 |
|
 |
|
 |
|
 |
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|||
 |
 |
|
||
|
 |
|
||
|
 |
|
||
|
 |
|
||
|
 |
|
||
|
 |
|
||
|
 |
|
||
 |
 |
|
||
|
 |
|
||
|
 |
|
||
|
|
|||
 |
||||
|
||||
Sociological Reasons
New congregations for the first decades of their life are oriented toward
outreach and, on the average, 1/3 of its members were not previously involved
in the life of a church.
The vast majority of all the new people ever won to Christ by a church
are won in the first 10-20 years. Why?
New churches best reach the unchurched.
- Dozens of denominational studies have confirmed that the average new church gains most of its members (60-80%) from among people outside any worshipping body, while churches over 20 years old gain most of their new members (0-20%) from people moving from other congregations. Thus new churches are 5-10 times better at drawing new people into the Body of Christ. Why would this be?
- As a congregation ages, powerful internal institutional pressures lead it to allocate most of their resources to please the tastes and address the interests of insiders much more than those outside. New churches are by necessity and design oriented toward those outside. They look and listen carefully to the concerns of non-members and are careful to address the gospel to them directly. Established churches don't listen well. This does not mean that many older congregations cannot win new people or that many newer congregations cannot be stagnant. But it does mean that, overall, unless at least 20-30% of all the churches in a city are new, the total number of Christians in that city will be declining, even if there is "a church on every corner." The only way to change a city (just as in Paul's time) is through new church planting.
New churches best reach new residents, new generations,
and new people groups.
- New residents are disproportionately found in new congregations. Why? Because in new
churches, newcomers do not need years of tenure before their voices are
heard or before they can gain real leadership and influence in the congregation.
Additionally, these more open leadership circles attract newer Christians
bringing a greater wisdom and savvy on how to win outsiders.
New and younger generations are also found in larger numbers in new congregations. Why? Older congregations strongly reflect the tastes and sensibilities of older generations. - Newly arrived groups of people (e.g. new ethnics, new vocational or class groups, etc.) are always disproportionately found in new congregations. It is very difficult for older congregations to create the "cultural room" and share power with people from new classes or cultures. Intentionally multi-cultural new congregations are best to reach an entire neighborhood when it moves from being mono-cultural to multi. (For example, if an all-black neighborhood becomes 30% Hispanic, a new congregation is far more likely to create a multi-ethnic church that mirrors the community than an older church.)
- Brand new immigrants to the U.S. almost always need congregations that minister to them in their own language if they are to be served and welcomed into the church. If we wait until their language and cultural practices are more assimilated to the American dominant culture, we will find that many of them are lost to Christian influence.
