Church life is changing as the culture does. In the past, carry-in dinners (pot lucks) were common. Today, younger families would rather pay for the food. Several decades ago young parents would take a turn in the nursery. Today they want to leave their children there, but want to worship, rather than stay there themselves. Why?
For good or bad, with both spouses working, the stresses of modern life and the hectic pace of living, people are just worn out. Their value for time together in worship, their lack of time for fixing yet another meal has changed dramatically. They would rather pay a fee. It is the way their modern life works.
This is why many churches no longer serve homemade coffee, but run a Starbucks type coffee shop with many choices. The world has changed!
Focus on these issues:
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Check the calendar: it is not 1972 anymore.
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Recognize that lifestyles shift in time. If you want to be relevant, look around and notice the realities.
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Recognize it is not necessarily bad that younger, busy adults don’t want to cook or serve in the nursery. It is just different.
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Ask them how they want to serve the Lord in ways that to them are meaningful.
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Cater the church dinner and hire a professional nurse to watch the nursery. It is a different world, but Christ wants to reach new generations.
How has your church adapted to reach new generations? We welcome your comments below.
Kent Hunter, founder of Church Doctor Ministries, is known as the Church Doctor. His most recent e-books are The Future Is Now and The J-Dog Journey, available at no cost. Contact him at (800) 626-8515, by email, Twitter, Facebook, or visit www.churchdoctor.org.
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