Bill Easum (did you know he has a blog?) has written a great post in which he identifies the signs of a spiritually dead church. He says, spiritually dead churches:
- Have lost their sense of mission to those who have not heard about Jesus Christ and do not pant after the Great Commission;
- Exist primarily to provide fellowship for the “members of the club;”
- Expect their pastors to focus primarily on ministering to the members’ personal spiritual needs;
- Design ministry to meet the needs of their members;
- Have no idea about the needs of the “stranger outside the gates;”
- Are focused more on the past than the future;
- Often experience major forms of conflict;
- And watch the bottom line of the financial statement more than the number of confessions of faith.
In this article he identifies some key issues that must be addressed in order to bring life back to the church!
Sometimes I look at my children and think, “If you knew what I know, you’d quit asking for what you’re asking for!” You know what I mean. They cry when you forbid them to stick sharp metal objects in the electrical outlets. They beg to play with the neighbor kids that you just don’t feel comfortable with. They get upset when you insist that supper consist of more than M&M’s. And the list goes on and on…
