On a recent flight, I had the opportunity to sit next to a man who was the ideal conversationalist for me. First, he was not a Christian, but he was eager to hear from me about the gospel. That part of the conversation went very well. Second, he had a Ph.D. in statistics. I thus had the best of two worlds: sharing Jesus and talking numbers.
Confessions of a Numbers Nerd
I confess. I am fascinated by numbers. My undergraduate major is corporate finance with minors in statistics and economics. My Ph.D. dissertation was on numerical church growth.
Yes, I am totally capable of boring someone to near death with my fascination with numbers and statistics.
So when I write or speak about the local church, or when I study churches, I must be careful. I can be overzealous with numerical realities and fail to see the bigger issues God would have me to see.
A Concern about a Hidden Number
I thus speak about this particular numerical concern with caution. Still, it is an area that is often overlooked by leaders of churches.
Let me describe the “hidden” number by asking a question. From a strictly numerical point of view, what causes a church to grow or decline in attendance? Some of the answers are obvious. If the church has more guests attending, attendance will likely go up. If the church adds new members, attendance is likely to increase. The inverse of both statements is also true. If a church loses members or has fewer guests attend, then attendance is likely to decrease.
But still one key metric is missing: attendance behavior.
Allow me to explain. If the frequency of attendance changes, then attendance will respond accordingly. For example, if 200 members attend every week the average attendance is, obviously, 200. But if one-half of those members miss only one out of four weeks, the attendance drops to 175.
Did you catch that? No members have left the church. Everyone is still relatively active in the church, but attendance declined over 12 percent because half the members changed their attendance behavior slightly.
The hidden, or at least under analyzed, metric is attendance behavior or frequency.
The Reason for the Concern
Why does this issue concern me? First, I see faithfulness to the local church as one of the key components of Christian discipleship. If a pattern develops where more congregants are attending less frequently, I am concerned that Christian growth is not taking place. They are not hearing the Word preached as frequently. They are not as active in fellowship with other Christians. They are not experiencing corporate worship as frequently. And they are likely not attending Bible study groups as regularly.
Attendance behavior is not always easy to measure, especially if the primary count is in a worship service. Still, there are ways to monitor this metric. Several churches have done so successfully.
Yes, it is about the numbers.
But it’s really about something more important.
It’s about doing our best as church leaders to see if our congregants are truly developing into more mature followers of Christ.
May I, as I draw closer to the end of my earthly life, Be a man who loves Your Church more than I ever have, A man who prays for Your Church and Your leaders in the church, A man who shows his commitment to Your bride in all that I do.
Lord, strengthen me to finish well.
May I be a man of greater moral purity, So indwelled in Your Word and in prayer, That I am able to resist the temptations of the enemy, That my life shines as an example for You to the watching world.
Lord, strengthen me to finish well.
May I be a man who loves my family more with each passing day, A man more in love and dedicated to his wife, A man who loves his adult children even more than I did when they were younger, And a man who loves his grandchildren and generation to come.
Lord, strengthen me to finish well.
May I be a man who loves others more as I grow older, A man who is less judgmental and more giving of grace, A man who realizes that the plank in my own eye is large, And that I should forgive even as You forgive me.
Lord, strengthen me to finish well.
May my life have greater joy with each day. May I see the blessings of life and count them daily. May I not grow older and more bitter, But grow older rejoicing in You always.
Lord, strengthen me to finish well.
As the day draws closer when I meet You face to face, May I be a man who was already drawing closer to You, A man who eagerly anticipated that day, And a man who left behind a legacy and not regrets.
Lord, strengthen me to finish well.
And then, and only then, can I say that my life was not lived in vain.
Not that I have already reached the goal, or am already fully mature, but I make every effort to take hold of it because I have been taken hold of it by Christ Jesus. Brothers, I do not consider myself to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: forgetting what is behind and reaching forward to what is ahead, I pursue as my goal the prize promised by God’s heavenly call in Christ Jesus (Philippians 3:12-14, HCSB).
The Millennial Generation fascinates me. Depending upon the years you frame the generation, it is the largest or nearly the largest generation in America’s history. For example, if the birth years 1980 to 2000 are the parameters, the Millennials are larger than the Boomers. Perhaps it’s their sheer size that fascinates me.
Or it could be that this new population wave includes my three sons who have birth dates of 1980, 1982, and 1985. I have seen some aspects of this generation up close since the generation began.
Still again, my fascination could be the result of my God-given desire to reach this generation with the gospel. And if our research is accurate, the American Church has done a woeful job of connecting with these young people. According to our research of older Millennials, those born between 1980 and 1991, only 17% attend church at least once a month. Please read that again carefully: only 17% attend church at least once a month.
Two Insights on the Millennials for the American Church
My son, Jess Rainer, and I are working on a book tentatively titled The Millennials. I have been pouring over our interviews with 1,200 older Millennials. Sometimes I get excited about the data. At other points I can get discouraged hearing about their beliefs and priorities.
Two particular pieces of data caught my attention as I reviewed the massive amount of data we have. Those insights seem to have particular relevance for churches that are looking to be more effective reaching this generation.
First, most Millennials, nearly ninety percent, say that their parents are key influencers in their lives. They seek advice and counsel from their parents often. Our churches need to hear this insight. Parents of unchurched and non-Christian Millennials need to know that their adult children really want to talk with them about all aspects of life, including spiritual matters. Our research indicates that many Christian parents of Millennials are reticent to talk to their sons and daughters about matters of faith and the absolute necessity of a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.
Indeed, some of the most potentially effective evangelists in our churches may be the most reticent to share the truth of the gospel with their own children.
Second, another highly influential group for the Millennials is their own friends. But how many churches are intentionally strategic about mobilizing Christian Millennials to reach out to their friends with whom they have good relationships? Again, we may have some of the most potentially effective evangelists on the sidelines.
It Can Work
My own church, Brentwood Baptist Church, is experiencing incredible growth in its Kairos worship service primarily attended by Millennials. The attendance for that single service quickly surpassed 1,000, and now a second Millennial service has been added.
How did it happen? Pastor Mike Glenn tells the full story in his recent book, In Real Time. But we can say that most of the growth has been experienced by word of mouth. One Millennial friend told another. Those friends were invited. They became followers of Christ and started telling others. It’s both profound and simple.
A Challenge, An Opportunity
They are the most unreached generation in America’s history. Their beliefs are largely post-Christian. Most of them are not antagonistic toward the Church. It may be worse; the Church is not even a factor in the lives of most Millennials.
Such news is gloomy. It is certainly pessimistic.
But it’s not hopeless.
Like the early Church of the first three centuries, there are truly some clear paths for the Church today. Indeed, the best possible evangelists may actually be sitting in your worship services today.
Mobilize the Christian parents of Millennials. Equip them. Pray for them.
And do the same for Christian Millennials.
The number of Christians in this generation may be relatively small, but the possibilities are great.
God has turned the world upside down before with a few Christians.
We should have no doubt that He can do it again today.
You came into this world in the early hours of October 14, 2009. Your grandmother and I drove through the night for over nine hours. We had hoped to be there at your birth, but we missed that moment by a few hours. Still, our hearts melted the first time we saw you.
Your Grandma Jo Jo cried openly when she saw you. I choked back tears. You are such an incredible blessing to us. Though you have been in this world for just a few days, we already love you so much.
Canon, I want to be the best granddad possible, but I know I will make some mistakes. But please hear some commitments I am making to you and God as your life unfolds.
I promise to pray for you. I will pray for your health. I will pray for clear direction from God for you. I will even begin praying for the right wife for you, even though that’s years down the road. Above all, I will pray for your salvation. I pray that you will discover the grace that comes by faith in Jesus Christ. Nothing is more important.
I commit to being supportive of your parents in all they do to raise you in the ways of the Lord. You have been given an incredible mom and dad. They love you so much. I want to be the type of granddad that always supports your parents. I want to heed to their desires for your life and follow them accordingly.
I promise to always be there for you. When you get old enough to use the phone, your calls will be a priority. Nothing will be more important than talking to you. I want to be with you as much as we can be together. The years are going rapidly, and I want to spend as much time as possible with you. I already have dreams of taking you to the beach, to football games, or wherever you would like to go. I just want to be with you.
I plan to be your biggest fan. Of course, I don’t know what paths you will pursue, but I will be there to encourage you, to cheer you on, to remind you that you can do anything in God’s strength. It will be so exciting to see how God will direct you and how He will use you.
You see, I know God has great plans for your life. I can’t even imagine the ways that He will use you. It will be a pure joy to watch His plan unfold in your life.
Canon, before I ever married your grandmother, I had dreams of having children. I prayed that God would give me the opportunity to mold the lives of those He entrusted to me. God answered my prayers beyond measure. Your Uncle Sam, Uncle Art, and your dad are three of the greatest joys of my life.
But, as my own three sons grew, I began to dream and pray about the joy of having grandchildren. You are the first grandchild. You are the first answer to those prayers. You are the next generation of blessing to me.
I love you so very much, Canon. You may not fully know the breadth and depth of my love until you have your own children and grandchildren. But please know that I love you.
My own dad died before your father was born. Every time your dad experiences a significant milestone in his life, I feel a lump in my throat because he didn’t have his granddad to be there for it. God willing, I will be there for you. God willing, we will have many great years together.
But I realize that this life is brief. I will be gone for most of your years. I pray that I will leave to you a legacy of love, a legacy of joy, and a legacy that demonstrated a heart committed to the Lord Jesus Christ. Then, and only then, can I say that my years with you were not lived in vain.
The bestselling book, The Love Dare, has been used of God to strengthen my marriage. I cherish those 40 days that Nellie Jo and I read the dare for the day and the Scripture that accompanied each day. Each dare challenged us to do something for the other. It took the focus off our own needs and desires and caused us to focus on each other. Each day reminded us that the agape love of marriage is a selfless and giving love.
Johnny Hunt, my friend and president of the Southern Baptist Convention, has challenged our denomination to “Love Loud.” Sadly many times our denomination is more known for its acrimonious spirit rather than the love of Christ. Likewise, many of our churches are not known in their communities for being churches that consistently demonstrate gentleness, kindness, and love.
Merging Two Great Ideas
I love the spirit of both concepts. In fact, wouldn’t it be great if our churches could take both of the ideas and challenge their congregations? What would God do if we “dared” our church members to love loudly? What would our communities see if we put the love of Christ in action with a significant number of our members.
The possibilities intrigue me.
The potential excites me.
Taking the Love Loud Dare
Imagine, if you will, a simple eight-day challenge to get our churches more focused on loving loudly. With apologies for my lack of creativity, the challenge could look something like the following.
Day 1, Sunday. The congregation is given a simple one-page sheet of the Love Loud Dare. The pastor preaches a message on the love of Christ. The church devotes a time of prayer for the week to follow. Members are asked to email their stories to the church as the week unfolds. Members are reminded that the dare of each day is for them to show love to those outside the church.
Day 2, Monday. The dare for this day is simply to call or visit someone and to offer prayer for them. Just let them know that your church was focusing on praying for people in the community and their name came to your mind.
Day 3, Tuesday. Write a card or note to someone in the community to thank them for what they do: police, firefighters, community leaders, etc. If possible, deliver the note personally.
Day 4, Wednesday. Send a note or card anonymously to someone in the community with a small gift, such as a $5 or $10 gift card. Let them know that the small gift is a reminder to them that someone is praying for them and cares about them.
Day 5, Thursday. Do an act of service for someone in the community. It does not have to be complicated. Perhaps you could deliver a bottle of cold water to someone you see working outside.
Day 6, Friday. Do an act of service in the community itself . For example, take 10 or 15 minutes a pick up trash in town or in your neighborhood.
Day 7, Saturday. Say a kind word to someone in the community. Make certain you offer encouragement with genuine words.
Day 8, Sunday. As a part of the worship service, celebrate what God has done through His people. Read a few of the emails submitted throughout the week. Then encourage the people to develop a lifestyle where they learn to love loudly.
From the Heart, Not a Gimmick
The danger in a Love Loud Dare is that it could be just another activity of the church, a one-week flurry of good deeds that has little sincerity or follow-up. But the upside of the week is that Christians could truly have a heart change to love more loudly. They will see how the love of Christ through them can transform lives, including their own.
The Love Dare strengthened my marriage. Love Loud Dare could strengthen our churches.
The pastor asked the question with seriousness and a level of expectation. He knew that many of his members were woefully lacking in biblical knowledge. And he had full awareness that many members were attending less frequently, and that some had dropped out altogether.
So he asked me what he should do. I responded from my research and consultations that his church needed a clear process for discipleship with clear expectations for members. I could tell by his look that more questions were coming. “Okay, what’s that look like? So what do I do now?”
The Solutions of Old
There was a day for most churches when the solution to this dilemma was to turn to some organizational entity, such as a denomination, and get the needed programs to meet the needs of the church. Disciple-making through the local church was thus simple as ordering the material, advertising the program, and getting the members to attend.
Not so today.
In many cases the programs became worn and stale. They no longer met the needs of the church. In other cases, the programs became the end instead of the means. Churches became program driven, but they could no longer see the purpose behind the programs. Many churches, understandably so, abandoned the programmatic approach.
The problem is that little was available to replace what was eliminated. So today thousands of church leaders are asking, “So what do I do now?”
Listening to Effective Disciple-Making Churches Today
As we heard from churches across America, we began to see a common pattern in churches that were more effective in making disciples. The attendance rate of members of those churches was higher, and the dropout rate was lower. Look at some of these common traits:
The church has an entry point class that all new members attend. Though these classes have different names, they have similar purposes. The classes did provide information, but they weren’t limited to dispensing facts about the church. The classes also established expectations of members. Some of the expectations are noted below.
Members are expected to attend an open group Bible study. An open group is an ongoing class that allows entry at any point. Historically, they have been called Sunday School classes, but today they have a variety of names. The point is to get members connected to a common group of people in regular Bible study.
Members are expected to be involved in one or more deeper studies throughout the year. These classes are set for a predetermined number of weeks, a twelve-week study for example. They tend to dive deeper into Bible study, doctrinal study, or studies of critical issues for the Christian. They also tend to be closed groups, because attendance every week is important to grasp the material. It is difficult for someone to enter the class after it begins because the material usually builds on itself.
Members are expected to attend a corporate worship service each week. This is the time for the people to gather for the preaching of the Word and to worship the One True God together.
Members are expected to be involved in at least one ministry or mission activity a year. The church has clear expectations that members are to be involved in those activities that cause them to look beyond themselves and to care for the physical, emotional, and spiritual needs of others.
Members are expected to read and study the Bible daily. Our research has shown that daily personal Bible study is the clearest indicator that a Christian is growing spiritually. These disciple-making churches exhort, encourage, and provide resources for the members to be involved in daily Bible study.
Raising the Bar
It is not unusual to hear objections when we present this research. “If I led my church to have these high expectations of members,” the argument goes, “we would have a mass exodus.” But our research shows just the opposite. Higher expectations get more positive behavioral patterns. People want to be a part of something that makes a difference.
If church leaders expect little, they will get little. If they raise the bar of expectations, most members will respond positively.
And as more church members get involved in open groups, deeper studies, corporate worship, ministry, missions, and daily Bible study, they will become more effective disciples for Christ. And thus churches will grow stronger and become healthier.
May God grant us more true disciple-making churches.
The local church in America gets a bad rap. And in many ways, the negative news is warranted. You’ve seen the dire trends and statistics. You’ve read about the moral failures of many church leaders. We certainly don’t need to have our proverbial head in the sand about the dire state of our churches.
But it’s time to give thanks for the church.
It’s time to look at what is good about the local church. And it’s time to focus on these positive attributes and build upon them. We don’t need to deny the reality of the problems, but we do need to stop wallowing in the negative and move forward.
For These Things I Am Thankful
I am thankful that God’s Word is preached faithfully each week in local churches. Lives are transformed. Sinners are convicted. Christians are encouraged. Disciples are made. God is glorified.
I am thankful that the gospel is shared every day through the ministry of the local church. Millions become followers of Christ each year by the faithful witness of those in the local church. Evangelism is truly the heartbeat of many churches.
I am thankful that countless Christians become more devoted followers of Christ through Bible studies in local churches. Faithful teachers and students prepare lessons and come together each day throughout the week. Their time in the Word brings transformation to their lives.
I am thankful that sacrificial ministry takes place every day through the ministry of local churches. Church members care for the sick, bring food and clothes to the needy, visit those in prison, and offer hope and resources to heal and strengthen families.
I am thankful that local church members give sacrificially, not only for the ministries of the church locally, but for mission work throughout the world. Local churches in America both give to missions and send out missionaries.
For these things, and so much more, I am thankful for the local church.
My Gratitude is Personal
My first grandchild, a boy, is due in two weeks. It seems like yesterday when Nellie Jo was about to give birth to our first son. When I first learned that Nellie Jo was pregnant 30 years ago, I made a decision to attend church.
I was a nominal churchgoer in my early teen years, but I dropped out completely when I turned sixteen. But when I learned that I was going to be a dad, I knew that I needed to make some changes in my life, and one of those changes meant leaving the world of the unchurched.
The local church I eventually joined took me in and loved me. My Sunday school class helped me to understand the Bible. Older and wiser Christians guided me toward becoming a better husband and a better father. And when God called me to vocational ministry, the local church was there to equip me, to encourage me, to support me and, ultimately, to send me.
For these things, and so much more, I am thankful for the local church.
Keeping Perspective, Keeping Balance
There is one viewpoint that refuses to acknowledge any serious problems in the local church. Though all the evidence is overwhelming, reality means little to these people. Protection of the status quo is paramount.
Then there is the perspective that readily sees and acknowledges the problems in the local church, but is too pessimistic to see anything positive. The situation is dire and there is no hope.
The healthy perspective, however, sees both the problems and the possibilities. It recognizes the struggles of the local church, but also sees God still working. It is a perspective of realistic hope. Certainly the church at Corinth had its share of problems, but the Apostle Paul refused to give up on the church. He still saw God at work.
The local church is God’s instrument for His work. Millions of lives are transformed through the work of churches in America and around the world. I am one of those lives.
For these things, and so much more, I am thankful for the local church.
Earlier this week Nellie Jo and I went to visit Billy Graham in his home in Montreat, North Carolina. Though it was not my first time to meet with the famed evangelist, this visit seemed especially poignant. Perhaps the poignancy of the moment related to the visit in his home. I have never been to the mountaintop cabin that he and his family have called home for so many years.
Then again, this was my first visit with Mr. Graham since his beloved Ruth died two years ago. Her photos and keepsakes are visible throughout the home. This visit was certainly different for that reason. Still again, my time with Billy Graham was poignant because he is in his twilight years. He will be ninety-one in November.
Looking to Learn
I am a student of leadership and life. I have so much to learn. I still make so many mistakes. I still have a long way to go.
So in the visit I had with Mr. Graham, I wanted once again to glean from his life, his wisdom, and his experience. My quest was not disappointing. To the contrary, I came away realizing that I had been on the mountaintop in more ways than one.
Lessons Learned
The brevity of this article does not allow me to write a leadership treatise on Billy Graham. Indeed an entire book would not likely be adequate. Allow me then to share some reminders I gleaned from my visit this week.
A life pleasing to the Lord is a life of integrity. The name of Billy Graham inevitably reminds us integrity. His is a life that did not compromise morally. It is a life that has been above reproach financially. And his is a life of incredible honesty. Leadership at any level cannot begin to function well unless the leader has integrity.
Our first ministry is to our family. The home of Billy Graham is a home of love. It is the place where Billy and Ruth Graham raised children and welcomed grandchildren. At one point in my visit with Mr. Graham, he pointed to a portrait of his late wife Ruth. With tears in his eyes he said, “I can’t wait to see her in heaven.” Thank you, sir, for reminding me again of the priority of family.
Listen to critics, but don’t dwell on them. In my position, I am subject to criticisms more often than I like. Indeed I am pretty thin-skinned, so it is an area in which I constantly struggle. So I asked Mr. Graham how, in a lifetime of international ministry and scrutiny, he dealt with the constant stream of criticisms. He smiled at me and simply said, “I ignored most of them.” While he never implied that he was blameless, he knew that dwelling on criticisms would distract and harm his ministry. So he simply moved on.
Humility is one of the greatest virtues of leaders. He has counseled presidents and kings. He has preached to millions. Volumes have been written about his life and ministry. Some have seen him to be the world’s most influential person of the second half of the twentieth century. Yet in each of the times I have been with him, I have witnessed one of the most humble men I’ve ever known. Billy Graham never thinks too highly of himself. What an incredible example he is.
All that really matters is Jesus. Mr. Graham preached about Him for most of his life. The message of the gospel is the heart of his ministry. He understands the brevity of life. And he knows, when it is all said and done, our relationship with Jesus Christ is all that really matters.
Thank You Billy Graham
I left his home reluctantly. I did not want to impose on his hospitality and generous spirit, but I did not want to leave.
So as I departed, I reflected on my time with Billy Graham. And I reflected on his life and ministry. I know I will never come close to becoming the man he is. Still, I can learn. I can learn so much.
I can learn to love my family and others with a greater love. I can learn to have a greater humility, understanding that I am nothing without Christ. I can learn that the simple things in life are those that really matter. And I can learn that this life is not about me. It’s all about Jesus.
That is the life of Billy Graham. That is the type of life I desire to have.
Thank you, Mr. Graham.
Thank you for your time. Thank you for your ministry. Thank you for your integrity. Thank you for your humility.
December 17, 2004, should have been a day of celebration.
Nellie Jo and I had been married 27 years on that date. We were in Naples, Florida, enjoying the sunshine and each other.
Then the phone call came.
We had been given a great deal of confidence that the biopsy would likely prove negative. Proceed with our anniversary celebration, we were told. In the unlikely event that the report was not good, they would let us know.
The report was not good. Nellie Jo had cancer. The next two years would prove to be some of the most challenging years of our lives and marriage.
When an Unhealthy Body Looks Healthy
Looking back, it is amazing to recall how healthy Nellie Jo looked. She showed no signs of fatigue or sickness. Had she not seen a couple of warning signs, she might have found out too late about her cancer. She might not be alive today.
I’ve seen it countless times. My team would go into a church for a consultation, and we would begin interviewing church members. We would hear from many of the congregants that their church was healthy and thriving. Then we would see the warning signs. And we would begin to fear that the apparently healthy body was not really healthy at all.
The church was sick. Some of the churches were really sick.
Five Warning Signs
What were some of the warning signs my team saw? Though the list is not exhaustive, these five issues were common. Some of the churches had a one or two on the list; some had all five.
1.The church has few outwardly focused ministries. Most of the budget dollars in the church are spent on the desires and comforts of church members. The ministry staff spends most of its time taking care of members, with little time to reach out and minister to the community the church is supposed to serve.
2.The dropout rate is increasing. Members are leaving for other churches in the community, or they are leaving the local church completely. A common exit interview theme we heard was a lack of deep biblical teaching and preaching in the church.
3.The church is experiencing conflict over issues of budgets and building. When the focus of church members becomes how the facilities and money can meet their preferences, church health is clearly on the wane.
4.Corporate prayer is minimized. If the church makes prayer a low priority, it makes God a low priority.
5.The pastor has become a chaplain. The church members view the pastor as their personal chaplain, expecting him to be on call for their needs and preferences. When he doesn’t make a visit at the expected time, or when he doesn’t show up for the Bible class fellowship, he receives criticism. In not a few cases, the pastor has lost his job at that church because he was not omnipresent for the church members.
Where Do We Go from Here?
The bad news is that few churches recover if the patterns above become normative. The church is a church in name only. It is self-gratifying rather than missional. It is more concerned about great comfort than the Great Commission and the Great Commandment.
The good news is that a few churches have moved from sickness to health. The path was not easy. It first required that the congregants be brutally honest with themselves and God. It does no good to speak glowingly of a church that is unhealthy and getting worse.
Many of the turnaround churches we consulted then moved to a time of corporate confession and repentance. They confessed to God their lack of obedience and their selfish desire for their own comfort.
And still other churches made an intentional effort to shift the ministries and the money of the church to a greater outward focus. This step can be particularly painful since a number of church members often protest with vigor that their needs are no longer being met.
To Become a Healthy Church
Indeed we could focus on the reality that the great majority of sick churches do not recover. But that focus provides little value.
We should look at the admittedly few churches that have moved from sickness to health. We should learn how they turned from an inward focus to an outward focus. We should follow their examples of moving from selfish desires to radical obedience to God.
In His power the unhealthy church can become healthy.
Heed the warning signs.
It could be the difference between life and death.
Some of you are older like me. So you remember the envelope check-off system. Each week at church you would turn in your offering in an envelope. On the outside of the envelope was a place for your name, the amount you were giving, and a series of boxes to check if you were diligent in several spiritual activities for the week.
So you would check the box that indicated you were attending worship service. Another box said you were going to a Sunday School class. Still another communicated that you were tithing.
And then there was that other box. I can almost remember my hands shaking as my pen approached the minute cube: “Read Bible daily.”
Ouch. I read the Bible five days the previous week, but not all seven days. Wasn’t that sufficient for the inquisitive box? I would be tempted to check the box but, alas, I couldn’t tell the lie.
After all, I had read Acts 5 and the story about Ananias and Sapphira.
I was taking no chances.
Lots of Bible, Few Readers
I wonder how many Bibles each American Christian owns. I wouldn’t be surprised if the number was five or more. But I don’t have to wonder how often those Bibles get read. I could give you a mountain of data, but I’ll keep it simple. Most Bibles in the homes of Christians never get read.
But they look great on our coffee tables.
And you have undoubtedly read some of the studies that bemoan the growing biblical illiteracy in America. But the problem is almost as pervasive among Christians as non-Christians.
Somehow, in the midst of church activities and busyness, many church leaders fail to emphasize one of the greatest needs of the church. Simply stated, Christians need to be reading the Bible every day.
When Christians Read the Bible
What happens when Christians read the Bible? The evidence is clear and the correlations are amazing. In the healthiest churches in America, the members read and study their Bibles an average of four times a week. The president of the American Bible Society just shared that information with me.
Brad Waggoner, president of B&H Publishing, did a study of spiritual maturation. His research found that one of the highest correlative factors to spiritual growth is simply reading the Bible.
It’s not rocket science.
When our church members read the Bible on their own, they become spiritually healthier and our churches become healthier.
If I Were a Pastor Again . . .
If I were a pastor again, I would lead the way in encouraging and exhorting the church members to read and study the Bible daily. I would let them know that a 30-minute sermon and one hour in Sunday School or small group would not be sufficient time in the Word. I might even encourage some type of accountability process where one member shares with another his or her time in the Bible.
And I am convinced that, as Christians spend more time in the Bible, they would be more faithful in attendance in worship and group Bible study. They would be compelled to give more sacrificially. They would be more eager to get involved in missions and ministry. And they would practice Acts 4:20 faithfully. They would be evangelistic without hesitation.
We evangelicals rightly say that the Bible is the Word of God.
We believe it. We preach it. We teach it.
Maybe now we need to put a greater emphasis on all Christians reading it daily.
Who knows? Maybe even the envelope check-off system will make a comeback.
