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IN AMERICA TODAY…. Most Americans say they are Christians, but a majority are not born-again. 180 to 190 million people in the U.S. are not born again. If those people were a nation, it would be the fourth largest nation in the world. IN AMERICA TODAY….
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IN AMERICA TODAY… • Most Americans say they are Christians, but a majority are not born-again. • 180 to 190 million people in the U.S. are not born again. • If those people were a nation, it would be the fourth largest nation in the world.
IN AMERICA TODAY… • There are 324,000 Protestant & 20,000 Roman Catholic congregations in the U.S. • One-half of all churches in America do not add one new member through “conversion” growth per year.
IN AMERICA TODAY… • About 1/3 of the adult population are unchurched – 95 to 100 million people. • The unchurched are those who have not attended a Christian church service in the last six months, other than special events. • If the unchurched were a nation, it would be the eleventh largest nation in the world.
CHARACTERISTICS OF THE UNCHURCHED The unchurched are more likely than the norm of the population: • To be male. • To have experienced a divorce. • To have more education. • To have a larger income.
WHY PEOPLE HAVE DROPPED OUT OF CHURCH • They disliked the hypocritical behavior of church people. • They disliked the strict and inflexible beliefs of the church. • The church was not compelling. 21% give each response.
REASONS WHY PEOPLEDO NOT ATTEND A CHURCH • Too busy to do so. • The church has nothing of interest to offer them. • Their religious beliefs are different from those who attend church. • They do not believe in organized religion or in the need to worship at a church.
THE STATE OF THE CHURCH • North America is the only continent where Christianity is not growing. • It is estimated that 53,000 people in the United States leave churches everyweek and never come back.
ACCORDING TO BARNA RESEARCH… Of the 425,000 churches in America: • 85% have reached a plateau or are declining. • 15% are growing because of transfer growth. • 5% are growing because of conversion growth.
The State of the Church in America… • Each year, around 3,750 churches close their doors. • Each year, 1,300 new churches are started. • In the past fifty years, U.S. churches have failed to gain an additional 2 percent of the American population.
IN WISCONSIN… • 41 Christian churches/churches of Christ in WI & UP • 24 churches are under 100 • 70% of the population are unchurched.
IN WISCONSIN… • “The single most effective evangelistic methodology under heaven is the planting of new churches.” • Dr. Peter Wagner, Fuller Seminary