Church membership is changing, church atmosphere is changing, and if the leadership does not embrace these changes, churches will not grow.
When the sun fades into the horizon, everyone has gone home, the fire dims, and we are left alone with no one to push us on, we must finish the job. When the newness wears off and we ache all over, we must press forward.
Christ said to Judas, “Do what you came to do, friend.” Even Jesus knew there was a mission to be finished, and it was necessary to complete His assignment.
Changing a dirty diaper is not pleasant. Nor is staying up all night with a sick child or caring for a family member who can’t care for themselves. Most of us don’t want to invite the in-laws over for dinner, but some things are inevitable. None of us want to face death, but one day it will come to us all. When our life is over and we are remembered, we should want others to say, “What a life!” not “What, a life?”
Pastors and congregations must embrace the environment of the local families and be equipped to meet the spiritual needs in their neighborhoods.
It may not be comfortable or the same as it was in 1974, but our communities have changed, and so must the methods we use to share our faith and continue the work of hope that is found in a relationship with Christ.
Don’t be afraid to fail; be afraid not to try.
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Gene Blankenship, Jr, is a husband, father of two, grandfather, and circuit rider church planter. He served in the United States Air Force Presidential Honor Guard and Air Force Band at Bolling Air Force Base in Washington, D.C. Now he spends his time riding horses, cutting firewood, and being a family man. His first book, The Drive Living The Cowboy Code, was given to over 400 riders during the 2016 Great Florida Cattle Drive. This devotional represents how God can make you into the person He wants you to be. You can locate him at www.cowboyministry.com or on Facebook at facebook.com/genecblankenship.