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Ran across this article online. It talks about the state of the church in America today. Very eye-opening and a bit disheartening. However...

It's why I love being a part of a church-planting church like New Life! Some people see the doom and gloom of religious organizations. I think we see opportunities! It is said that some of the best ideas and opportunities have come during the worst economic times in our country's history. Could this be true of churches?

Sometimes we forget that life is about birth, life, and death. Everything dies. Maybe we hold on too long to what we once had, or felt, or experienced, or hoped for. Maybe our best bet is to let things die off and new births happen.

Maybe it is a good thing that churches are dying. Maybe it allows church plants to come in and revitalize a town, a people. Statistics show the churches today making the biggest difference in communities are church plants. Are they perfect? Nope. Do they fail? Yep. Do they have all the answers? No way. But more often than not, they bring enthusiasm, hope, community impact, excitement and life to an area.

So I see opportunities that abound after reading this article, not doom and gloom. And maybe it's time to close a few church doors and open some new ones and see if that changes our religious landscape.

So where to next?

Chad Simpkins, Haymarket Campus Pastor