While we celebrated the Independence of our country this week, we also mourned the loss of a famous actor who epitomized a place and period of time in America: Andy Griffith. He died this week at the age of 86.

While as a church, we would like to become nostalgic about the past and wish things would stay the same, the fact is they haven’t. Times are different. The people are different. The place is different. However, in many ways, the church has not changed.

The Andy Griffith Show first aired in 1960. In many ways, the church has not changed since 1962.

We still use the same songs we sang in 1960.

We still use the same instruments we had in 1960.

We still use the same style of worship we had in 1960.

Folks, Andy Griffith is dead. In many ways, the world he showed us on television has died with him.

So if we can’t reach people for Jesus through nostalgia, what are the challenges we face today:

I can sum up these five challenges with the recipe for success in one word: FOCUS.

“After they had evangelized that town and made many disciples, they returned to Lystra, to Iconium, and to Antioch,” (Acts 14:21, HCSB)

You don’t have a church if you don’t have Christians. You don’t have Christians if you don’t evangelize. What does this mean? Remember that to evangelize is to “make disciples” as it says later in this verse. This verse is also one of the few verses in the New Testament that uses the word:

“strengthening the disciples by encouraging them to continue in the faith and by telling them, “It is necessary to pass through many troubles on our way into the kingdom of God.”” (Acts 14:22, HCSB)

Expect difficulties. They are going to happen. What are the troubles which this church may encounter? There are two types: internal and external. Internal troubles are caused by people who want to take over the church, cause dissension and essentially tear down the church. External troubles include persecution of the church by the world. External troubles will grow the church, but internal troubles will destroy the church.

At the same time, being the church is not easy. It is hard to be the example in the community. This takes work. It takes individual work: I have to continue my relationship with Jesus Christ. It takes cooperate work: the church has to continue to set an example for the community. We have to learn how to work with one another, how to forgive one another, how to settle our differences with one another.

It does not take much effort for a church to decrease in numbers. But it takes lots of effort to grow the church. The hardest work is when a church is below 200. Because the forces in the church are at work to keep the church small. Once a church gets over 200, I can’t know everybody. Since I can’t know everybody, I have to trust the leadership knows that they are doing. I have to give up control to the leadership, to show me how we are going to grow.

It is this giving up control, which is also a challenge. Two challenges are related to this overcoming difficulties: committing new leaders and utilizing more people.

“When they had appointed elders in every church and prayed with fasting, they committed them to the Lord in whom they had believed.” (Acts 14:23, HCSB)

Notice that Paul didn’t stay to control the church. He appointed elders (pastors) to oversee the church. He committed new leaders. Now they were qualified because Paul tells us elsewhere that there are qualifications for new pastors:

1 Timothy 3:1-7

Titus 1:5-14

Peter gives their job description:

1 Peter 5:1-5

But it is not just elders, which the church needs to commit as new leaders. There are all kinds of ministries which need to be handed over to new leadership.

Connect-Grow-Serve-Go

Letting Go and Growing Commitment

“From there they sailed back to Antioch where they had been entrusted to the grace of God for the work they had now completed.” (Acts 14:26, HCSB)

There are opportunities where people can serve. We have to let people serve where they have a desire to serve. We don’t need to be stingy about our ministry because there is enough work to share.

We can use more people in the:

Nursery

Children’s work

Sunday School

Special Events

Such as Vacation Bible School in July as well as the Outdoorsman Festival and Dinner we will put on in September.

Looking down the road to the end of the year, we have the Safe House, God’s Little Toy Box, and there will also be more opportunities to serve as well.

Some of us need to do more than just sit here. We need to get up and serve. We need to grow our commitment, even if it is to help for the first time.

“After they arrived and gathered the church together, they reported everything God had done with them and that He had opened the door of faith to the Gentiles.” (Acts 14:27, HCSB)

We are in the midst of a paradigm shift in the church today. Three shifts are happening which will affect the growth of the church:

Demographic shifts

The demographics have dramatically changed in the last decade. The fastest growing population in the country are Asians. Hispanics will be the majority group in fifteen years, although Asians may change that soon.

Generational shifts in religious tolerance

As each generation grows, there has been a shift away from traditional evangelical Christianity. Starting with the Baby Boomers and looking forward to the younger generations, each group is shifting further away from traditional Christian ideas. They also seem to be further isolated from the church. In other words, the church has become less relevant to the younger generations.

Baby Boomers

Generation X

Generation Y

Generation Z

Population shifts

The Ozark Mountain area is growing. There are more people coming to the Ozarks. The small towns are getting bigger. Springfield, Joplin, and the Northwest Arkansas Communities of Bentonville, Springdale, and Fayetteville are coming closer together. In time, this area will look more like the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex. Where is the center of this urban sprawl? Right here.

SHOW MAPS

As a result, we always need to look for new opportunities, as well as doors which God has opened to us.

He has given us facilities to help us reach out to people. Now we have to use them. Do we have to ask ourselves? Who does God want us to reach? How can we use the buildings, the gifts, the talents, the make-up of this church to reach out to new people? Who is God bringing to our doorstep? What are the open doors God is showing us today?

“Listen! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and have dinner with him, and he with Me.” (Revelation 3:20, HCSB)