If We Can't Reach the Dechurched, Can We Really Reach the Unchurched?

If We Can't Reach the Dechurched, Can We Really Reach the Unchurched?

Or another way to ask this might be: Are the keys to being effective at reaching the Unchurched to be found in the Dechurched? George Barna states that recently Dechurched Christians represent the largest growth rate of any segment they monitor. Few churches in America are unaffected by this growing trend. This may be old news to you, but my question is this: Could thoughtful dialog with this group provide insights to not only open our front door, but close our backdoor as well? If our campaigns to reach the Unchurched have been weak or unfruitful, is it possible we could be ignoring a group that represents a more immediate potential for cityreaching and community transformation and a key to reaching every other group?

If you think so, and if you have a heart for the Dechurched, I have some thoughts and ideas I'd like you to consider:

THOUGHTS:

1. Would it make more sense to first become the kind of church that is highly effective in reaching the Dechurched?
2. What we can learn from the Dechurched, may be more important than what they can learn from us.
3. Collaboration, rather than assimilation, may be a more appropriate goal to set with regard to the Dechurched.
4. This collaboration, done right, could produce the most transformational impact on your ministry and your community of any program presently in place.

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Comment by Spirit on March 26, 2009 at 5:57pm
Dechurched, I did not realize there was a name for this group of people. Is this the group of people that no longer assembly in a traditional church, but have found a non-traditional way to honor, praise, and give thanks to Our Father??? If the answer is yes, I have a question. And this is a question I am not finding an answer for. My poor husband has tried to explain it to me 5 million times, but I am not understanding. My husband was recently licensed as a Minister. We are continuously praying to be in God's will as He directes our steps. BUT...one thing I have to constantly pray about is finding comfort inside the traditional church, being a Minister's wife. When God first started getting my full attention (and He has ways of doing that!!!) I was attending my families church. My grandfather is a deacon and felt it was important for me to be involved in a church comittee of some kind, so he put me on the finance comittee. MAJOR MISTAKE! When I witness the behavior of the people in the church, it absolutely ran me away. I left the church for years, but never lost my desire to go back. When I did finally go back, I joined a mega church in my city and that was fine with me. I was one of 9,000. No comittes, just go, get my word, worship God, and leave. I had people around me I fellowshipped with, but not in my church. Then I get married, my husband has a calling on his life, now I am a Minister's wife, back at the same type of small church I ran from...with the same issues going on. My husband and I often talk about the importance of going to the "local" traditional church, but I still am not seeing it biblically. First, WE are the church. Yes scripture says do not forsake the assembly...When two or more gather in MY name..., why is this limited to a "local" traditional church? If people gather, in a home, with a true sincere desire to learn God's word and grow spiritually, why does it matter where they are? There is so much wrong in the church that I understand why it is so under attack. BUT...I also understand that GOD will separate the wheat from the tare (sp).

I don't know, sorry I wrote so much, but when i cam across this blog, it just wore me out all over again : )

I guess when God is ready to reveal to me what I need to know, it will happen. It just hurts my heart that so many people claim to love God, but have no control of the way they live their lives, the way they treat people, and so on. The love has left the church!!!

~First
Comment by Micah RaSun-Vann on March 21, 2009 at 1:58pm
Powerful Insight!!!!! If I understand you to mean the dechurched being those saints who have replaced assemblying them by TV evangelist or just praying and reading their bible at home. If so I would this group is a great starting place for any ministry who is really concerned about the winning of souls.

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