I realize that change can be quite discomforting for many people.  But unless we embrace changes in the way we do youth ministry, many young people may miss heaven.

The latest survey from the Barna Research Group speaks volumes.  In "Most Twentysomethings Put Christianity on the Shelf Following Spiritually Active Teen Years," the survey revealed "that a majority of twentysomethings - 61% of today’s young adults - had been churched at one point during their teen years but they are now spiritually disengaged (i.e., not actively attending church, reading the Bible, or praying).

And if current technology can make the job of youth leaders more productive, we’re here to help!

“My kids are leaving MySpace and moving to Oikos.”  
This according to Vince Farrell, youth pastor of Faith Church in Florence, Alabama.  Faith is a cutting-edge church with a very large youth group.

With Oikos, young people are protected from online predators and inappropriate ads. 

Check out our demo: http://demo.oikosconsole.com

I believe the Church in the 21st Century must awaken to the reality of its present mission and embrace all of its foundational, biblical principles.  We must become relevant; walk the talk that communicates our passion for God and compassion for people. 

As Christians we must recapture our "state of innocence" in trusting and obeying God. To do so means that we must be willing to allow God opportunity to bring the needed changes to our lives that foster transformation according to His design.

Consider the current state of Christianity in the today:

• 85% of the 350,000+ churches in today are stagnant or in decline. Six out of ten Americans believe the church is irrelevant. Only one out of three pastors believes the church is making a positive impact on American culture - George Barna Research Group
  
• Evangelical churches have failed to gain an additional 2% of the American population in the past 50 years. In other words, we are not even reaching our own children. - American Society for Church Growth
  
• North America is the only continent where Christianity is not growing. - George Gallop, Church in the World Today
  
• During the last 10 years the combined communicant membership of all Protestant denominations has declined by 9.5% while the national population has increased by 11%. What’s more, not one county in the US has a higher percentage of churched people than it did 10 years ago. - Charles Arn Institute of Church Growth
• Half of all churches last year did not add one new member through conversion growth. - American Society for Church Growth
  
• Approximately 70 to 80% of all church growth in the country can be attributed to the movement of Christians from one church to another. - George Barna Research Group
  
• 4,000 Churches close each year in the US and 3,500 people leave the Church each year committed not to return.  One-half of all ministry students are out of the ministry within five years of graduation.  Only 12% of churches are growing but only by way of transfer growth from other churches.  Only 3% are growing by conversion growth. 167 to 187 million non-Christians live in America, making us the fourth largest mission field in the world. The Church is growing on every continent except North America - "A Snapshot of the Church" from the McAlvany Intelligence Report 

Christians are starving to death!

Churches everywhere are filled with Christians who are starving to death for meaningful relationships, passionate spirituality, and purpose.  The are searching for a place to belong…grow…and participate in the building of "life-giving community."  Many Christians are inside the church walls hoping for better times; others are "displaced" outside the walls hoping for change in the Church.

We cannot afford wasting time in addressing people’s needs and church problems with the same level of thinking that helped create them in the first place. To do so would suggest an insane process – “doing the same things over and over again…expecting different results.”

We must prepare and position ourselves for a "paradigm shift" in awareness…attitude…and application.  Maybe it’s time for the 21st Century Church to re-engineer and recapture its true essence.  I am thankful for those churches that have heard the voices of those "crying in the wilderness" and answered the call.

My hope is that more will have "ears to hear."  

We all need prayerful support.  I am greatly encouraged when I hear someone say to me, “I’m praying for you.”  I also cannot imagine going through life without my prayerful conversations with the Lord each day. 

Quentin Schultze is a communications professor at Calvin College in Grand Rapids, Michigan. He has authored many books on the subject of good communications, especially the internet.

In an article (http://www.youthspecialties.com/articles/topics/culture/internet.php?) published on the Youth Specialties website, Schultze is asked, “What will be the most significant Internet development as they concern the Christian community?”  He says, “Christian women have formed strong online prayer groups and chat areas that serve their own gender interest.” 

Small groups of intercessors can privately gather together for prayer, or they can open the door to public ministry.  Local churches can have their own “virtual prayer room” where people gather, chat, and pray.  Out in the community, a closely-connected group of intercessors from different churches could have one too.

Unique prayer environments could be created for personal prayer or group intercession.  Groups could be linked together for “concerts of prayer” and strategic intercession.  This can happen in a local community, city-wide movement, or global outreach. 

In our Virtual Prayer Room intercessors can talk and unite in prayer.  They can accept prayer requests and minister to people’s needs, day or night.  Testimonies of answered prayers can be posted; giving people hope.  People can return to the prayer room…time and time again.

 
Think about the possibilities:  real people…real time…real prayer, 24/7 – 365.  People and prayer – united together; anytime, anywhere…all over the planet.

“The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective (James 5:16, NIV).”

I believe in miracles.  Even though I don’t see them happen as often as I would like, I still believe.  We have one going on in our family, right now.

Glenda, my wife’s sister, lives in Oklahoma City. 

She was young in the Lord and full of faith.  So, she reached over and laid her hand on the radio.  When the minister finished praying, something happened to Glenda.  From that point on, she was totally delivered from smoking.  She gave God all the glory.

These latter years have also added a number of pounds to her body.  She’s been depressed about her weight and about her smoking.  Around the first part of this year, Glenda decided in her heart that God is powerful and able to help her with her frustrations.

She began reading her Bible more each day.  She prayed hard about her situation.  She exercised her faith…and Jesus empowered her.  Once again, a miracle has happened!  She has been delivered from smoking; and on top of that, she’s lost an enormous amount of weight.  Usually people gain weight after they quit smoking.  Not in Glenda’s case.

Do miracles still happen today?  You bet they do, and Glenda is a living testimony of God’s goodness.

Life can be both challenging and frustrating at times, especially when you are emotionally and spiritually drained. 

Loving family and good friends can help during these times.  This was true of my good friend, Wayne, who has gone to be with the Lord.  Wayne was a big burley guy with a tender heart as big as Texas.

He was perhaps the funniest man I’ve ever met.  Always jolly; always caring about family and friends.  Everyone loved them.  Whenever he walked into a room, people gravitated toward his warm, caring personality.  He had an extraordinary talent for “reading” people and their needs.    

Whenever I was down or feeling blue, I could always count on my ole pal, Wayne, for encouragement.  He would say, “Mike, keep your chin up.  Everything will be alright.”

Stand up tall, lift up your chin, and look unto Jesus.  Take the apostle’s Peter’s advice and “Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you (I Peter 5:7,NIV).”

There are days when you have the strength to be encouraging; and then, there are days you need encouragement.  The more I walk the path of life each day, I realize a couple of things.  The truth be known, all of us would like a little peace and happiness each day.

The Apostle Paul said, "And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus (Phil. 4:7, NIV)."  What’s very interesting about this is the fact that Paul was in prison when he wrote this.  Yet somehow he found peace that transcends all understanding.

Peace and happiness may seem out of reach at times; especially in our daily life.  However, they may be only a single prayer and a decision away from reality.

Perhaps one of the greatest cries of people today is for authentic Christian Community. 

These three words can each stand alone and mean so much.  But when put together, they become synergistic and very powerful.  This synergism produces an environment with enormous appeal; one everyone hopes to experience.  Let’s look at each of these words.

What best defines authentic?  How about genuine or real…true or unquestionable?  I consider my wife to be one of the most authentic people I know.  With her, what you see…is what you get.  Her passion for life and compassion for people is truly authentic. 

She desires authentic (true) relationships, especially with members of her family.  This is very important to her.  She believes authentic relationships must have the capacity for depth and maturity; without this, they are very shallow.

So, what about the word Christian?  What exactly is a good definition?  For me, Christian means full-devoted disciple of Jesus Christ – ambassador of faith, hope, and love.  Finding relationships with genuine Christians is so inviting and life-giving.  You can talk for hours about life, family, and the Lord. 

Community is the last word that completes this synergistic environment.  I sometimes define community as the birthplace of common purpose; the seed-bed of mutuality and unity.  For me, community is more than a place.  It represents value, attitude, and vision.  I believe community is something we all desire; without it, we are alone.

Benjamin Franklin once said: "we can all hang together, or surely we will all hang separately."

Each of the words in authentic Christian community invites something unique.  Each resonates with possibility and imagination!  Put it all together, and you have an amazing synergistic environment, where the output is far greater that the sum of the inputs. 

Authentic Christian community is a transformational environment where people truly cared about each other.  No one feels alone; everyone feels needed.  Relationships are life-giving; serving as avenues for mutual understanding and respect.  Everyone finds hope and experiences God’s love.

Can such an environment truly exist?

Call me an idealist, but I believe authentic Christian community is possible; in fact, I experience everyday in relationship with my wife.  I’ve also experienced it with my family, friends, and co-workers.

In simple terms authentic Christian community is a place where faith, hope, and love are permanent residences, and people are invited to move in next door.

Throughout the years I’ve learned that authentic Christian community really begins in me.  Many times my search has brought me to my own doorstep with these questions: “What’s in my neighborhood?  Would anyone really want to take up residence next to me?”

Something to think about.

Today was an exciting experience.  We were invited to make a presentation about Oikos to group of Baptist pastors at their county association office.  I got a chance to meet some old friends and meet some new ones.

I am a firm believer that God orchestrates personal relationships for divine purposes.  

Shalom

As my body gets older, my mind gets younger! 

These days I get to hang-out with the young people that make up our company team.  They keep me up-to-date in current technology and its future.  At times they blow me away with their vision and concepts for future applications.

As a kid, I remember when color television first came out.  I didn’t get a computer into my home until the mid 90’s, and I didn’t have a cell phone until 1998.  As you can see I didn’t grow up with the kind of technology most young people take for granted today.

Can you teach an old dog new tricks?  You bet you can!  I’m living proof.  Today, I couldn’t function without my computer or my cell phone.  Technology is a major part of my life and my business.

I’ve learned to embrace change and not fight it.  I’ve broken free of the traditional mind-set that says, “We’ve never done it that way before.”  Give change a chance.  You might like it.