“Just some ordinary conversation over dinner.”  At least, that’s how my host described this event.  In January, I was invited to have dinner with a couple of dads and their sons to facilitate a discussion on the problem of evil.  It was a spur-of-the-moment request and details were a bit fuzzy, so I met my host Jon 30 minutes prior to talk specifics.  He informed me that not only would Christian dads and sons participate, but his 60-year old parents, both skeptics of Christianity, would join us as well.  That night’s conversation turned out to be exceptional.  Why?  Because of apologetics.  

For too long, apologetics has been given a bad rap.  Too many Christian voices point to a few poor apologetic examples, extrapolate them to every apologist and apologetic encounter, and then dismiss the entire enterprise.  But in doing so, Christians abandon one of our greatest tools to engage the world for Christ.  My recent conversation demonstrates why.

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Derek Webb posted a blog today about the music industry and giving music away for free.  He maintains that the relationships build over the long term by giving music away for free is actually much more profitable than music services such as Spotify (or even iTunes).  His blog was very thoughtful and caused me to think through the way the music industry has functioned.

Webb tells a story of a young Johnny Cash nearly being disallowed entry into a studio to record.  He made it in only by playing something "worth the legacy of the historical room."  Webb goes on to define the ways in which the music industry has changed from focusing on the huge money making artists to being undermined in the last few years.  He claims that the gatekeepers are no longer standing at the door, but new communication technologies brought about by the internet can connect artist with fan, as well as produce music relatively cheaply and easily.

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The church has had a lot of latest things. In the 80’s it was the discipleship movement and seeker friendly services. The 90’s were all about men keeping promises and reaching Gen X. In the early 2000’s we focused on worship, Jabez and social justice.

This brings us to now, the age of the multi-campus church movement. If you are not aware of what that means, think franchise, but with a church planting twist.

In the thirty or so years since I have been Christian, I have seen a lot of these shifts. Some have been the authentic breath of God on his bride. Other times, not so much. Even then, God seems to have the ability to work all to His glory. So what about the multi-campus church planting movement? Is God on the move?

While we are too close to its genesis to answer that question, I think we are far enough in to dissect it a bit. Let’s start by looking at what it might possibly be.

While I’m only a novice church historian I would assert that the multi-campus movement seems reminiscent of classic denominationalism. This is the tendency to form distinct groupings based on common socio-religious practice. 

Since the 80’s and perhaps before, the American church has been moving away from denominationalism; First Baptist and Main St. Presbyterian have been replaced by congregations with names like Journey, Solomon’s Porch and Sanctuary.

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You Lost Me by David Kinnaman is the book I have been waiting for (Baker, 2011). I found myself reading it saying, “Yes, Yes, YES!” There has been much talk recently about the phenomena of young people disengaging the church when they leave high school, but now we have some substantive data as to why this is happening and what we can do about it. Kinnaman is the president of the Barna Research Group, so he backs up everything he says with research.

According to You Lost Me, 59% of young people with a Christian background report they have dropped out of the church after going regularly. Interestingly, Kinnaman notes that they are not necessarily leaving the faith. In fact, he says, “Most young Christians are struggling less with their faith in Christ than with their experience of church” (27). While historically young people often return to the church when they have kids, the new social and spiritual realities of this generation makes it less likely they will come back in the same numbers.

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I read an interesting blog today, written a couple weeks ago here on the homebrewedchristianity.comblog on the future of the church.  I have been thinking and talking to a number of people about this topic a lot lately.

The author of this blog (Deacon Bo) concludes that within the next 50 years there will be a 50% decline in Christians in North America.  Obviously this is speculative, but the reasons he lays out are:

• The majority of our church structures are carry over from a Christendom paradigm, combined with a lack of self awareness of this fact.

• Many Baby Boomers are retiring, and so no longer funding ministries.

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Recently a great friend asked me to review his latest book.  If you have questioned anything about Church, you will find truth, solace, and guidance in this book.  You can download it for free at This Is My Body

Here's my review:

Keith Giles’ latest gift, This is My Body Ekklesia As God Intended is an invitation to be the family that The Church was meant to be.  In a time when it is hip to be down on church and many of us are sure we can plant the next great congregation, Giles speaks softly, calling us back to the Scriptures and the One who first invited us to partake at the table together. 

 In the last decade we have been barraged with well-intentioned models and plans to get Church right.

Why is it that, for the most part, you don’t have to look any further for a great example of prideful leadership than the largest church on the block?  We like to criticize our politicians and business leaders for their unchecked egos and unrestrained power, but the truth is we are growing the same kind of crop in our own backyard.

Now if you are already thinking of a way to condemn that first sentence, please take a pause and hear me out. I am not saying that all “mega” churches are being led by “mega” egos.  I am also not saying that it is impossible for a large church to be properly run by a humble pastor who is being held accountable by humble men and women.

What I am saying is that pride, in its purest form, is the crack of modern Christianity – it invades, seduces, and destroys everything in its path.

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Apparently I and those of my ilk are headed for extinction.  At least that is what a group of mathematicians have determined for the “religious” folks of a number of European countries.

Frankly, this doesn’t really bother me. In fact I kind of wonder why it has taken so long?

The stiff and unimaginative way that we Christians have “done church” often makes me wonder why we have any market share at all. After all, boredom and church are many times found intertwined in the same bed.

But while we Christians have been dithering about and majoring on the minors, those who make a buck entertaining and amusing us have been getting better and better at their job.

Not that it is the job of the church to entertain or amuse (although I do think that we have hardly lifted the veil on the immensely entertaining and hilarious nature of God) we Christians have been mandated to offer something to the world that can’t be found anywhere else, something so authentic, so wondrous and so in cahoots with mankind’s deepest longings that it can’t be ignored.

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Today marks the beginning of Lent and many people will begin giving up something they really enjoy as a point of focus and preparation for Easter.  Typically we give up things like coffee, television, Twitter, Facebook, a certain food, etc.  I think this can be a very good challenge, but let’s not get it twisted.

These are not “sacrifices,” they are setting aside a luxury that few people in the world get to enjoy.  They can be a focusing point for us and for a brand new believer this might be a very good first step.  But someone who has been following Jesus for a while shouldn’t view giving up these little luxuries as a sacrifice and ought to be very leery of feeling super spiritual because they gave them up for 40 days.

Consider putting forth an intentionally gospel focused challenge for yourself this Lent season.