Why Start Another Church?
“If the Great Commission is to be realized, all people need to hear the gospel and experience church in a language they can understand. One size does not fit all… churches must find their biblical expression in every culture.” – Dr. Ed Stetzer, Breaking the Missional Code
Some poles would suggest that as little as 26% of Americans are attending Church. In the United States 80% of all churches in America are plateaud or declining.
“Our research has shown that most of the influence on what people think and do comes from just seven sources: movies, television, music, family, books, law, and the Internet. That same body of research shows that the local church has virtually no discernible influence on people’s lives.” Barna, Revolution
According to a recent News Week article about faith in America 34% of the participants claimed to be spiritual, but not religious. Of these “spiritual” people, only 27% say they attended church at least once a week. George Barna reports that between 1991 and 2004 there was a 92% increase in the number of unchurched Americans.
In the Joplin metro area 42% of the population (roughly 70K people) claimed no religious affiliation.