What is the main area where churches are failing the people of America?

Question

What could churches be doing to draw more people to faith in God? Should churches get involved in LGBT issues? Does the Bible still matter (from your perspective)?

Do you attend church services? Why or why not?

What would it take to get you to start attending (if you were willing, just pretend)?

Answer 1

The main reasons: They tolerate immorality to the extreme. They follow the traditions of men instead of what God requires. They have become lovers of pleasures rather than lovers of God. They have a form of godliness, but they deny the power. They claim to worship God but by their actions they deny him.
They encourage their members to participate in politics and go to war, when Jesus said to love our enemies and pray for them---he did not say to kill them.
(2 Timothy 3:4-5)
They charge for teaching and shepherding, when Jesus said to do it for free. (Matthew 10:8)

I attend meetings where love and unity is shown. There are no racial divisions. All are considered spiritual brothers and sisters. No collection plate is ever passed. The Bible is used and studied consistently throughout each meeting.
We do not involve ourselves in politics and we refuse to take up arms against anyone. By doing this we imitate our King Christ Jesus.
I left Christendom years ago and now the truth has set me free. (John 8:32)
LOBT

Answer 2

I think the only way you could draw more non-believers like me in is with the promise of pragmatic worship.

I.E. I pray to god, god smites my enemies

You could even use the whole "god helps those who help themselves".

2: Generally, whenever the church tackles the LGBT issue, they mishandle it like a bull in a china-shoppe. I can accept the fact that you believe it's morally wrong, but I don't think you should hold it against gays and prevent them from being married.

3: The Bible has no bibliography, sources, references or author. I also have scientific proof saying the world is much older than 5000 ys old.

4: No. I've met a lot of really nice christians in my time, and most of the people in NY churches I meet when I attend a wedding or such are nice people. I look at church as if it were a class in school. Whey spend 4 hrs every sunday studying math if you don't wanna be an engineer?

These will bring me to a church:

Weddings
Funerals
Baptisms

Answer 3

If there were any one area, as I see it, it is that the Church as a whole does not hold up to Biblical standard. There are congregations and many denominations which do their best, but there are many others which compromise, considering themselves as "progressive" or "liberal".

People want standards. It is confusing when one congregation says this is OK while another says it is not. I am not talking about doctrine, but the things which the Bible either clearly shows is sin or the standards which Christians are to uphold.

This may not bring throngs to a church, but at least people would know the difference between the Church and the world. The idea of holding to standards would also reduce hypocrisy which is also a turn off to many.

Hypocrisy may always be a part of the Church, as it is part of our human existence. But, it can be reduced by people living what they believe and the leadership holding followers accountable. Accountability causes people to "fish or cut bait", which will reduce hypocrisy or the hyprocrites.

People don't want phonies.

Another thing that may make a difference on several levels, is more local congregations getting involved in benevolent work. If more churches took care of the poor, helped folks find jobs, etc., we would have little or no need for a welfare system. Who would not want to be part (Atheists, I am sure)of a group of people who could do so much good?

I have rambled my ideas. Good day!!

Answer 4

Church services are generally boring, spiritually vacant and more and more serve as an event that starts your week.

Sermons are repetitive, their topics predictable and over done. People are burning out.

More Christians are questioning the literal/inerrant view of the Bible. And hopefully, science literacy is advancing too.

I attend now and again with family. But I'd rather stand at the bottom of a strip mine all Sunday morning than be in that pew listening to horse cocky.

It would take the Second Coming to start caring again. But God is man made or very misunderstood, and the Bible is the work of men. So I'm not expecting it to happen.

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Answer 5

The church as a whole has lost its vision, and the purpose for which the gospel exists. When Christianity began, the church was the social arm of the gospel message. It provided for the needs of the poor, the outcast, the sick, the widowed, the homeless, and anyone else that was rejected by society at large. Christians were expected to practice what they preached, and many of them did. They saw needs, and they provided for those needs.

It wasn't until Constantine legalized Christianity that people began using it as a tool to gain political or military power. Instead of being about what Jesus taught and practiced and encouraged His followers to do, it became a game, something to be manipulated, and the true nature of the gospel was ignored.

Now, part of the American status symbol is tied to what church you belong to. Multi-million dollar buildings are built and called places of worship while the world outside them, with the lives of several disenfranchised, poor, rejected souls, are left to fend for themselves, and are written off as being lazy or uneducated or whatever.

The church will once again fulfill its mission when we begin believing once again in love, respect, and social justice.

Answer 6

Churches are failing because some or most are to
homophobic and worry to much about sin
instead of accepting people for who they are and just as they
are born to be in this life
Yet some or most Churches are just so busy minding other
people's fault and kicking them out of Church because they
are gay or lesbian and this is very wrong
And why most Churches sit empty on a Sunday morning and
we should not be judging and condemning everybody we
see based on who they look like?
Church doors should be opened to all homosexuals , bisexuals , cross dressers and all who love the Lord God
and stop judging and criticizing these people

Answer 7

May God forgive this humble opinion ... but, my biggest beaf with the church house is, the preacher, priest, what ever, living above the means of his people..... God did NOT put men of the clothe on earth to make money, live in mansions, wear diamond rings, etc...... God did instruct to take care of them, and pay them their worth..... but, what is the worth of a man who does the things I listed, and then watches his people go hungry, can't pay their bills, buy clothes, etc. ??? I know that is a matter which God will attend to when the time comes, but still, it just, well, makes me a little angry... NOT all appointed men are like that, but, the majority are.... and that is just sad...... and that is what non-beleivers see the most.... the bad and sad parts.......... *sigh*......... and what would it take for me to go back into the church house ?? God pointing me to the right one !!! that simple !! God bless

Answer 8

The main problem is that lots of churches are more big business than venues for real worship of God. They're in the business of "Cheerleading for God" and that is not worship.

People are only too happy to stay on this under-developed stage of spirituality: where they go to church mainly to feel good about themselve and to get "warm fuzzies" for God.

Churches should focus more on helping people move out of this sub-basic stage of spirituality into a more mature spirituality that worships God out of love and faithfulness and not for what cuddly feelings God can give out on a given Sunday.

Churches should always get involved in matters of equality and where injustice between people is accepted as normal; so yes, they should all work to get political equality for LGBT people, and of course they should welcome them into their churches if they choose to attend.

I do attend church: I'm a Catholic. I go because worshiping God with other people is part of what the body of Christ is called to do on Earth. Another reason is because there is communion, which is the body and blood of Jesus. He commanded us to "take and eat." I go because it's an extension of my daily prayer life, communication with God.

PS Of course the bible still matters. It just isn't a magical book or the last word God ever spoke to humans. It contains God's truth, but God expects us to read it with our brains fully engaged and ready to analyze.

Answer 9

The culture is influencing the Church, rather then the Church influencing culture. We think that acting like the world, thinking like the world, using marketing techniques of the world will draw more to Christ. We need another reformation. Get back to the Scriptures, get back to teaching the Gospel of grace, the truth of salvation by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone. Get away from the legalistic, man-made rules that choke the freedom we have in Christ, stop allowing unbelievers to determine what we believe through such things as the Jesus seminar, and get away from the seeker sensitive, purpose driven, your best life now church. We need to start teaching an absolutely sovereign God, who calls out those who are His for salvation. Start teaching the words of Christ, Paul, Peter and the rest of Scripture and get away from preaching from books written by human authors who give their opinions. We do not need more smoke machines, puppet shows, large edifices, conferences, and stadium gatherings, we need more solid, Biblical teaching.

Answer 10

I do attend, I think the churches are already trying to hard to attract people. The services have become like rock concerts. Why do we pander for more money and more people. If people are not interested more power to them. If God wants to lead them to church allow him to do so. And out of order but to address you final issue I think churches should stay out of all political issues.

Sorry missed one topic. The Bible still matters, it teaches us valuable lessons and gives us a moral guide.