ST. PAUL METHODIST - PowerPoint Presentation

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ST. PAUL METHODIST

THEN, NOW AND TOMORROWSlide2

MARK 2:22

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“No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment. Otherwise, the new piece will pull away from the old, making the tear worse. 

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And no one pours new wine into old wineskins. Otherwise, the wine will burst the skins, and both the wine and the wineskins will be ruined. No, they pour new wine into new wineskins.” Slide3

CHANGESlide4
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SOME CHANGE IS GOODSlide6
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IS ALL CHANGE GOOD?Slide15
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IS ALL CHANGE GOOD??

MAYBE NOT?Slide19

THEN AND NOW

1950 - National Debt 257 Billion Dollars

2013 – National Debt 16 Trillion Dollars

1950 – US Population is 152.27 Million

2013 – US Population is 313.85 Million

1950 – Debt to Income ratio – 35 percent

2013 – Debt to Income ratio – 122 percent

1950 – Out of Wedlock births – 5 percent

2013 – Out of Wedlock births – 42 percentSlide20
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TOP TEN REASONS PEOPLE DON’T GO TO CHURCH

Boring or unfulfilling church services 42%

Beliefs of the church 35%

Church’s moral views 35%

No need to 34%

Prefer to do other things 31%

“My beliefs are too weak” 27%

The way churches are organized 24%

Other commitments 21%

Bad experience among church people 16%

Not enough time because of work 15% Slide24

UNATTACHED – 59 PERCENT OF CHRISTIANS IDENTIFY THIS WAY

More likely to feel stressed out

Less likely to be concerned about the moral condition of the nation

Much less likely to believe that they are making a positive difference in the world

Less optimistic about the future

Far less likely to believe that the Bible is totally accurate in its principles

Stats taken from The Barna GroupSlide25

UNATTACHED – 59 PERCENT OF CHRISTIANS IDENTIFY THIS WAY

Substantially more likely to believe that Satan and the Holy Spirit are symbolic figures, but are not real

More likely to believe that Jesus Christ sinned while He was on earth

Much more likely to believe that the holy literature of the major faiths all teach the same principles even though they use different stories

Less likely to believe that a person can be under demonic influence

More likely to describe their sociopolitical views as "mostly liberal" than "mostly conservative“

Stats taken from The Barna GroupSlide26

THE GOOD NEWS

Bible Reading rose by 4 percent

Small churches and Large churches are growing

“Spiritually” is on the rise

The great “demise” of the American church hasn’t happened, yet.Slide27

FIVE THINGS TO EMPLOY

A sense of vision or direction.

Leaders empower attenders.

Attenders invite others to church.

Contemporary worship.

Growth in faith and movement toward commitment.

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MARK 2:22

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“No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment. Otherwise, the new piece will pull away from the old, making the tear worse. 

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And no one pours new wine into old wineskins. Otherwise, the wine will burst the skins, and both the wine and the wineskins will be ruined. No, they pour new wine into new wineskins.” Slide29

WHAT DOES IT SAY?

Tradition

– the old is always more comfortable, it is easier to stay where you are, Luke 5:39

And no one after drinking old wine wants the new, for they say, ‘The old is better.’”

Flexibility

– Animal hides used to store things like wine, new wine in old skins caused the old skins to burst, is this a picture of the church?

Patching up the Old

– would you cut up a brand new coat to patch it onto the old? Only if the old is so comfortable, the pain is too great to put on the new. Slide30
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WHAT IF?

Here is where you get to fill in the blanks

Let me here some, “What Ifs” for you.

What do you think we could do, should do, can do, want to do???????