Virtual Church Consulting

As a church consultant, it is imperative to be in tune with the major issues the church is dealing with. The church in America, like other institutions, is not immune to the ever-shifting landscape of societal change, cultural evolution, and global events. Over the last few decades, the church has grappled with a range of issues, some longstanding and some relatively new. This article sheds light on the top five problems facing the American church today:

1. Declining Church Attendance and Religious Affiliation: Over the past several years, numerous studies and polls have shown a decline in church attendance and religious affiliation among Americans, particularly younger generations. According to a study by the Pew Research Center, the percentage of adults who describe themselves as Christians has been dropping. At the same time, the religiously unaffiliated — a group comprising atheists, agnostics, and those who claim “nothing in particular” — has seen a significant rise. The challenge here is to discern the root causes behind this trend and address them effectively.
2. Sexual Abuse and Institutional Accountability: Sadly, over the past few decades, the American church has grappled with revelations of sexual abuse, often perpetrated by those in positions of trust and power. While the Roman Catholic Church has been at the forefront of media scrutiny due to the exposure of widespread abuse and cover-ups, Protestant denominations have not been exempt from such incidents. This has led to a crisis of trust and faith in church leadership. Addressing this requires both justice for the victims and a comprehensive plan for prevention, including better vetting, training, and oversight.
3. The Church’s Response to Social Issues: The church’s stance on contemporary social issues such as LGBTQ rights, racial justice, immigration, and climate change, among others, has been a point of contention. While some congregations have taken progressive stances, advocating for inclusivity and justice, others have held to more traditional or conservative views. This divergence has led to polarization within the church, often reflecting broader societal divides. The challenge is discerning how the church can navigate these issues while remaining faithful to its core teachings and promoting unity.
4. Economic Challenges and Resource Allocation: Many churches face financial struggles as attendance declines. Decreased tithing and donations have led to challenges in maintaining church properties, funding outreach programs, and supporting missions. Decisions about resource allocation can lead to tensions, especially when congregants feel that their priorities are not being met or that funds are being mismanaged. The church must find sustainable financial models to function effectively in a changing economic landscape.
5. Digitalization and the Virtual Church Experience: The COVID-19 pandemic catapulted many churches into the digital age as in-person services were halted. This forced churches to adapt quickly to online platforms. Even as physical services resume, the digital church experience has proven valuable, reaching individuals who might never step foot in a traditional church setting. However, this digital shift also presents challenges: maintaining community, ensuring meaningful engagement, and navigating the overwhelming world of technology.

The issues facing the American church today are complex, interwoven with societal changes and broader global events. They call for introspection, dialogue, and action. Church leadership and the wider Christian community need to come together, grounded in faith and a commitment to the Gospel’s core messages, to navigate these challenges and ensure a vibrant future for the church in America.

Steve Lawes is a Church Consultant and also provides coaching for pastors, churches, ministries and church planters.

We are starting a new series called “Kingdom Revealed”. This series will deepen the storyline of the Bible that we introduced in our “Sword Sharpening” series. In Kingdom Revealed, we will focus on the events of the first two chapters of Genesis.

Genesis, the Bible’s first book, is foundational to understanding His Story. It sets the stage, introduces critical themes, and establishes the nature and character of God. At the heart of its first chapter, two profound themes emerge: God is the one who brings form to the formless and fills what is empty.

Genesis 1:2 (NIV)
2 Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.

Genesis Chapter 1:2 describes the earth as “formless and empty.” It presents a picture of chaos and absence in a world without structure, distinction, or content. And then, with a few words, “Let there be light,” God initiates the process of bringing order and form to this chaos.

During the first three days of creation, God separates light from darkness, waters above from waters below, and land from sea. In each of these creative days, God is shaping, defining, and bringing order. The universe moves from pre-creation chaos to a world with clear boundaries and distinctions.

Once the world has been shaped and formed, God begins to fill His now-formed world. He fills the skies with birds, the seas with fish, and the land with animals. The act of filling complements the act of forming. It’s not enough for the world to have structure; it must also have content, vibrancy, and life.

The crowning act of God’s creation is the making of humans. In contrast to other creatures, humanity is made “in the image of God,” and the description of His creation changes from “good” to “very good.” This divine imprint gives humans a unique role and responsibility in this newly formed and filled world. They are to be stewards, reflecting God’s nature as they care for and cultivate the world around them.

Make plans to join us this weekend at Keys Vineyard Church in person or online as we dive deep into Genesis Chapter 1, which will help set up a foundation for reading and understanding all of His Story.

Steve Lawes is a Church Consultant and also provides coaching for pastors, churches, ministries and church planters.

We are in a series called “Sword Sharpening” and looking at how to make the most of your time with the Bible. We are ending this series today by looking at a verse we started with and said we would come back and look at it in context.

Mark 12:24 (NIV)
24 Jesus replied, “Are you not in error because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God?

Before we get to the verse I mentioned in the intro, let’s do a quick wrap-up of the main points of this series. We started the series by saying:

The Bible is pointing to Jesus. The Bible is a library, not just a book. The Bible is written for us but not to us. Never read a Bible verse. Context, context, context. (We reviewed these, which you can view in Sword Sharpening Part 14.)

Then, we broke the Bible storyline into eight sections.

Kingdom Revealed. Kingdom Rebellion. Kingdom Covenant. Kingdom Foreshadowed. Kingdom Coming. Kingdom Incarnate. Kingdom Tension Kingdom Consummated. (We also reviewed this in Sword Sharpening Part 14.)

Then, over the last few weeks, we have added these ideas:

Everything we do must be grounded in and founded on love as we learn to love well. Then, we looked at a flow chart to help us see how His Story fits into history. (You can see this in Sword Sharpening Part 15.)

Then we talked about how we need to deal with hard Bible verses in context by being like the Bereans and digging into the hard-to-understand verses and not like Marcion by just taking the parts of the Bible we like and getting rid of or ignoring the rest.

That wrap-up contains what we hoped to convey in this Sword Sharpening series. As we end the series, let’s go back to the beginning and look at the verse we have promised to return to since we started the series.

Mark 12:18–27 (NIV)
18 Then the Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, came to him with a question. 19“Teacher,” they said, “Moses wrote for us that if a man’s brother dies and leaves a wife but no children, the man must marry the widow and raise up offspring for his brother. 20 Now there were seven brothers. The first one married and died without leaving any children. 21 The second one married the widow, but he also died, leaving no child. It was the same with the third. 22 In fact, none of the seven left any children. Last of all, the woman died too. 23 the resurrection whose wife will she be, since the seven were married to her?” 24 Jesus replied, “Are you not in error because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God? 25 When the dead rise, they will neither marry nor be given in marriage; they will be like the angels in heaven. 26 Now about the dead rising—have you not read in the Book of Moses, in the account of the burning bush, how God said to him, ‘I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’? 27 He is not the God of the dead, but of the living. You are badly mistaken!”

In this passage, Jesus is asked questions from the Sadducees, attempting to trap Him in His words. The questions were not even honest because the Sadducees denied the reality of a future resurrection (which is why they are sad, you see). They also didn’t believe in angels. Jesus’ response not only answered their question but also confronted their error concerning the future resurrection and the existence of angels.

Mark 12:24–25 (NIV)
24 Jesus replied, “Are you not in error because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God? 25 When the dead rise, they will neither marry nor be given in marriage; they will be like the angels in heaven.

He proceeds to prove, from the Scriptures, that there is life after death and there will be a resurrection. Quoting from Exodus 3:6, Jesus says:

Mark 12:26–27 (NIV)
26 Now about the dead rising—have you not read in the Book of Moses, in the account of the burning bush, how God said to him, ‘I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’? 27 He is not the God of the dead, but of the living. You are badly mistaken!

Jesus points to God identifying Himself as the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Since God said, “I am” their God (present tense), and since “He is not the God of the dead but of the living”, the patriarchs are still alive, and God is still their God.

People will not marry or be given in marriage in the new creation, but that does not mean people will not remember their earthly relationships. Also, being “like the angels in heaven” does not mean that people will become angels, only that they will be like angels regarding marriage. We will look deeper into this passage this weekend at Keys Vineyard Church, so please join us in person or online.

We hope this series has encouraged you to spend time with the Bible. Spending time doing other things is easier, but we need to know what is in the Bible. The world needs us to understand what is in the Bible and to be able to talk about it.

2 Timothy 3:14–17 (NIV)
14 But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, 15 and how from infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. 16 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, 17 so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

Steve Lawes is a Church Consultant and also provides coaching for pastors, churches, ministries and church planters.