Our church offers two services - Traditional at 8:00 and Traditional at 10:30 and that's the way I like it. There is nothing wrong with Liturgy. If it worked for thousands of years I don't see any reason why it needs fixing.
More to the topic, though: going to church regularly requires a certain amount of inner inspiration. The church tries to make itself relevant, but I think it's going about it the wrong way. I don't think people need new music or a hip-hop beat to feel a part of the church ... they need to feel like they're a part of something!
People today need other people to talk with; just to talk with. They need people on their side. This is an aspect of the human condition where the church could truly shine if it wanted to.
Where does it say in the Bible that we need to be relevent or have to worry about how many people are falling away or staying? It doesn't do much good to second guess God by saying that He needs more people going to church to worship Him. He doesn't need us. We need Him. If we want to go to hell then that's our problem. If we hear about the free gift of salvation and we reject it, the only person losing is us.Who said it needs fixing, there is nothing wrong with Traditional Liturgy nor IMO anything wrong with Contemporary Worship. I find it interesting that neither of these types of services are "fixing" the problem of losing members.
I wonder if part of the problem is that most people today do not see the church as having any bearing on life, no answers, no help, nothing relevant to life with family, work, relationships etc. To the unchurched what would make me want to waste a Sunday morning at a church???
To those in the church what makes me want to stay???
Well you have basically answered questions about contemporary worship. It brings people in but they don't stay. The non-denom maga churches have more experience in entertaining and are years ahead of the contemporary Lutherans so why are we competing. When a Lutheran church goes contempory the kids see the maga churches are "like" their Lutheran congregation so that tells them that we might be like them in theology so lets just go to their church because "we are like them" so what difference does it make.My church is steady. We haven't gained or lost a significant amount but what we are losing is youth. The youth only come to what they have to at my church, then refuse to come to anything else.
One thing that I wonder about in the mega non-denom. churches is the amount of money they throw into each series of sermons they come up with. The topic for a sermon series has a whole set that goes along with it. There are all kinds of media blitzes, signs, special promos on the big screens, and the list goes on. The money that is poured into all this could maybe be used in missions or some other worthwhile cause. Their series usually lasts between 3 to 6 weeks or so and with each new one there is all new stuff again. New sets to put up on stage again. I hope the Lutheran Church never comes to that. Its one thing to incorporate some contemporary praise music while keeping everything else in tact in the service but its a whole different story to "Put on a show". If you should mention to someone really involved in a church like that they say, "its bringing the people in by large numbers so they can hear about Jesus." Its a different type of church, nothing like we as Lutherans would be acustomed to.
Bishop said church leaders would rebuild the statue, possibly bigger, and definitely fireproof. The amphitheater, statue and surrounding area had lightning resisters and grounding rods to dispense lightning into the ground, but for some reason they did not work, said Monroe Fire Chief Mark Neu.
Must be a fluke anomaly brought on by the alignment of celestial spheres in the vernal equinox.The LCMS I attended as a kid is losing members FAST! The ELCA I attend now is gaining them slowly.
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