The State of the Church in the U.S.

It isn't too rare to hear someone bemoaning the state of the church in the U.S. "What we need is a good old-fashioned revival", some will say. I beg to differ, and I do so for a number of reasons.

1. Amy and I have visited well over 40 churches this year. Now that may not be a huge cross-section of churches in the country, but it is enough to know that we have been very encouraged by the state of the churches we visited. They are reaching out to their communities, they are commited to the missionary vision of the C&MA, and most of them are growing. Is there room for improvement? Sure, there always is. But there is also room for celebrating God, at work in these churches.

2. Sometimes the statement that we need revival is, in my opinion, a desire for a quick fix. We want something immediate. There is no replacement for good 'ole obedience. Sometimes that is what we have to focus on more than bemoaning the fact that we don't have "revival" going. We have seen "revival" in some of the plain old obedience we have seen in the churches we visit.

3. Pastors, by and large, have a very difficult task. It isn't easy to lead a church into obedience and growth. We have been blessed by the pastors we have met and their commitment to the "hard stuff" of ministry. I salute those of you who are pastors. Don't give up! Press on! You are a blessing. For those of you reading this, who aren't pastors, tell your pastor how much you appreciate him.

Well, those are just some quick thoughts regarding the state of the church in America. The statistics for the church overall, are not too great. But we have been blessed by the churches we have visited and the future is looking bright, at least in those churches. Let us all press on for the prize.