Churchlessness and Relevance

According to the Barna Group’s research, the number one reason for churchlessness is people not feeling that church is personally relevant to them. This is true for all three categories of Christians, non-believers, those belonging to Gen Z. What can the church do to address this reasoning? While it is certainly not attainable on this earth to get everybody to attend church, the church has a responsibility as redemptive entrepreneurs to think about solutions. The idea of church not being personally relevant seems to share a parallel with the thinking to not judge anyone. Many belonging in the category of churchlessness probably wouldn’t argue that church is inherently wrong. The line of thinking appears to have more to do with leaving it up to the individual and what they feel is right behavior.

This thinking may lead to a dangerous misconception that church is just like any other hobby. The topic of the truth of Christianity is obviously controversial because people do not want to hear they are on the wrong side. Many churches today have for good reason moved away from “going to hell” rhetoric from previous centuries. Perhaps the church has swung too far the opposite direction and become too comfortable and non-judgmental. It is very difficult to balance explaining how Christianity is a moral truth and not an optional hobby, while still maintaining a high level of friendliness and avoiding judgment for those wary if the church. There is no easy fix, but churches need to always consider their messaging to people choosing not to attend church. The idea of continued innovation and looking for improvements in mission is a key base in beginning to address the problem.