Why church congregations are getting smaller

As we prepare to open Lighthouse Chapel, I have been talking to many people about their faith in Christ and where they attend services. Some tell how they love the services, misters and congregation. But the Christians who are not attending had some very enlightening thoughts. I would like to share some of the reasons some don’t attend services and worship.

n Going to church and being a Christian is like sitting in a garage and being a car.

This statement was made to me several years ago. After much thought I had to agree. It seems many people believe that how much time they spend in a church building correlates with being “a real Christian.” In keeping with that thought I realized that what others do does not affect my relationship with Christ. I cannot control what happens in a Christian’s life. What a person does is between them and God, my job is not to rule and regulate like the Pharisees and scribes did prior to, during and after the time of Christ. The job of the clergy is only to research and relay the knowledge.

n The church is always reaching into my wallet for money.

“Every church I go to wants me to give them money so they can have the latest electronic gizmo while the people of the church are struggling to just survive. Not once in the Bible did Christ have the disciples pass a collection plate after a sermon. Christ would often meet the needs of the people listening first then preach.”

These are not my words, this is what I was told.

n The extended singing and announcements need to go.

“The services last about an hour and the singing and announcements take half to three quarters of the time. I’m there for a spiritual meal not a snack. By the time the service starts I’m ready to go home.”

Again these are not my words.

n The clergy uses a man-written Bible.

“Men write books, God wrote the Bible. If people want to rewrite the Bible that is fine, but I won’t follow or listen to a man who preaches out of a man’s written book. There are way too many Bible verses that talk about the clergy leading their congregations in the wrong directions with such a book. I won’t be a part of it.”

Again these are not my words.

n The denominational rules drive me crazy.

“The church preaches all these rules. Where do they get them from? When I challenge the preacher to show me where they are in the Bible he starts his response with, ‘I think.’ I don’t want them to think, I want to show me where the rule is in the Bible and they can’t show me, because it’s not there, I know, I looked.”

These statements are not mine, whether I agree with them or not is irrelevant.

Mike Blodgett is chaplain of Lighthouse Chapel to be built in spring.