read an article in the NWA World Traveler magazine called “Our Brains at Work.” Interesting. The article summarized a book by molecular biologist, John Medina, about putting our brains to max use at work.

Medina’s “Brain Rule #4″ is pertinent to preachers and speakers. It says, “We don’t pay attention to boring things.” I think we all know that. But his next 4 sub points could help our preaching. Here they are with my comments in bold italics:

1. The brain’s “attention spotlight” can focus on only one thing at a time: no multitasking.
More evidence for the 1 point mssg.

2. We are better at seeing patterns and abstracting the meaning of an event than we are at recording detail.
Since they can get details from a book or online and no one remembers anyway, we need to focus primarily on ministering to the heart not the head.

3. Emotional arousal helps the brain learn.
Preach mssgs and tell stories that evoke emotion and people will pay attention and remember.

4. Audiences check out after 10 minutes, but you can keep grabbing them back by telling narratives or creating events rich in emotion.
This really made me re-think my outlines. I need to re-start every 10 minutes. That explains a lot.

Steve Murrell is a missionary, pastor, and the author of “The Reluctant Leader” and “The Accidental Missionary.”

by Joey Bonifacio

“Four things on earth are small, yet they are extremely wise: Proverbs 30:24

coneys are creatures of little power, yet they make their home in the crags; Proverbs 30:26

This is the second in series of small things that are extremely wise. Of the 4 creatures listed in Proverbs 30 explaining the Coney seems to be the most challenging.

What could really be learned from them? Coney is an old English word for wild rabbits. And that makes it even harder to explain why they are extremely wise. Rabbits are not exactly known for their smarts rather for their cuteness.

But Solomon the author of the Proverb has observed something about this creature that made him conclude that they are deserving full status in this list of small yet extremely wise creatures.

He explains first of all that they have little power. Rabbits are often the prey of eagles, wolves and even snakes. What qualifies them in this list is the way they build their homes. They build them in the crags.

A crag is a steep or rugged cliff or rock face. Building in this kind of terrain requires wisdom. You may ask if they were so wise why won’t they build their homes in less challenging terrain. The answer is because they have little power.

Settling in open terrain makes them easier prey for their predators. Building in crags allows them to have safe dwellings that are hard to access. Needless to say that building on crags is not quite as easy or convenient. It is laborious and time consuming. But once built it becomes a safe refuge.

Here’s where discipleship relationship interfaces. Making disciples is much like building in the crags. They may be inaccessible, time consuming and labor intensive. But through little encounters with one moment at a time we can build men and women into disciples.

The kind that will not easily fall prey to the devil:
Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. 1Peter 5:8b

Like the Coney we need to build wisely. In this way what we build are lives that will not be easily prone to the devil’s attacks.

Joey Bonifacio — aka “The Wizard of Blog” — is the senior pastor of VCF-Fort Bonifacio in Manila, Philippine and the author of Discipleship is Relationship and Joey’s Prayer Site.

by Frank Christie

Life is a battle field! To win life’s battles we cannot live in isolation, we need to learn how to live in community.

One of the most spectacular events in Africa each year is the wildebeest (gnu) migration which takes place on the Serengeti game reserve. It has been described by many as one of the greatest natural events in the wildlife world. It is also the time when the lion have a feeding frenzy. They identify the young and the weak and while the wildebeest are lazing about in the sparse shade on the plain the lions come for their easy pickings. If the wildebeest would just STAND UP as a community the lions would flee. There is strength in living in community.

Living in community can be looked at in the light of two interpretations. The Latin term communitas means “the same”, and is derived from communis, which means “common, public, shared by all or many”. This is what was used to describe the early church in the book of Acts 2, “They had all things in common”. It can also be understood as being derived from two words: com meaning “with,” and “unity.”

The antithesis of community is individualism: that is pretty much all about self : “me”, “my needs”, “my dreams”, and self-preservation.

The term “narcissism” comes from the Greek god named Narcissus who was known for his beauty. Many fell in love with him, but he spurned all lovers, until one day he became thirsty and went to a pool of water where he clearly saw his own reflection. He fell deeply in love with himself and could not pull himself away from his reflection, even to eat, so that he ultimately died. His death was caused by total self-absorption. How many people’s dreams and achievements are never realised because of a complete preoccupation with themselves? When we worship ourselves, we become our own god and never experience community.

Have you noticed how we as a society are moving away from concern about family, community and what is good for society as a whole, to a culture that is narrowing its concern to what is good for us personally as individuals? There is a rise of radical individualism in our culture which is committed only to self. We often only approach God on these terms too! The prosperity movement has capitalised on this self-centered lifestyle. There is nothing wrong with prosperity as long as we are living for God and others. However, God is not our cosmic butler who is there to serve our dreams and aspirations and sometimes knuckle head ideas. He is almighty God who allows us to share in His plans and His Kingdom and prospers us as we serve Him and His people on earth.

There are five elements of a true sense of community: 1) membership, 2) influence, 3) integration and fulfilment of needs, 4) shared emotional connection, and 5) living for a purpose greater than ourselves. Opposed to these are the five elements of individualism: 1) Lone ranger, 2) no influence, 3) independence, 4) isolation and no connection, and 5) living for self.

Let’s stand up together, in unity!

Just think what kind of impact we could have on this world.

Jesus’ prayer for the church was that we might be ONE in the unity of love. He said, “My prayer is. . . that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. . . . May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me” (John 17:20-23)

Frank Christie is the senior pastor of Every Nation Somerset West, the founder of Thembalitsha and the author of Being Frank.

by Mike Watkins

When I was young Ringling Brothers Circus would come through town and advertise “The Greatest Show on Earth”. But I liked the State fair better than the circus because I liked to see the stuntman and daredevil shows. The announcer would always remind us adventurous boys, “These men are trained professionals, so don’t try this at home.” The shows were truly great, and as “boys will be boys” we would always attempt in the backyard a version of what we had seen the professionals do. I still have a limp.

There is a current three-ring debate in the church concerning using preachers via video from other churches, so I thought I would add a few comments of my own. The issue is really not about technology because using technology is unavoidable. The real question concerns using “trained professionals” too much. The result of this is that no one tries the same stunts in their home church, speaking of preaching that is.

I am in Kiev, and we have visited Hillsong Church several times. Some may criticize them for being upbeat, but I will not do that. I saw something there that I really liked. I was there twice when the main pastor was not speaking. Instead, one of the home group leaders preached, and another time a youth leader preached. Those guys were pretty good, but better than that I saw that the congregation was satisfied with not having super preacher up there every time. (the pastor is also a great guy)

Some congregations are wowed into virtual spectatorship by the super preacher. They become connoisseurs of preachers and messages like a parody of Ratatouille. The chef and the food must be just right, or they will make their own review of the quality. They constantly speak of how well they were fed..or not fed. My suggestion is that if they want to get fed then they need to work more in the kitchen. This means learning how to feed themselves and then feeding others. This will keep you quite full.

When a young man or woman without much experience ministers publicly it communicates several things:

* It is not about having the super messenger. It is about reproducing as many messengers as possible.
* It shows the congregation that they are expected to and can grow into all roles.
* It drives the critical spectators to action, to grow or go. No food critics allowed!
* Like the movie I have mentioned: Everyone might not be able to preach, but a preacher can come from anywhere.

Finally, the main issue that concerns me about video preachers does not concern the lack of preachers in the church. The main lack is actually in the area of reaching the lost. It is not about preaching. It is about reaching.

The things which you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, entrust these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also. 2 Tim 2:2

How then will they call on Him in whom they have not believed? How will they believe in Him whom they have not heard? And how will they hear without a preacher? Rom 10:14