Creative Scribble

If influence is a key word, the question must be asked who are we influencing? "Disconnected" is the key word that keeps surfacing as the answer to that question.

Notice this isn't just the catch all term "the lost." That generally refers to people who don't know Jesus. They are obviously disconnected! But one thing I'm finding here in the south is that a lot of people were once connected to Jesus. Then their church, a family member, or pastor stepped in and screwed them up. So for years, maybe decades, they have given up on the church - not Jesus - the church. They are disconnected.

So are some churches. Nearly 4,000 churches die each year. That means they shut their doors never to open again. On top of that, 80% of America's churches have plateaued or are declining and of the 20% that are growing, only 3% are growing because of new believers coming to Christ. That tells us that more than 99% of America's churches are disconnected from what Jesus said we are supposed to be doing.

So if we are going to be a church of influence, we want to influence the disconnected. Those who have never been connected, those who have become disconnected from the church, and those churches who have lost connection with the Great Commission.

How will we do that? Those key words are coming soon!