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What does 'the Church' offer that could possibly replace all of the technology and the entertainment that is available at the fingertips (literally) of the average youth of today? Why do the youth even have a need for a God, let alone their committing themselves to a church that is either too boring or one that tries so hard to emulate 'the world' and capture the youth that it comes across as phony ...even to the youth? How can God compete with that piece of plastic that they clutch to so desperately, a device that is their lifeline to a world that can provide the illusion of their having many friends? Narcissism is the new religion of the youth as well as the 'non-youth'. Who is going to give up this to sit in some stuffy or phony church? Why does anyone not born into the Church - thanks to their parents - feel the need for a God nowadays? What can God do for them that technology cannot do?
These are genuine questions, by the way. Your thoughts . . .?
Community prayer and meditation. Is there a phone app for that?
Yes. The Kingdom of God is within you
That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might FEEL after him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us.
Our concept of this angry sin hating godfather God up in the skies needs to be done away with or we will never know how to seek God, feel him and know he's closer than breathing.
Yes. The Kingdom of God is within you
That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might FEEL after him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us.
Our concept of this angry sin-hating godfather God up in the skies needs to be done away with or we will never know how to seek God, feel him and know he's closer than breathing.
That is the real problem, pcamps. If there is even a tinge of fear in their heart it prevents reception of the love that God IS. Fear casts out all love and vice versa.
That is the real problem, pcamps. If there is even a tinge of fear in their heart it prevents reception of the love that God IS. Fear casts out all love and vice versa.
We should all fear the wrath of God, but at the same time recognise his mercy and forgiveness. The strong focus on sexual sin since around the turn of the century has overpowered the main gospel message in a lot of churches. People aren't hearing the messages of selflessness, helping the world's underpriviledged and turning away from materialism. These are all messages that should sing just as well for today's youth as they always have, but the loud minority of Christians who belong to non-traditional churches are being treated like ambassadors for the world's largest, most diverse religion. If the secularised millennial kids actually heard what churches like the Lutherans, Methodists, Presbyterians, Anglicans, most Catholics and et cetera were preaching about, we'd see a shift in attitudes. Religion in general suffers from the most negative stereotype being the most believed: the money-grubbing Jew, the Muslim terrorist; the gay-hating, racist Christian, and so on. Most people could benefit a lot from educating themselves a bit more on the many faiths of the world, Christianity included
If all that young people know of church is from the evangelical side, they will need to be shown how different the mainline beliefs are. It would be helpful to know that your church is not so ******-******* depressing and spirit-destroying.
Evangelicals/ fundamentalists are fairly well versed on mainline beliefs and liturgical churches, and even those of Pentecostal/ charismatic (which are also aberrant in their view).
But learning about it is not the same as experiencing it.
In saying that many liturgical church members have never researched evangelical views, and feel no need -until they are challenged by such viewpoints.
I rarely come across evangelicals in day to day life, as even most Protestants here are mainline or "high church" in nature, and most "born agains" are of the charismatic variety.
Churches such as the Lutheran, Anglican (Episcopalian/C of E) and Presbyterian churches, as well as others such as the Methodist church, et cetera, were once some of the largest churches in the world, but today have rapidly dwindling membership, and a disproportionately elderly population that ensures further shrinkage. Young, secular folk continue to flock to Evangelical, fundamentalist and charismatic churches, however the same can not be said for mainline protestant churches. What can be done to draw youth back to these once highly influential churches?
Probably not much. The trend is atheism and agnosticism. People are wising up thank goodness.
Stop TEACHING the bible and return to teaching unconditional COMPASSION, MERCY and SERVICE towards our neighbors.
IF you actually know what true, spiritual unconditional love is and if you can obtain a description of it from forumites, I think you will find that anyone else who knows is hard, if not impossible, to find. It usually takes a mystic to know such things. Everyone else relies on human (carnal) experience.
Churches such as the Lutheran, Anglican (Episcopalian/C of E) and Presbyterian churches, as well as others such as the Methodist church, et cetera, were once some of the largest churches in the world, but today have rapidly dwindling membership, and a disproportionately elderly population that ensures further shrinkage. Young, secular folk continue to flock to Evangelical, fundamentalist and charismatic churches, however the same can not be said for mainline protestant churches. What can be done to draw youth back to these once highly influential churches?
What can be done? Preaching the Gospel can be done. Some of them do...but sadly, many of them have gone liberal and they are instead only social clubs....of old folks. It's interesting when kids don't want to hang out with senior citizens, huh?
Stop TEACHING the bible and return to teaching unconditional COMPASSION, MERCY and SERVICE towards our neighbors.
If a pastor is teaching the Bible, that's what he is teaching.
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