17) Religious Freedom. Protestant pastors reported that typical church attendance is only 85% of pre-pandemic levels, McConnell said, while research by the Survey Center on American Life and the University of Chicago found that in spring 2022 67% of Americans reported attending church at least once a year, compared with 75% before the pandemic. Historically, sexism has manifested predominantly as men being advantaged while women are disadvantaged, harmed, and marginalized. It is simply the next decision they have to make. 4. We are the generation that is opting to own homes at a far lower rate than previous generations did. Offices and stores were reopening. Taking concrete steps forward is not meant merely to be corrective, as if the goal is fixing problems. "The church needs to quit talking quite so much about visions, plans, strategies, new teachings, authors, bands, missions, buildings, teams and heresies," advises Brad Vanderburg. And when that gets to a critical point, churches close. The recent Massachusetts state law, which forces churches to allow transgender people to use church bathrooms and shower facilities of their choice, is just the tip of the iceberg. After the research phase is complete, we compile a report that highlights the themes that emerged. This is where Gravity Congregational Transformation can help. It begins by listening to your people and learning from them how they experience difficult issues, how they see your congregation, and what motivates their thinking and acting. 3) Disembodied Tendencies. Much of my writing is for the church or about the church, and my forthcoming book Uncomfortable (Crossway, 2017) is a love letter to and for the church in all her awkward, painful, challenging glory. If wrong, make the next one! We also help you craft a plan to step into transformative new practices. The end goal is not endless dialogue, but action, particularly the kinds of embodied practices your church can do to lean into the new life God is making available. The world was taken aback by the virus. For many (very valid) reasons, younger generations today have a real distrust of authority. That means these issues often produce trauma and abuse in our congregations. Both church leaders and members can get ornery and critical as a consequence of their exhaustion. Integrity is wholeness (integer = whole number), all parts of our lives integrated and reflective of the Lordship of Christ. 7. What are some of the greatest challenges facing church leaders right The mandated closure of businesses across the country has led to massive job loss. About 4,500 Protestant churches closed in 2019, the last year data is available, with about 3,000 new churches opening, according to Lifeway Research. But some of the other answers are not so much logistics. The challenges of today's church are many and it is difficult to define which are the most ominous. One of the reasons young adults feel disconnected from church or from faith is the tension they feel between Christianity and science. And there has not been sufficient growth in discipleship that is comparable to the growth in numbers. We must remember that the *virus* is our enemy- not science or medicine- they are our allies. We have spoken to countless pastors who tell us the biggest surprise of the pandemic as a church leader was all the new decisions they had to make. With the pandemic speeding up a broader trend of Americans turning away from Christianity, researchers say the closures will only have accelerated. A stationary ship which is just starting is slow to turn, but a ship that is moving, however slowly, turns much quicker. You have to be nimble and roll with the situation. 91% of us expect to stay in a job less than 3 years. Canada, Britain, France, Australia, New Zealand, the nones rise much earlier, the wake of the 1960s the baby boom generation, this kind of big, growing separation of kind of traditional Christian moral morality, Bullivant said. 2) Presence. maybe some women in your congregation feel marginalized and wounded by recent teaching on gender roles), dont settle for a false peace (see Jeremiah 6:14). I think all of us who got vaccinated feel somewhat cheated, hoping that the vaccine would help us get back to normal unmasked church life. We need to remember that, while the members of our church may have trusted in Jesus and therefore have hope, our communities are filled with people who have not heard the gospel and do not have hope. 1. What is the greatest challenge in the church today? - Ligonier Ministries A perfect decision is impossible to find in the best of circumstances. Now that was interesting! Ken, Of course, churches have survived greater challenges and endured greater changes in the past 2,000 years. Ken, I can relate to the frustration. There are many challenges facing the church today from increasing hostility toward Judeo-Christian values and the aftermath of COVID, to the latest statistics showing a concerning trend with shrinking Christian influence over the up-and-coming generations. Public health is also in the Torah when lepers were to be put outside the camp. This was ancient quarantine. 15) The Need for Racial Reconciliation. The be and do whatever feels right to you philosophy of expressive individualism is fundamentally at odds with Christianity, which calls us to bow to the lordship of Christ.