D o m i n i c R o s a t o

A Way Forward

Taken from a WayForward training in 2024.

The American Evangelical Church has a crisis of disciple-making today. We see it when Churches have stopped training disciple-makers and instead focus on leadership development pipelines. It comes to the surface when Church dollars are set aside for better Sunday experiences and marketing campaigns. It comes to the surface when Churches stop focusing on the spiritual formation of their people but hyper focus on growth strategies. It’s a little ironic but the way to grow is actually to go deep with people, not wide. 

Research from The Cultural Research Center at Arizona Christian University 2023 recently showed merely 6% of self-identified Christians actually are “integrated disciples” who possess a biblical worldview with corresponding beliefs and behaviors. In other words, Christians today are not very Christ-like. 

The late Tim Keller wrote, in The Decline and Renewal of the American Church, that “in general, the progressive mainline Protestantism that is still in existence [today] is no real way forward for the American church.” For the first time in our nation’s history, most major churches, church groups, and denominations have stopped growing and begun to shrink. They have begun to diminish, reversing trends of over two centuries. This decrease reveals the discipleship crisis and the decline of Christianity in America forcing us to rethink new solutions as a way forward for Jesus followers. 

A few solutions for us to consider: 

  1. The Gospel of the Kingdom: Followers of Jesus first belong to his Kingdom Community. The local church is not the Kingdom. We must think bigger than our individual selves, churches, denominations, and environments to see what God is up to.
  2. Theo-Drama vs Ego-Drama: The drama of life that we find ourselves in does not revolve around ourselves only and no one else (ego). God (theo) is on the move and all Christians must be aligning themselves to his direction, purposes, and commands on a daily basis.
  3. Know Scripture & The Power of God – Jesus tells the Pharisees who are trying to contradict him in Matthew 22:29 that they are wrong in their beliefs and actions because “they know neither the Scriptures nor the power of God” (ESV). We must immerse ourselves in God’s word and believe/demonstrate the power of God. 
  4. Emphasize Sacrifice Over Personal Benefit: Sacrifice takes prayer, repentance, and service to others. People try to be first in the economy of merit (the world) but people must serve first in the economy of the Kingdom. 
  5. The Gospel Actually Changes People: It’s evident throughout scripture that the gospel is the power of God unto salvation. “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes” (Romans 1:16). Salvation changes people – not through converts, any religion can do that – but shows us that the Gospel is the only truth in the world that can really transform people, save people forever, and bring them to everlasting joy with God. 

There are many other solutions that could be said to achieve a new way forward for Jesus followers today. But I believe these are a great starting point.