The Church in Context Final

The Church in Context:
Issues and Hope
Las Cruces Church of Christ

August 1, 2010
James 1:27 (NIV)
27
Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and
faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in
their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted
by the world.
At a Beverly Hills reception surrounded
by wealth and excess ….
At a Church of Christ university where less
than 20% of students are from the Church
of Christ….
In an ocean-side community that is
often more concerned about surf
conditions than soul conditions….
In a mega-city that is seemingly more
worried about image than reality ….
Maybe never more inspired
In a rented room for church with
wobbly chairs and make-do
conditions….
In a community where less than 1% of
population attends a Church of Christ
(but the new “Olive Garden” is full) ….
In a state with a declining number of
Churches of Christ and church
membership….
In a nation where less than 1% of the
population attends a Church of Christ
and overall membership is declining….
Maybe never more hopeful
Why?
Big Picture Issues
American Religious Identification Survey 2008
Churches of Christ by the Numbers 2009
Churches of Christ by the Numbers 2009
According to the 2009 edition of Churches of Christ in
the United States, the number of men, women and
children attending Churches of Christ has dipped to the
lowest level since a comprehensive effort to count
members began in 1980.
 21st Century Christian identifies 12,629 a cappella

Churches of Christ with 1,578,281 members nationwide.
These figures represent 526 fewer churches and 78,436

fewer people than just six years ago.
Church of Christ University Enrollment (2007-2009)
Many of Our Youth are Leaving Churches of Christ
Church growth experts suggest that youths comprise a
large percentage of the estimated 78,000 members
that Churches of Christ have lost since 2003.
There is less concern about “brand loyalty” among

church youth. In a national survey conducted by the
Christian Chronicle, many youth reported that they
would look more at what the church was doing than
what the name of the church was when seeking a
fellowship as an adult.
wow….
Big Picture Opportunities
Tremendous Growth among
Non-Denominational, Bible-Based Churches
Growth in millions among this type of fellowship over past ten

years
Many Churches of Christ focusing on outreach/service and

evangelism have experienced similar growth during same time
period:
 GOODMAN OAKS CHURCH OF CHRIST, Southhaven, MS
 CHURCH OF CHRIST AT GOLD HILL ROAD, Fort Mill, SC
 SATURN ROAD CHURCH OF CHRIST, Garland, TX
SATURN ROAD CHURCH OF CHRIST, Garland, TX
For the third consecutive year, the church in this Dallas suburb surpassed 150 baptisms in 2007,
senior minister John Scott said. Since 1992, the church’s membership has grown from 950 to
more than 2,300.
“Our area is a transitional community with an aging Caucasian population with huge influx of
Hispanics and African-Americans” Scott said. “The challenge is ... building a new multiethnic
congregation where a once all-white congregation stood.”
The church has taken steps to make its ministerial staff look like its community. Mike Crosby,
who is black, recently became the church’s evangelism minister. Crosby, Scott and Joe
Hernandez, the church’s Hispanic minister, take a team approach toward evangelism, Scott said.
Strong ministries for children and teens have drawn families to Saturn Road, Scott said. The
church sponsors a ministry to children in its neighborhood that runs daily for seven weeks each
summer and is involved in outreach to a local drug rehabilitation program for women.
“Our leadership has committed itself to be a church of mirrors, reflecting who lives in our area
now” Scott said. “We talk about and celebrate outreach.”
Enrollments are at record highs across most Church of
Christ universities – largely fueled by non-member
students seeking high quality, Bible-based, service
oriented education….
Our youth nationwide have a heart for service and
want to be part of “pure and faultless” religion….
So back to the story…
Inspired by….
A Beverly Hills reception where Christian
service is celebrated and Church of Christ
members are honored by the larger
community ….
A Church of Christ university that is a
highly-ranked, elite institution clearly
committed to the work of the Lord….
Hopeful because of….
A fellowship in Las Cruces full of
loving relationships, new
connections, and a renewed spirit….
A body with a history of service
and a heart for others ….
A city with countless opportunities
for real and meaningful
Christian outreach….
What this means for us as a
new church….
What this means for us….
We have tremendous opportunities but cannot ignore
the reality that surrounds us
We need to let our light shine before men so that may
see our good deeds and praise our Father
Matthew 5: 14-16
14"You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden.
15Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they
put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. 16In the
same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good
deeds and praise your Father in heaven”.
We need to remain in the Word so that we know how to
best serve the needs of others
2 Timothy 2: 15
Study to show yourself approved to God, a workman that needs not to be
ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
We need to mold ourselves to the needs that are around

us
I Corinthians 9: 22b
I have become all things to all men, so that I may by all means save some.
We need to do these things like never before
We need to involve the breadth and depth of our body
We need to move from contemplating what type of

church God is calling us to be and awaken to the work
that He has already placed before us
We need to do this with a passion and joy that is

transcendent and contagious
Loving God, loving each other, it's that simple

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The Church in Context:

Issues and Hope

Las Cruces Church of Christ

 21st Century Christian identifies 12,629 a cappella

These figures represent 526 fewer churches and 78,436

There is less concern about “brand loyalty” among

Growth in millions among this type of fellowship over past ten

Many Churches of Christ focusing on outreach/service and

We need to mold ourselves to the needs that are around

We need to involve the breadth and depth of our body

We need to move from contemplating what type of

We need to do this with a passion and joy that is

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