the new protestant reformation

8/12/2019 The NEW Protestant Reformation

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Table of Contents

Chapter 1 - Reformation is Good! 2

Chapter 2 - The Institutional/Traditional Church in America isin Trouble, but there is Good News! 6

Chapter 3 - Who is Responsible? 12

Chapter 4 - What is Church? 21

Chapter 5 - What Will Reformation Look Like? 25

Chapter 6 - A New Idea! 31

Chapter 7 -The Church is About to Transform! 40

2013 Christian Digital Publishers, Inc. All rights reserved.


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Chapter 1

Reformation is good!

The tremendous need for reformation within the church in the 21st

century is the theme of this

book. Reformation means change. The change that I will be talking about isnt revolutionary. It

isnt contrary to Biblical teachings. It isnt difficult. And, (lets get the good news out there right

away), it is change that the institutional/traditional church can embrace. But, make no mistake,

for many of the institutional/traditional churches it is a major change in how we have been

thinking about the church, especially here in America.

Definitionthe institutional/traditional church:An organization of Christian believers that

meet in buildings, with a paid staff and/or beliefs that are centered on specific doctrines

of a denomination (church).

We can all agree that change can be difficult. Im in my upper 50s, and I have seen many

changes in my life. I am also aware I am more anxious about change the older I become. I like

the familiar. I like expecting things to sound, taste, and feel the way they always have. But, in

my lifetime, I have also learned that change is good. My first TV had tubes and a black-and-

white screen, and remote controls werent invented yet. I was in my 20s before I saw my first

computer (which I still have), but it certainly is an antique compared to the smart phone and

tablet that I use today.

When I say the church needs to change, some people will get defensive. After all, the church is

the body of Christ, it is His bride. One of our problems is that the word church means

different things to many people. I do not seek to criticize the true church but rather amsuggesting that the institutional/traditional church: the business of church, the incorporated

and licensed church in America (with buildings, budgets, staff, and bills) needs to change.

Over the years, I have seen many changes in the church. When I started as a pastor in the

late 70s, many churchesdidnt have, or need, a sound system. Back then it was a fantastic


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feat of technology (and a reach into contemporary worship) if we used a cassette tape for

background music whenever someone sang special music just before the sermon was

delivered. Now churcheshave full bands, special lighting, multimedia, video, and in some

cases, theatrical smoke and fog!

Now, most churchesare computerized, use the Internet, and many try to embrace social

media as a way to stay connected with their members. Many now allow electronic giving,

distribute newsletters via the Internet, and most use some sort of church management

software solution to keep track of members and contributions. As Editor and Founder of

Christian Computing Magazine(published now for 25 years), I have been a big believer that

churchesshould use new technology tools in order to enhance and expand their ministry. I

still am!

However, as you move to Chapter 2 of this book, you will see that even with the help of

technology, the institutional/traditional church in America is in trouble. And, while it isnt a

doctrinal issue like Martin Luther faced in what is now called the first Protestant Reformation, it

is a problem in the very way we define ourselves as a church. (See upcoming chapter on What

is a Church?)

So, what is the change that is needed? Why is my vision different from others that want to help

the churches in America become more missional? (If you dont understand the term

missional there are probably over a thousand books, blogs and articles about the subject.

Check out Google or your favorite bookstore.)

I think the difference between what I feel led to do, and what others are doing, is centered

around my belief that the church "outside" our buildings, institutions, and denominations

DOES exist, but in a form that we don't accept as "the church". I believe at least 100 million

Christians (yep, million) live in America, yet they do not attend services or meetings in any

church building on a regular basis.

Today, over 70% of Americans identify themselves as Christians, yet only 17% attend two

services a month in an institutional/traditional church. Some Christian leaders (from within the


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institutional/traditional church) would state that those that are not actively involved in regular

church attendance, probably arent real Christians, and are not seriously seeking to follow

Christ (since they dont attend or support an institutional/traditional church). However, from

one report released by the Barna group, 25% of these un-churched Christians read their Bible

on a regular basis, and as many as 30%-50% get with other Christians weekly, or a couple of

times a month, and want to connect with others based upon their relationship with Christ. I

also believe BECAUSE of the negative image that the church and "Christians" have in America at

this time, most of these un-churched Christians are very reluctant to make it known that they

ARE Christians. However, I am told that Christian radio stations and networks (those that have

conducted demographic studies of their listeners), know that they have a growing number of

listeners (one reported 30% of their listening audience) who do not identify themselves with an

institutional/traditional church, YET they love Christian radio. These non-church attending

Christians do attend Christian concerts, and some are very open to conferences and other

opportunities to learn more about Christ, even though they do not attend an

institutional/traditional church.

My goal and purpose in writing this book is to help lay the foundation for a new reformation. I

want to make the case that something can be done to help the un-churched Christians connect

and form a new type of non-institutional/traditional church. It is my desire to create a means

that will help un-churched Christians connect, be recognized, receive regular content (weekly

blogs, monthly newsletter, online Webinars) and, become a way to help un-churched Christians

connect with other un-churched Christians. I want the un-churched Christians to understand

that they ARE the church, even if they are not actively involved in an institutional/traditional

church. I want to encourage them to connect and help them catch the vision for one-on-one

discipleship, encouraging one another, unite with others in accomplishing good works and

missions and have the vision to multiply.

I also have a vision to enlist the help of the institutional/traditional churches, in launching (or

identifying) one million churches. Not the currently existing churcheswith a building, paid

staff, or those aligned to a specific denomination, but rather what I am calling the Micro-church.


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As I will explain in the next chapter, the institutional/traditional church in America is in decline,

but I believe by embracing new ways to connect with the un-churched Christians, new and

exciting ministries will be developed.


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Chapter 2

The Institutional/Traditional Church in America is in Trouble,

but there is Good News!

In Chapter 4 we will go into more detail about what I believe a realchurch is, but the case

needs to be made that the church, as in the institutional/traditional church(building with

salaried staff) is in decline. It needs to be established only as an incentive to reform. I believe

that the path the church in American took in forming institutional/traditional churches was

correct for the 1950s, 60s and probably the 70s. It is only due to changes in the social,

economic, technological and political environment in America that the plans of our past are

not, and will not, work for the institutional/traditional church in our age.

Reading this chapter can be painful. The facts about the decline can also be hard to believe. If

you live in the middle of the Bible belt, or if you are attending one of the 15% of churches in

America thats doing well, it is hard to accept the facts and statistics about the level of the

decline in attendance and membership. The good news is that the membership and attendance

in our institutional/traditional churches do not reflect the true church (body of believers) in

America.

It might also be hard to believe the severity of the statistics to follow. If they are true, and I

believe they are, why arent we hearing more about it? Part of the problem is that the

leadership of the church in America is, for most part, heavily involved and active in one of the

15% of the churches in our nation that are doing well. They are the ones writing the books,

being asked to speak at our conferences, and they are the ones in the spotlight. However, the

fact remains that for every 4,000 churches that close their doors; only 1,000 new churches are

starting up. And, those working with new church plants are telling me that they are seeing a

growing and frustrating death rate for new church plants. It seems that the initial excitement of

starting a new church is short lived and that new church startups seem to fail as soon as they

begin to accomplish the task of appearing and performing like an institutional/traditional

church.


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Is the institutional, traditional church in America in decline?

In 2013, only about 15-17% of America will attend a church service in an

institutional/traditional church on a regular basis (regular basis being defined as two services a

month). For the sake of communicating the message of this chapter, whenever I refer to the

church and statistics, I will be referring to the institutional/traditional church with

membership, paid staff, buildings, etc., and will not be using the word to mean the true church

(as defined in the Bible), the body and bride of Christ.

Over half of all of our churches no longer have any children attending, and their membership is

made up of those 65 years old and older (most with a majority being in their 70sand 80s).

Eighty-Five percent of our churches are under financed and under budget. They do not have the

funds needed to maintain their present facilities, expand ministry or staff. Over half of them

havent seen a single addition as a result of a conversion experience in at least two years. This

is true for all churches in all denominations.

Around 85% of our pastors are discouraged, and surveys state that 50% would resign

immediately and take anyother job if it was offered to them IF they had the skills required to

accomplish it with their present training. And, in six to ten years, half of all of the churches in

America will close their doors.

I know it is hard to understand and possibly to believe, but many of the churches that will be

permanently closing presently have a full time pastor. I have talked with pastors of churches in

this situation. The age of our pastors in these churches is just a little below the average age of

their membership. When their members die off, the pastors will be at the age of retirement,

and the church will cease to continue.

Many of these churches are rural, scattered across our nation in small and midsized towns.

However, dont assume these towns are dying. My first experience as a pastor came soon after

I graduated from college in 1977. The population of the town, where I served as pastor, was

around 90, and my congregation came from those in town as well as the surrounding farms. We

averaged around 60 on a Sunday, with our highest attendance hitting 141. I recently drove


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through that small town. The population of the town is now around 140, and the church, the

only one in town, is in serious decay. They are averaging 12 in attendance and their pastor lives

in a larger town an hour and a half away and drives from there on Sunday to preach to those

that still gather. The congregation is aged, and when they die off and the church closes their

doors for the last time, the nearest church will be 13 miles away. This situation is being

repeated in towns all across the state of Missouri where I live.

It seems obvious to me that something needs to change. It seems obvious to me that a

reformation in the very way we do church needs to take place for much of our nation. I draw

these conclusions from much of the research I reference below. In addition, I attended the

conference on The Future of the Church in America, sponsored by Group Publishing. They

reported on five specific ways the church will change in upcoming years.

http://holysoup.com/2012/11/14/5-ways-the-church-will-change/

Please dont get bogged down with the negative reporting to follow in this chapter. There IS

great news, and there IS a way to still reach America. As I stated in Chapter 1, I am a firm

believer that while church attendance is down, there IS an underground church in America that

has walked away from the institutional/traditional church, but there is a way to connect,

encourage and disciple them! But, if you want more info on the status of the church in America

today, read on.

I heard Walt Wilson speak at a conference I was hosting 12 years ago. Walt is the Founder and

Chairman of the Global Media Outreach, but at the time had just authored the book, The

Internet Church. He was sharing the importance of the church embracing new methods to

spread the Word, with emphasis on the Internet, which was why he was invited to speak at one

of our Technology in Ministry Conferences. To make his point that the church needed to adopt

new methods of communication to help spread the message of Christ, he shared startling

statistics about how the church, especially the church in the USA, was declining. His projections

were dire.

Since Walt first sounded the alarm about the churchs decline in America, I have been on a

quest to satisfy my own curiosity as to why the church is declining, and to be sure that Walts
http://holysoup.com/2012/11/14/5-ways-the-church-will-change/http://holysoup.com/2012/11/14/5-ways-the-church-will-change/http://holysoup.com/2012/11/14/5-ways-the-church-will-change/


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conclusions were correct. Sadly, Walt was right on target, and since that conference 12 years

ago the decline of Christianity and the church in America has continued. At first I was curious,

and a bit in denial. Five years ago I grew very concerned. Four years ago I became burdened

about the decline, and three years ago I experimented with solutions. Two years ago I became

passionate about answers to the problem and a year ago I found myself angry as the truth of

the situation became real to me. I have given much of my time this last year to make myself

available to God as a source for solutions, in whatever form that might take. Here is some of

what I have found concerning the problem at hand:

Dr. Richard J Krejcir made the following statement in an article by the Schaeffer Institute:

For the last 15 plus years, we, at the Francis A. Schaeffer Institute of Church LeadershipDevelopment(FASICLD) in partnership with Into Thy Word Ministries(another Francis

Schaeffer vision), have been in careful, steadfast research in quest of why so many

churches are failing.

What the Statistics Tell Us

This quest started in 1992 as a Fuller Instituteproject that was picked up by FASICLDin

1998, seeking what had happened and why the bride of Christ was in decline. Gods

marvelous Church has become culturally irrelevant and even distant from is prime

purpose of knowing Him, growing in Him, and worshipping Him by making disciples! This

is evidenced by what is going on in our culture and in our church. Most of the statistics

tell us that nearly 50% of Americans have no church home. In the 1980s, membership in

the church had dropped almost 10%; then, in the 1990s, it worsened by another 12%

dropsome denominations reporting a 40% drop in their membership. And now, over

half way through the first decade of the 21stcentury, we are seeing the figures drop

even more!

What is going on with the Church in America?


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The United States Census Bureau Records give some startling statistics, backed up by

denominational reports and the Assemblies of God U.S. Missions:

Every year more than 4000 churches close their doors compared to just over 1000

new church starts!

There were about 4,500 new churches started between 1990 and 2000, with a twenty

year average of nearly 1000 a year.

Every year, 2.7 million church members fall into inactivity. This translates into the

realization that people are leaving the church. From our research, we have found that

they are leaving as hurting and wounded victimsof some kind of abuse,

disillusionment, or just plain neglect!

From 1990 to 2000, the combined membership of all Protestant denominations in the

USA declined by almost 5 million members (9.5 percent), while the US population

increased by 24 million (11 percent).

At the turn of the last century (1900), there was a ratio of 27 churches per 10,000

people, as compared to the close of this century (2000) where we have 11 churches

per 10,000 people in America! What has happened?

Given the declining numbers and closures of Churches as compared to new church

starts, there should have been over 38,000 new churches commissioned to keep up

with the population growth.

The United States now ranks third (3rd

) following China and India in the number of

people who are not professing Christians; in other words, the U.S. is becoming an ever

increasing un-reached people group.

Half of all churches in the US did not add any new members to their ranks in the last

two years.


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The study also provides additional dismal reports. For example, while many polls showed that

40% to 50% of Americans attend church (20% in Canada and 8% in Europe) the results of the

polls depend on how people chose to answer the question. It appeared from the polling data

that if a person only attended once or twice a year, they would be counted as a church goer.

The study by FASLCLD compared actual attendance records of denominations with known

population statistics and determined that 22% of Americans frequently attended church in

1992 (including Orthodox, Evangelical or Protestant). In 1995 the number had dropped to

20.5%. In 1999 the number had dropped to 19% and by 2002, the number was down to 18%.

Since these numbers represent attendance over ten years ago from when I am writing, I can

only assume that the numbers have continued to go down.

There are other studies, and other reports. While the statistics might vary a little, the

distressing news is the samethe church is declining in America. Here are several other sites

that support this conclusion. Some are secular, such as reports from Newsweek, but others are

from Christian organizations, publications and denominations.

http://vocabmalone.blogspot.com/2008/01/decline-of-church-in-america.html

http://www.christianchronicle.org/article2158685~Church_in_America_marked_by_decline

http://www.thedailybeast.com/newsweek/2009/04/03/the-end-of-christian-america.html

http://signsofthelastdays.com/archives/the-decline-of-christianity-in-america

http://floridaconferenceconnection.info/blogs/detail/276

http://www.thebigdaddyweave.com/2011/06/southern-baptist-convention-stats-reveal-20-

year-decline.html
http://vocabmalone.blogspot.com/2008/01/decline-of-church-in-america.htmlhttp://vocabmalone.blogspot.com/2008/01/decline-of-church-in-america.htmlhttp://www.christianchronicle.org/article2158685~Church_in_America_marked_by_declinehttp://www.christianchronicle.org/article2158685~Church_in_America_marked_by_declinehttp://www.thedailybeast.com/newsweek/2009/04/03/the-end-of-christian-america.htmlhttp://www.thedailybeast.com/newsweek/2009/04/03/the-end-of-christian-america.htmlhttp://signsofthelastdays.com/archives/the-decline-of-christianity-in-americahttp://signsofthelastdays.com/archives/the-decline-of-christianity-in-americahttp://floridaconferenceconnection.info/blogs/detail/276http://floridaconferenceconnection.info/blogs/detail/276http://www.thebigdaddyweave.com/2011/06/southern-baptist-convention-stats-reveal-20-year-decline.htmlhttp://www.thebigdaddyweave.com/2011/06/southern-baptist-convention-stats-reveal-20-year-decline.htmlhttp://www.thebigdaddyweave.com/2011/06/southern-baptist-convention-stats-reveal-20-year-decline.htmlhttp://www.thebigdaddyweave.com/2011/06/southern-baptist-convention-stats-reveal-20-year-decline.htmlhttp://www.thebigdaddyweave.com/2011/06/southern-baptist-convention-stats-reveal-20-year-decline.htmlhttp://floridaconferenceconnection.info/blogs/detail/276http://signsofthelastdays.com/archives/the-decline-of-christianity-in-americahttp://www.thedailybeast.com/newsweek/2009/04/03/the-end-of-christian-america.htmlhttp://www.christianchronicle.org/article2158685~Church_in_America_marked_by_declinehttp://vocabmalone.blogspot.com/2008/01/decline-of-church-in-america.html


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Chapter 3

Who Is Responsible?

Why do I believe that there is a need for a new protestant reformation? First of all, the

protest part has already taken place. Inthe stats and surveys shared in Chapter 2, there is one

that is very important. Twenty percent of America now says they are non affiliated with any

religion. They are not Christian, not Muslim, etc. And, as we have reported in Chapter 2, the

percent of people attending a church service at least two services a month was 18% several

years ago, and the numbers continue to drop, leading me to speculate that it is probably

around 15% at the time of this writing. Yet, according to population surveys, there hasnt been

a large rise in other religions such as Islam, Buddhism or Hinduism. At least 70% of Americans

still claim to be Christian, but the institutional/traditional church is only drawing 15%.

At least 50% of Americans profess to be Christian, yet they have made the decision that they do

not support, attend, nor will join an institutional/traditional church. They have voted with their

feet! If this isnt a protest, I dont know what is. The protestant part is that most people

who claim to be Christian have left the churchin protest.

Is There An Un-churched Christian Community?

I know some will say that if a person claims to be a Christian but is not a member or involved in

attending a church, they are mistaken. After all, real Christians cant leave the church!

However, I believe they haventleft the church at all. It all depends on how we define the

church. Youeither ARE a believer, and thus a part of the church, the bride of Christ, or you are

not. Supporting, attending or even being a member of an institutional/traditional church

doesnt make you part of the real church as defined in the Bible.

How can these self-proclaiming Christians ignore Hebrews 10:25 instructing us: Not forsaking

the assembling of ourselves together? (KJV) How can they ignore their Savior by choosing to

not attend an institutional/traditional church?


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In part, the answer to these questions is found in the definition of church. If you define

church as a gathering of Christians, then whenever Christians are gathered together they ARE

the church, whether they gather in a home or in a building owned and operated by an

institutional/traditional church.

So are un-churched Christians ignoring their Savior? I dont think they are ignoring their

relationship with Christ simply because they do not attend a weekly service, at a set time, in a

building. According to one Barna study, 25% of those that claim to be Christians; yet, are not

affiliated with a church, study the Bible on a regular basis. Barna has also been watching the

growth of what is called a house churchor a small group that meets in a home for interaction,

discipleship, prayer, etc. In a report dated June 19, 2006, Barna stated;

The new study, based on interviews with more than five thousand randomly selected

adults from across the nation, found that 9% of adults attend a house church during a

typical week. That is remarkable growth in the past decade, shooting up from just 1% to

near double-digit involvement. In total, one out of five adults attends a house church at

least once a month.

Projecting these figures to the national population gives an estimate of more than 70

million adults who have at least experimented with house church participation. In a

typical week roughly 20 million adults attend a house church gathering. Over the course

of a typical month, that number doubles to about 43 million adults.

While many religious professionals say they are unaware of such activity, it might be

because the house church is in its "ramp up" phase in the U.S. One consequence is that

millions of Americans are intermittently engaged in a house church, alternating back

and forth between house church and conventional church. (For clarity, the survey

distinguished between involvement in a house church and participation in a small group

that is associated with a conventional church.) The Barna survey revealed that of those

who attend a house church, 27% attend on a weekly basis, 30% attend one to three

times per month, and 43% attend less than once a month.


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http://www.barna.org/organic-church-articles/151-house-church-involvement-is-

growing?q=church+attendance

In a recent study by The American Bible Society, eighty eight percent of Americans own a Bible.

Eighty percent say the Bible is sacred and sixty one percent stated they wish they read the Bible

more.http://www.barna.org/culture-articles/609-what-do-americans-really-think-about-the-

bible?q=read+bible

Although the study is a bit old, Barna also reported in January 2003 that, half of all U.S. adults

(48%) and teenagers (51%) reported reading at least one Christian book in the past year, other

than the Bible.http://www.barna.org/barna-update/article/5-barna-update/114-half-of-all-

americans-read-christian-books-and-one-third-buy-them?q=read+bible

At this same time, Francis A. Schaeffes Institute of Church Leadership Development(FASICLD)

reported that church attendance (attending two services a month) is only 18% in 2002. Yet a

much larger percent of Christians were purchasing and reading Christian books, even though

they werent interested in attending a local institutional/traditional church.

My point is relatively simple. I believe the church (the body of Christ, believers) is alive and well

in America. It is just that they have protested and abandoned membership and attendance in

the institutional/traditional church (having a building, paid staff, etc.).

Why Do So Many Christians Avoid Institutional/Traditional Churches?

This brings us back to the question of why these Christians seem to be adamant about NOT

coming back to the institutional/traditional church. What is it that the church needs to do to

get them to come back and join? Can they? Or should they try?

We have seen many fantastic moves to help churches turn around the decline in attendance

and membership. As a result, most of our churches are doing more in reaching out to their

communities. The hot word for churches today is missional, and many

institutional/traditional churches have sought to be so in the hopes that it will bring people
http://www.barna.org/organic-church-articles/151-house-church-involvement-is-growing?q=church+attendancehttp://www.barna.org/organic-church-articles/151-house-church-involvement-is-growing?q=church+attendancehttp://www.barna.org/organic-church-articles/151-house-church-involvement-is-growing?q=church+attendancehttp://www.barna.org/culture-articles/609-what-do-americans-really-think-about-the-bible?q=read+biblehttp://www.barna.org/culture-articles/609-what-do-americans-really-think-about-the-bible?q=read+biblehttp://www.barna.org/culture-articles/609-what-do-americans-really-think-about-the-bible?q=read+biblehttp://www.barna.org/culture-articles/609-what-do-americans-really-think-about-the-bible?q=read+biblehttp://www.barna.org/barna-update/article/5-barna-update/114-half-of-all-americans-read-christian-books-and-one-third-buy-them?q=read+biblehttp://www.barna.org/barna-update/article/5-barna-update/114-half-of-all-americans-read-christian-books-and-one-third-buy-them?q=read+biblehttp://www.barna.org/barna-update/article/5-barna-update/114-half-of-all-americans-read-christian-books-and-one-third-buy-them?q=read+biblehttp://www.barna.org/barna-update/article/5-barna-update/114-half-of-all-americans-read-christian-books-and-one-third-buy-them?q=read+biblehttp://www.barna.org/barna-update/article/5-barna-update/114-half-of-all-americans-read-christian-books-and-one-third-buy-them?q=read+biblehttp://www.barna.org/barna-update/article/5-barna-update/114-half-of-all-americans-read-christian-books-and-one-third-buy-them?q=read+biblehttp://www.barna.org/culture-articles/609-what-do-americans-really-think-about-the-bible?q=read+biblehttp://www.barna.org/culture-articles/609-what-do-americans-really-think-about-the-bible?q=read+biblehttp://www.barna.org/organic-church-articles/151-house-church-involvement-is-growing?q=church+attendancehttp://www.barna.org/organic-church-articles/151-house-church-involvement-is-growing?q=church+attendance


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back to their church. But, for all of their efforts, in general, eighty five percent of our churches

are either stagnate or are in decline. And, sadly, many of the declining churches lack the funds

or the ability to increase missional efforts. And, frankly, if the goal of being missional (making

the mission of the church to reach out and minister to the community) is to ultimately see

those they minister to, begin attending or joining the church, it is a flawed premise. Our society

is very spin and marketing aware, and they will quickly see any effort to reach out to

minister as simply marketing if that is our goal.

Who is to Blame?

There have been many books, articles and blogs written placing blame for the decline of the

institutional/traditional church in America. Some examples indicate that Christians who do not

attend an institutional/traditional church, say the institutional/traditional church is full of

hypocrites, they are too judgmental, they are all about money (to keep their buildings and

programs running), their pastors have been caught being immoral, etc. Many years ago, I wrote

an article taking the church to task. I pointed out the many reasons that the un-churched

Christian said why they abandoned the institutional/traditional church. Of course there is some

truth to their complaints, but that is because once we become organized and institutionalized,

we are human, and errors will happen.

Some churches blame other churches. Those that have traditional worship styles believe the

church is in decline because we have softened our message and become too worldly. Those

that have adopted a contemporary worship style and are more tolerant of others blame the

traditional worship churches for not being relevant.

Recently, I did another street survey, spending three days standing in a booth at a city festival. I

had a sign that stated Do you love Jesus, but not the church? Please tell us why! Of course I

heard from all of those that wanted to tell me how a church or pastor had offended them. I

heard a list of complaints from over 100 people that passed by during the time of the survey.

However, this time, the sign and the question revealed something new. I was in suburb of

Kansas City, and in the northern part of the Bible belt. So, there was certainly a higher percent


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of Christians that attended an institutional/traditional church than found in other parts of the

nation. What surprised me was the number of people that stopped to ask me about my

question. They were quick to state that they loved Jesus AND their church. When I explained

the national percentage of Christians that did not

chose to attend or join a church in a building, the

response was also one of blame. They stated that

the reason these Christians didnt come totheir

church services was because they were lazy,

scoundrels (yep, that was the word they used), or

they were just liars and not really Christians. When I

explained the larger percent of these un-churched Christians were involved in regular Bible

study, reading Christian books, meeting with other Christians in a home, most were unmoved in

their conviction that unless these Christians marched into a local church building on Sunday,

they were probably not Christians. I did discover a small percent, maybe twenty-five percent

that knew of someone, either a friend or family member, who they believed were a Christian

but sympathized with their reasons for not joining or attending a local church.

In June of 2013, a pastor by the name of Tim asked this question in a LinkedIn group, How

does a pastor overcome the constant irritation when the members of his church do not show

up for church? He went on to complain about the lack of faithfulness to the church. I was

surprised that there were 20 different responses from other frustrated pastors within three

days. I also found it interesting that the blame for such decline in attendance was laid at the

feet of lack of faithfulness to the church. Christians ARE the church, if they choose to meet on

a Sunday morning for a specific worship service sponsored by an institutional/traditional

church, or if they decide to meet on a Tuesday evening to pray, encourage and support one

another in someones home. But, if faithfulness is measured by attending a regular church

service in an institutional/traditional church, and Christians seem to be in rebellion, who is to

blame?

Maybe No One is to Blame!


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It could be that the answer isnt found in what the church has done wrong or right, but in the

decline in social capital in America.

Robert D. Putnam wrote a book published in 2000 examining the decline in social capital in

America (the time we spend involved in group and social events or organizations.) The title of

the book is Bowling Alone. The facts are amazing. Involvement in every aspect of social

organizations is dramatically down from the 1960s, 70s, 80s and 90s as seen in membership

in organizations such as the PTA, Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, etc. We sign fewer petitions, know less

about our neighbors, and even spend less time with family and friends. Yet, the church has

changed little. It expects people to come to a building, join, become a member, and participate

in a service at a set time and place. This is completely contrary to what we have observed in the

changes in social capital in our nation since the 60s

We must change. We must have a reformation about how we think about the congregation, the

people of Christ. Yes, the word for the congregation, the people of Christ, gathered together, is

church. Yet, by saying the word to Christians and non-Christians alike, most conjure up an

image of a building, a paid pastor, and the denominational doctrines that they represent.

The title of Putnams work reflects one area of social involvement that went through a

reformationthe bowling alley. In the past, bowling alleys found success in getting people to

join leagues. Almost every night of the week, people would come to bowl because they

belongedto a league. There were leagues for men of specific ages, leagues for women

bowlers, for mixed couples, for young people, etc. However, owners of bowling alleys noticed

a trend. The noticed that over time people no longer wanted to join a league YET they still

enjoyed bowling. They liked to bowl alone, or with a few friends or family members. Bowling

alleys adapted. They decreased their time for leagues and increased their alley times for special

nights such as incredi-bowl which would include black lights, special revolving spot lights and

even fog machines. The number of people that like to bowl is as high as ever, and bowling alleys

are not going out of business. They reformed. They changed. People still bowl, but the idea of

joining an organized time and program for bowling declined significantly.


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The Personal Communication Age

There may be another entirely different reason for why so many Christians are not willing to

join or become active in an institutional/traditional church. In fact, it may be one of the very

reasons we have seen such a decline in social capital in America in other areas as well. We live

in what I call the Personal Communication Age. We live with information overload, thanks to

technology and social media. As a result, Americans have moved away from many sources of

information and connectivity (and that is what a church seeks to do, communicate and

connect). For example, the number of people who read a newspaper has drastically declined,

and many newspapers in America have gone out of business in the last 15 years. Few of us

blamed the owners of the newspapers, or the content of the article, but realized that changes

have been taking place. People read fewer newspapers or magazines. They watch less network

news and participate less in all other forms of mass media. Instead, they have shown they have

a greater interest in receiving information from people, the non-professionals. In many cases

they want the information to come from those without a reason to spin what is being

delivered.

A very important characteristic of communication and information exchange, as it relates to our

current personal communication age, is to realize that people want to receive information that

at least has the perception of being personal and free of marketing and spin. Our last national

elections are proof of this, as seen in the victories of candidates that used social media and

personal communication tools and didnt just rely on traditional mass media. As long as the

church refuses to use social media and recognize the importance of using personal

communication tools, our message will never get out to our nation.

Another important aspect of the personal communication age is that people want to be a part

of the conversation. One waycommunication simply doesnt work the way it use to work.

People want to comment, question and be a part of the conversation. You cant do thiswhen

you read an article, but you can when you read a blog, which explains the increase in popularity

of this form of communication. One of the very characteristics of a blog is that there is a place


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for people to comment at the end of the page. They can express an opinion, ask a question, and

participate in the dialog. This is why Facebook included the like optionand the ability for

others to leave a comment after you post your status. People like being able to participate in

the conversation and are leery of communication methods that involve one person claiming to

have all of the answers and refusing the opportunity for questions or discussions.

This might be one of the reasons Christians have abandoned the traditional worship service.

They do not want to walk into a building, sit in a chair facing front and listen to someone lecture

them without the opportunity to ask a question, voice an opinion, or participate on a personal

level during the service.

Existing in the personal communication age means small is better. Very small is better still.

So, who is to blame for the decline of the institutional/traditional church? Maybe no one

specifically! Sure, there are problems in many of our churches. Some could be friendlier while

others could increase their connection with their community. For me, I wish some would step

back on their judgmental stances, and it would be nice if America knew more about what we

are for, instead of what we are against. But, for the most part, I dont think the general

accusations about the church are the real reasons for our decline. I believe the decline in social

capital and the rise of the personal communication age has caused our nation, or society, to

change but our churches havent.

I started a new church just three years ago. The first year was a joy. It seemed that every week

something exciting happened as we collected funds to rent a store front, buy a sign, and

purchase chairs. However, as we became more and more of an institutional/traditional church,

the joy slipped away, and conflicts and frustrations grew. I have discovered from talking to

many others who have planted new churches (with the goal of becoming an

institutional/traditional church) that soon after the excitement of starting wanes, and the more

a church plant becomes an institutional church, with a lease, mortgage, utility bills, insurance

fees, city building inspections, etc., etc., the people fade away. They like sitting in a circle,

openly sharing their prayer requests, their joys, their fears. But once the chairs seem to face


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forward, and they are forced to become disconnected and the service becomes impersonal, the

death cycle begins.

So, maybe no one is to blame for the decline of the institutional/traditional church. It was the

right thing to do when we built most of our buildings. The intent and the commitment were real

just a few decades ago. But, it seems that the idea of Christians driving to a church building to

sit quietly while someone else preaches or lectures them might be past. Americans arent

joiners and they value communication and information that is presented in small bits from

individuals with whom they are personally connected. It is time for a reform, for a change. The

term church and what it means needs to be reformed. It is time we redefine what a church

really is!


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Chapter 4

What Is Church?

The textbook answer is the church is Gods people.The local church is a group of people that

get together on a regular basis to pray for each other, encourage each other, and disciple each

other. Some would include corporate worship as a part of the definition of church, or at least

the purpose.

After many years of studying this question and potential answers, and believe that I am ready

to define a church as two or more, who get together because they are Christians with a

purpose to either pray for one another, encourage one another, or disciple one another. I base

this on Matthew 18:20, For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I

in the midst of them, and Hebrews 10:24-25, And let us consider one another to provoke

unto love and to good works: Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the

manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as you see the day

approaching.

Definition Church: Two or more believers in Christ, who get together because they are

Christians with a purpose to either pray for one another, encourage one another or

disciple one another.

I think most Christian and church leaders would agree that these two verses help define what

we believe about the church. The church is people, Christians gathered in the name of Christ,

with a purpose to provoke each other to love God and love people, and to accomplish good

works (works that cause others to glorify God (Matthew 5:16). And, we are to exhort and

encourage each other. However, if we limit our definition to this (and I am suggesting we do), it

raises some secondary questions. For example, why and how did todays church in America

become so dependent on buildings and corporate worship?

I love corporate worship! I love it when the music and a song seem to take me before the very

presence of God. I can find my eyes quickly filled with tears and my heart wide open to


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whatever it is God wants for me. However, I must be honest, that has happened to me just as

often when I am listening to KLUV (a Christian music station on the radio), or when I am sitting

and writing, listening to Pandora with my selection of Christian songs that inspire me. I am

pretty knowledgeable of the Scriptures, and I know of no place in the Bible where the New

Testament church is mandated to corporate worship in our own buildings.

The church in America is in decline, based upon the numbers of Americans that are attending a

corporate worship service on Sunday. Yet, as studies by Barna and others have suggested, there

are many Christians that believe and trust in Christ for their salvation, some surveys showing

that a significant portion of them are involved in regular Bible reading, and many also love the

messages found in todays Christian music. Are they all outside of the church, or is our

definition of traditional church (one that meets in a building), incorrect?

Lately God has been speaking to me on this subject, and it seems that I continue to run into

small groups of Christians that are excited about the Lord; BUT dont consider themselves a

church because, as they have told me, they dont have a building yet. I recently heard of a

group of ten people that are meeting in a basement. I had put out a call for church leaders to

beta test a new service we will be releasing soon. They really wanted to give it a try but stated

that, if I didnt pick them, they would understand since they werent a real church yet,

because they didnt have their own building. A few days before I wrote this article, I was in

Chicago, speaking at a local chapter of the NACBA in that windy city. Because I forgot to pack

something, I made a quick stop at the local super store. However, while there, I discovered a

small group of five Christians meeting around a table in the coffee shop inside the store. They

were very excited about the Lord, and were meeting on a weekly basis, working on what they

called Xperience Church, a UMC 2013 New Church Start. One of them, who had taken the

position of Pastor, told me about their goal of starting a church in a few months. However, they

also told me about their meetings, and gave me a flyer about what they called Christ Mob

experiences. They take on a mission to do good works for others. Last year, during

Thanksgiving, they served the homeless of Chicagos Lower Wacker Drive by giving out coats,

food, medical kits, and even money. They hope to get a place to meet (other than the coffee


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shop in the super store) in a few months. However, as I shared with them, they are not working

to start a church, they ARE a church now!

I can go on and on, but hopefully my point is getting through. We make a mistake in defining a

church as a building or a place where corporate worship takes place (30 minutes of sing along

and then a sermon from one person to the crowd). A church is whenever two or more get

together in the name of Christ to provoke each other to love God and love other people, and to

combine their efforts for good works (that will cause others to praise God in heaven), and to

encourage and disciple each other. If someone has a guitar and can lead in a song or two,

fantastic. If you listen to pre-recorded music and worship together, fantastic, but this is not a

requirement to be a church.

In the May 2013 cover story of The American Church Magazine, there is a great article about

Mission Arlington. As you read the article, note that they mention 329 other groups, virtually

small congregations meeting weekly in apartment complexes, mobile homes, houses, etc. Why

arent they considered 329 new churches? Is it because they dont have a building? Is it because

some also have a membership in another church and this is their ministry outside of their

church? How can we separate this out Biblically?

Church Membership Survey

I recently asked the readership of The American Church Magazineto take a simple survey. I

asked about their churchs policy concerning church membership. Forty-nine percent

responded that they didnt allow their members to be a member of another church. Twenty-

two percent agreed with the 49% except that they had an exception of membership in another

church was to be temporary, such as a student that goes away to college. They would allow for

joint membership with the understanding the person would be returning. Twelve percent

said YES, they allowed their members to be a member of another church, while 8% said they

either didnt keep track of membership, or found membership itself to be unbiblical. Four

percent of the respondents said they had a dont ask, dont tell policy, and 5% said their

church didnt have a policy one way or the other.


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Churches have, and count, those members who are actively involved in a small group that

meets outside the church. But what about those whom meet in a small group each week but do

not attend a corporate church service or are not an official member somewhere? I believe

there are many churches that are simply not being counted as churches because the

institutional/traditional church or those that are doing the counting (whoever theymight be)

are simply not counting these that are attending non-traditional churches BUT are meeting the

Biblical requirements that I outlined at the beginning of this chapter!

In conclusion, I remember talking to a friend a few years ago about the value of traditional

churches having small groups. However, some churches were afraid to encourage such groups

because they would potentially lose control over these groups as they develop into their own

entity. He shared that he could certainly agree with the power of small groups. His church

started small groups many, many years ago. He said he was still active in that original small

group, and that they continued to meet weekly over the years. However, he also stated that at

present, all of those in the group were now attending other churches. For one reason or

another, they left the original churchthat set them up as a small group and they all attended

different churchesYET they still meet together. I believe THEY ARE a new Micro-church. I

guess I would fall into the category (not the majority) that people can be a member of multiple

churches, based upon my definition of a church. If two or more


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Chapter 5

What Will Reformation Look Like?

I have started asking pastors to give me their vision of what revival would look like in

America. Most answer that people would come backto the church (meaning they would

begin to show up at a scheduled worship time and participate in a large corporate worship

time), and the pews and chairs would be full. As I have tried to state thus far, the church

doesnt need to come back if it means they are to return to the institutional/traditional

church, giving their money to continue to maintain buildings and salaries. Americans love Jesus,

they just dont want to join a church that is about buildings, salaries and denominational

doctrines that separate us from one another! They are ready for change!

I dont believe this change will come easy, and I am certainly not suggesting that

institutional/traditional churches need to close their doors. They have a ministry, and they still

have congregations to feed. Some churches are also doing a great job in becoming missional,

while others are looking for new and innovative ways to repurpose their buildings to offset a

declining membership. I have already noted many churches combining as their congregations

get too small to support one location, one pastor, etc. I support these efforts. And, of course,

with the emergence of Mega Churches, many small congregations are simply being absorbed.

However, I also believe in a plan, a movement, that many institutional/traditional churches and

pastors could accept, and find new ministry opportunities and a new mission for their

institutional/traditional churches.

However, for my plan to take root, I believe we need reform in the following three areas.

Church Membership

The reform, the change, we need for this new protestant reformation is for the acceptance of

the institutional/traditional churches to accept the new definition of a church to include two or

more believers, meeting in a home, a coffee shop, etc., without a building, or a paid pastor. I

believe we can help Christians connect with one another and form Micro-churches, where


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meetings occur in homes, coffee shops, apartments, etc. And, the institutional/traditional

churches in America can be a part of this new movement. However, it will involve reform. It will

involve change.

For example, most institutional/traditional churches in America believe in church

membership, and they believe that a person can ONLY be a member of one church.I find this

contrary to the Biblical use of the word church. I know that many dismiss the concept that any

and all Christians are a part of the church sincethey are believer in Christ and a part of His

body. They believe this to be true when it comes to the universal church, but have a

completely different definition for what they refer to as the local church. As a result, many

have established membership to define what local church you attend, serve and make

monetary contributions .

Of course, for churches with a congregational form of government, it is important to determine

who is a member and who is not, since members have the power to vote on all decisions

concerning the business of the church. And, as a former pastor in a denomination with a

congregational form of government, I accepted the concept of membership as a way for people

to make their public profession of Christ as their Savior.

However, in May of 2013, I surveyed 2,000 readers of The American Church Magazine. I asked

them several questions about their beliefs concerning church membership. (Refer to the results

in Chapter 4.)

This belief centered on churches having what they believe to be exclusive membership will

need to be reformed. It is contrary to the true definition of a church, as I have defined it. When

we begin to define the local church, we begin to stray from what I believe is the Biblical

definition of a church.

It is not hard to find examples of people frustrated by the demands of their church when it

comes to exclusive membership. Simply go online and do a search for those questioning this

practice. One of the most extreme cases I found after only searching for a minute or two,

involved a single woman and her teenage daughter. The church she attended on Sunday


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morning, and where she was a member, didnt have any programs for her teenage daughter.

Her church also didnt hold any services on Sunday night. Another local church did have Sunday

night services and an exciting youth program. She decided that she would continue to attend

her church on Sunday morning, but would also allow her daughter to visit the other church

Sunday nights. She reported that after several months, one of her pastors heard what she was

doing and visited her in her home, instructing her that if she continued to allow her daughter to

attend another church on Sunday evenings, they would be forced to remove her from their

membership. While I know this is not the norm, the fact that it happened at all is upsetting.

As I have already mentioned, I did a survey of 2,000 readers of The American Church Magazine

concerning membership. We allowed for those that responded to leave comments. There were

many comments from pastors explaining why they believed in membership and why it should

be exclusive. Frankly, there was no reference to a Biblical mandate, but the reasoning centered

on control, fear of false teachings and, sadly, money.

I have a plan that will be introduced in the next chapter that can help involve and connect the

millions of Christians that are not presently involved with attending or a being a member of an

institutional/traditional church. It will encourage them to connect, form a Micro-church, andbegin real discipleship. Many institutional/traditional churches could and should embrace this

option, but they wont be able to do so if they still believethat their members are theirs

alone.

We Need More Tolerance

It isnt important to spend a lot of time trying to establish the reasons we have divided as a

body, but no one can deny that the church, the Christian body, in America has split into

thousands of different denominations. Depending on who is counting, either 4,000+ or over

30,000 different schisms exist. Either way it is counted, Americans certainly look at us and have

to wonder, How can wesay the Bible is the Word of God and that we believe it, and yet we

stand so divided?


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Maybe we need to find something that we can all unite around, and find tolerance for the areas

where we disagree. We all know that Jesus told us (as recorded in John 13:35) that ALL men

will know that we are Christs disciples by the love we have for one another. Yet, the message

we have sent to our nation is that we are an extremely, divided people. We disagree about so

many things. Even when we agree on doctrine, we split, divide and disagree on methods (such

as how to worship corporately).

This is one of the very reasons our love for the local church instead of the church (all believers

in Christ, everywhere) gets in our way and does us damage. It is easy to find pastors who

believe that their doctrine is correct, and that everyone in their local church believes as they

do, therefore as long as they love those in their own church, with their own specific doctrine,

they are fulfilling John 13:35. For some of these pastors and church leaders, anyone outside of

their local church, association or denomination is not worthy of love since they have been

deemed as a false teacher. As a result we have taken the truth and shown our nation that

there are thousands of differences as to which one of us has the real truth. We need to

recognize that while God is the same, yesterday and forever, the way he chooses to work with

men does vary. When Christ walked on this earth, he healed many people, but, he did it many

different ways. Sometimes he spoke to them, sometimes he touched them, sometimes he

made a mud and spread it on their eyes, sometimes he required something of them (pick up

your bed, go show yourselves to the leadership, etc.) Why? I dont know. But I do know that

when I hear other Christians share their experiences with my Savior, I dont have to have had

the same experience to appreciate God working in their lives.

Why is this important? The path I believe we need to walk to start Micro-churches is to allow

them to agree on some basic beliefs that we can all embrace. After that, I am willing to allow

these Micro-churches to start, spread and multiply without oversight by myself or some other

denomination group. In the name of oversight, we have tried to restrict the very hand of God as

he moves across this nation. I could never provide a count of all of the people I have met in the

last decade that have told me they have felt Gods call to lead or disciple others. However, they


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services week after week, month after month, year after year, with little to show for it except

for a greater knowledge of what the Bible has to say. While knowledge of the Bible is valuable

and important, I am always a bit dismayed when I see a leader who can quote a different

scripture every minute, but fails to help those listening understand how to save their marriage,

deal with stress and depression, etc.

Somehow, we need to help Christians connect with another person and disciple them. They

need to live Christ in front of another. They need to love another, and thus show the person(s)

they are discipling, the very nature of God. They need to eat, drink, walk, talk, fellowship

together with another person, taking the opportunities to apply the teachings of Christ to their

everyday lives. This is discipleship.


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Chapter 6

A New Idea!

I have an idea for a new ministry to help the church reform its image and definition of what is a

church and it is something that the institutional/traditional church could/should embrace. It

is really quite simple. If you accept the premise I present in this e-book, we need to create a

way to help the un-churched Christians connect with one another. We need to help them

understand they ARE the church. And, we need to help those individual Christians without a

connection to find each other and start new churches (two or more, gathered in the name of

Christ).

There are many exciting programs being put forth for churches to reach the un-churched, but

they assume the un-churched is defined as the non-Christian. Few recognize that the majority

of those that are un-churched certainly show signs that they want to follow Christ. Based upon

reports that I have received from online evangelism ministries, such as Global Media Outreach,

the number of people making decisions to follow Christ far outnumber those that are being

reported by all of our denominational churches. This is because while they are making decisions

to accept and follow Christ they do not want to join a church. The decision to accept Christ as

savior and to follow him as His disciple, doesntchange the decline in social capital nor excludes

the social trend that the personal communication age has brought about. These Christians are

not walking into church buildings, nor joining churches, nor are being added to traditional

membership lists.

From my perspective, the task and challenge before us are to help reach the un-churched

Christian. The goal isnt to reach them in order to change their mind about coming back to a

church building, but rather help them form into Micro-churches that can meet in homes, coffee

shops, in parks, and even under a shade tree. They need to connect with other Christians. The

reason they need to connect on a regular basis, two or more, in a home, apartment, under a

shade tree in the park, etc., is so that they can encourage one another to love, to do good

works and to support each other (Heb 10:23-25)


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I have a plan! We have established Love God, Love People Ministries

(www.lglpministries.com)with three goals that we believe will help fill the need for the un-

churched Christian.

First, we want to help inform people and bring about reform in the areas of defining a church

and discipleship. Second, we want to provide a place for Christian groups of two or more, to

register and be counted. There will be no cost to do this, but there will be rewards! We want to

provide a steady stream of content and information opportunities to those that stand to be

counted as a Micro-church. And, third, we will provide them with the opportunity to find others

in order to connect. We have set up LGLP Connect, where a person or persons can goto the

Internet link (www.lglpministries.com)and fill out a profile, answer a few questions, give their

testimony about becoming a Christian, and our service will help them find others in their area

where they can connect! Individuals that are not connected with anyone else, but who would

be interested in being a part of a Micro-church, can go to the site, fill out a profile and read the

profile of others and connect. Small groups (two or more) already meeting, can fill out a profile

and let others know they are open to connecting with more.

I have started gathering many of the most frequently asked questions (FAQ) that I have been

receiving with those that I have previously shared my vision. Here are a few of the questions,

with answers:

FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) about Love God, Love People Micro-churches

What is a Love God, Love People Micro-church?

Basically a micro church is a church. We call them micro because we believe, as most

Christians believe, that a church is people that gather together to pray, edify each other,

disciple each other, or to accomplish ministry and missions to others, regardless of how large

the group might be as long as it is two or more! However, it seems that most have placed other

requirements on what makes a church, a church. Some believe that you need to be a group

of people. While no one really has a firm number that they publish, we believe that Matthew

18:20 made it clear when it states: For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with
http://www.lglpministries.com/http://www.lglpministries.com/http://www.lglpministries.com/http://www.lglpministries.com/http://www.lglpministries.com/http://www.lglpministries.com/http://www.lglpministries.com/http://www.lglpministries.com/


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them. So, we believe that even if two people get together to accomplish gathering in Christs

name, on a regular basis, they are a church. To help us make the point about just how small

they can be (grin), we call them micro churches.

Because we want these new churches to be tolerant of each other, we want the common belief

that we are centered on to be important, but simple. Jesus died for our sins and paid the price

for our salvation. After he rose from the dead and as he was ascending into heaven, he told his

disciples to teach others to obey His commandments. There are 48 of them, and they center on

loving God and loving others, therefore we have centered on Love God, Love People (LGLP) as

the name of this ministry and the defining branding of our Micro-churches, Love God, Love

People Micro-church.

How big can a Love God, Love People Micro-church become?

Too many people have come to believe that a church is a building. While many will agree that a

building really isnt the church, it is easy to fall into the trap of thinking about the building

being the church. We say things like, See you at church tonight., or What time does your

church start? referring to specific meetings that take place in a building.

If a church has a building, they need to utilize it in every way possible. However, sometimes a

church building can be a burden instead of an asset. For example, check out this article I wrote

in the February 2013 issue of The American Church Magazineasking the very question about

our buildings being an asset or a burden:

http://www.theamericanchurchmag.com/2013_02/tacm2013_02coverstory.pdf.

So, how big do we think a Love God, Love People Micro-church can become? As big as they like

as long as they dont have to pay rent, utilities, take on a mortgage, or add the burden of a

building to their ministry. If they meet in a house, and you can get 20 together in one large

room, then your Micro-church should be limited to 20. Once you get more people, but run out

of free space to meet, it is time to multiply and divide into two churches! This is how we do

missions and start new churches!

Is the Love God, Love People Micro-Church a New Denomination?
http://www.theamericanchurchmag.com/2013_02/tacm2013_02coverstory.pdfhttp://www.theamericanchurchmag.com/2013_02/tacm2013_02coverstory.pdfhttp://www.theamericanchurchmag.com/2013_02/tacm2013_02coverstory.pdf


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No. There are already around 4,000 different Christian denominations in America. (Many more

depending on who is doing the counting.) We probably dont need another one. There are a

number of great sites on the Internet that help explain the differing beliefs of Christian

denominations (such as:http://churchrelevance.com/qa-list-of-all-christian-denominations-

and-their-beliefs/). Love God, Love People Ministries is all about encouraging Christians to join

together and start new churches (not traditional churches, but Micro-churches free from the

burden of buildings, paid clergy, and denominational doctrines). If one Love God, Love People

Micro-churches decides that the King James Bible is the only one to use, and another Love God,

Love People Micro-church believes other translations should be allowed, we think it is time for

such churches to embrace each other, accept our differences, and support what is really

important. What is important? Check out what we believe!

What do we believe?

We believe that Christianity isnt difficult to understand. In fact, Paul warned us to be careful to

not let Satan corrupt us from the simplicity that is found in Christ! (2 Corinthians 11:3) So, here

are the beliefs that we think should bind us as Love God, Love People Micro-churches.

We believe salvation is found in Christ when he paid the price for our sins on the cross(the wages of sin being death). His salvation is a free gift to anyone who asks for it and

makes a commitment to begin a relationship with Jesus and follow Him (become a

disciple). Simple.

We believe that the last commandment Christ gave us is central to what we should bedoing as Christians and as Love God, Love People Micro-churches. In Matthew 28:18-20,

as Christ was ascending up into heaven he told us to go and teach everyone to observe

all of the things he taught us, and to baptize them in the name of the Father, Son and

Holy Spirit. In studying the 48 commandments of Christ, as recorded in the four Gospels

of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, Christs commandments and teachings centered

around learning to better love God and love other people. Simple.

We believe that we are called to disciple others. This doesnt mean teaching them tomemorize scripture, pledge themselves to doctrines of denominations or commit to a
http://churchrelevance.com/qa-list-of-all-christian-denominations-and-their-beliefs/http://churchrelevance.com/qa-list-of-all-christian-denominations-and-their-beliefs/http://churchrelevance.com/qa-list-of-all-christian-denominations-and-their-beliefs/http://churchrelevance.com/qa-list-of-all-christian-denominations-and-their-beliefs/http://churchrelevance.com/qa-list-of-all-christian-denominations-and-their-beliefs/http://churchrelevance.com/qa-list-of-all-christian-denominations-and-their-beliefs/


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regime of spiritual disciplines, but rather it means we invite and inspire others to follow

Christ. To accept Him as Savior and to listen to the indwelling Holy Spirit as it guides

each individual on what is sin (things not to do) and righteousness (things we should be

doing). Simple.

We believe a church is a group (two or more) of Christians that join together to pray forone another, encourage one another, disciple one another, and accomplish mission and

ministry. (Matthew 5:16 Jesus told us to do good works that will cause others to glorify

our Father in heaven.) Simple.

There are hundreds, if not thousands of other beliefs that have separated us as

Christians/churches. Each person that holds to their belief about the origin or infallibility of the

Bible, their beliefs about spiritual gifts in todays church, their beliefs about the last days,

baptism (sprinkle or dunk), new births (dedicate or baptize), their list, however long or short, of

things we should or shouldnt do, how often to partake of the Lords supper and what kind of

bread we should be using, isnt what we hold as important. All of those who claim Christ as

their redeemer are our brother and sister. We can stand together, regardless of our differing

secondary beliefs. Love God, Love People Ministries is about starting or recognizing Micro-

churches. Simple.

How do I become or join a Love God, Love People Micro-church?

It is pretty simple (we love simple). If you are in a group of Christians (even if there are just two

of you) and you find yourself in agreement with what we believe, we encourage you to click on

the register your Micro-church button. You will be asked for a contact name and address as

well as an email address and phone number, if you wish to provide it. You will note that we

have a map that will show where all of our Love God, Love People Micro-churches are located.

After you register, a little tab will appear on our map designating your location.

Thats it! You are a church, not because we say you are, but because we believe that you meet

the Biblical requirements to define you as a church!


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What if you want to find more that would like to join you OR you are alone and dont know of

anyone else that would like to connect, meet, and become a Love God, Love People Micro-

church? No problem, we have created a special LGLP Connect service. It works very similarly

to an online dating service. You register setting up a password and use a site name (such as

KansasCitySteve). Then fill out the profile questions, including your testimony. In the LGLP

Connect service, you will be asked if you are alone, or are in a Love God, Love People Micro-

church and looking for more people. Read the profiles of others in your area, and if you feel led

to make a connection, feel free to do so. Make some new friends, and if you feel the Spirit

leading, unite and begin to meet together to pray for each other, encourage each other,

disciple each other and do ministry and missions. Guess what? You will have become a part of a

Love God, Love People Micro-church.

If you are alone and connect with another person, and the two of you start to meet together,

be sure to come back to our site and register as a new Love God, Love People Micro-church.

Why Register? And does it cost any money?

We would like for you to register because we believe God is starting a new movement, a

movement of churches that have redefined what it means to be a church. Churches centered

on true discipleship, ministry and mission, not centered on raising money for buildings or paid

staff. When you register you stand up to be counted, and we believe God will use your stand to

inspire others.

There is no cost to register and become a Love God, Love People Micro-church.

As individuals, we are not concerned if you start a LGLP Micro-church that meets on a Tuesday

evening (for example) and yet you also attend or are a member of an institutional traditional

church. I love corporate worship and the opportunity to join with others in singing praise to our

Lord. We will continue to encourage the institutional/traditional church to become involved in

this new Micro-church movement (see more below), and hope that many will agree that church

membership shouldnt hold Christians from getting together with other Christians, and in doing

so, they become a church!


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When you register, you will receive our newsletter with informative articles and content to help

inspire your Micro-church. In addition, you will receive information via email with other

opportunities to explore what it means to be a church. You will receive invites to online live

webinars as well as conferences hosted by Love God, Love People Ministries. Some conferences

and other training opportunities might involve a fee if you wish to take advantage of the

information or opportunity, but there is NO fee or cost to become a Love God, Love People

Micro-church.

When visiting our website, you will find an opportunity to donate to the ministry of Love God,

Love People Ministries if you feel led. We have a great vision for what God can do with this

ministry, but it is a non-profit and we will trust God to provide the funding to expand and

enhance this ministry.

What about institutional/traditional churches?

Love God, Love People Ministries hopes to have a part in encouraging many institutional/

traditional churches in joining us in helping to start one million LGLP Micro-churches. In our

ministry, we see no competition. Some institutional/traditional churches are working with us in

encouraging their members to go to their homes and start new Love God, Love People Micro-

churches. They can reach new people, impact their neighborhoods, and STILL be involved (and

hopefully retain membership) in their institutional/traditional church. And, we believe if an

institutional/traditional church works to start Micro-churches across their city, their role in

ministry will see new opportunities. For example, instead of working to bring the un-churched

Christian into their buildings on Sunday morning for traditional worship, they could provide

more Christian Conference opportunities for those involved in LGLP Micro-churches in their

city. The institutional/traditional church could host a number of exciting conferences, concerts,

Christian dinner theater, marriage enrichment ministry, divorce recovery ministry, etc., etc.,

and have a much larger group of people that could become involved as more and more Micro-

churches start around their city.

The church buildings we have now can be an asset to ministry, and these

institutional/traditional churches could see a vast increase in the numbers of people they


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minister to. Of course the business plan and financial budgets would need to be adjusted, and

as they experience a decrease in the number of people attending on a Sunday morning (and a

decrease in offering that is continuing to happen to our churches now), they could find that

providing ministry to Micro-churches not only a great opportunity, but from fees collected from

such events, a new way to receive the capital needed to sustain their present and new

ministries.

Some may feel that there will be a loss of opportunity and ministry if we see our

institutional/traditional churches continue to decline and the Christians in America either end

up in a Mega-church or a Micro-church, but frankly, the Micro-church concept opens up many

new doors of opportunity. For example, we have witnessed the growth of the home school. Yet,

students that are home schooled do not have to find themselves excluded from team sports,

choirs, drama opportunities, etc., as many home school communities unite to provide these

events for their students. This is what I believe could happen for many institutional/traditional

churches. As they encourage their membership to start LGLP Micro-churches, they can be the

community to bring everyone back for corporate opportunities, events, conferences, concerts,

etc.

Will There Be Problems?

Of course there will be issues to overcome as Love God, Love People Ministriesand Micro-

churches begin to register and start. What flavor of Christianity will these Micro-churches

take? Will they become fundamental or possibly charismatic? Who will provide oversight? Who

will provide credentials? For example, who will determine when and how often a Micro-church

should partake of the Lords Supper?

None of the questions above concern me. When you give birth to a child, you do the best you

can to provide direction and instruction, but you know that giving birth is not the same as

cloning. Each person has free will. Each person must have their own personality, goals anddesires that make them unique. Will all Micro-churches be the same? Of course not!

For the last 25 years I have served as Founder and Editor of Christian Computing Magazine. The

magazine is completely non-denominational. I have had the privilege to work with Christians in

all denominations. I have had the honor to speak and preach at churches all over this nation,

both denominational and independent. As a result, I have discovered many Christians in all


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denominations. Micro-churches will establish their own secondary belief systems (the items

that seem to separate us as Christians and caused us to form into denominations). However, if

they stay true to the doctrine of salvation through the redemptive work of Christ and

concentrate on his teachings, great things will be accomplished.

Can a Micro-church be affiliated with a denomination? There is certainly no problem in doing so

as far as Love God, Love People Ministries is concerned. However, I believe few

denominations will allow a Micro-church to be recognized as a church.

What about curriculum or materials for use when a Micro-church gets together? I am sure we

will begin to produce and/or recommend great studies, books and programs.

What about children? Can a Micro-church accomplish traditional Sunday School? I am sure each

Micro-church will figure out a path that will work for them depending on if or how many

children they have to deal with. While a pastor of an institutional/traditional church, I raised my

two sons. They were always in Sunday School. However, we also did nightly Bible stories and

devotions and I was the one to talk to both, when they were old enough, about making the

decision to accept Christ as their savior. Maybe with the birth of more Micro-churches, more

parents will assume a more active role in the Christianeducation of their children, instead of

depending on one hour of Sunday School each week.

And, finally, will the Micro-church program be the salvation for all institutional/traditional

churches? Of course not! I predict that some institutional/traditional churches will continue on

and do just fine, supported by a congregation that still values such corporate worship or

ministry opportunities. I predict many institutional/traditional churches will go ahead and closetheir doors in the next six to ten years, simply because their pastors and their congregations are

not able to change. I hope to be able to continue to help them as they continue their vital

ministry to their congregations. However, I also hope to see some institutional/traditional

churches accept the Micro-church plan and encourage their members to go forth and start

dozens and even hundreds of new churches. I hope to see them adapt their ministry, their

programs and the use of their buildings to provide exciting conferences, training opportunities,

concerts and more for the Micro-churches that exist all around their buildings.


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Chapter 7

The Church is About to Transform!

Imagine what might happ

the new protestant reformation

Documents