The Great Reset

(I post this as it may help someone out there. Actually, I hope none of your churches are experiencing this.)

No doubt you've heard the relatively new term, The Great Reset. That's what the Davos elites of the World Economic Forum have named their increasingly successful attempt to transform the world, economically, socially, and every way. Out there in the open for all to see, they praised the COVID pandemic as an opportunity to accelerate their plans.

As my church's Treasurer, I keep all kinds of records, including attendance numbers. It helps me to recognize developing trends. In fact, it was falling attendance that first prompted me to search for the underlying cause of my church's problem several years ago. It took a while to determine what it was and finally root out the bad, but we began to recover. And then COVID hit. So that future bean-counters might better understand the numbers, my attendance chart labels 2020 as "The Pandemic." But even after a relatively short lock-down, the numbers didn't recover. The chart labels 2021 as "The Fear," as the constant drums of media-induced panic kept many at home, behind locked doors.

Well, 2022 is almost over, and there still wasn't an attendance recovery. When I update my chart, this year will be labeled as "The Great Reset." I have come to terms with the fact that a lot of people just aren't going to come back, no matter how much time goes by. I will be as gentle as I can here. But many were skin-deep, Sunday-only Christians. And when they got out of the habit of getting up on Sunday mornings, it became less and less of a priority to spend time with God. Who knows if they'll ever come back. I hope it doesn't take a catastrophe for them to put Him back at the top of the list. But I'm done worrying about them. They've made their decision, and no amount of phone calls and greeting cards will change them.

So church, at least out here, has been reset. The chaff has blown away. We're leaner and keener. What does that mean going forward? Show us, Holy Spirit.

Nailed it.
The Christians in name only are gone.

I believe that some of it, also, is that persons who had attended Sunday Services out of "Obligation" were told that they could stay home and watch Services on TV, and that would suffice.

They eventually got used to attending Church in their pajamas.

Now, while it is good to have encouraging programming coming into your home through electronic means, Jesus said, "....where two or more are gathered in My name, also am I there....". Those folks may not be doing the "two or more" part, and so are missing out on a big portion of the Blessing.

Claymore wrote:I believe that some of it, also, is that persons who had attended Sunday Services out of "Obligation" were told that they could stay home and watch Services on TV, and that would suffice.

They eventually got used to attending Church in their pajamas.  

Now, while it is good to have encouraging programming coming into your home through electronic means, Jesus said, "....where two or more are gathered in My name, also am I there....".  Those folks may not be doing the "two or more" part, and so are missing out on a big portion of the Blessing.

I know that some people absolutely cannot get out of their homes, except for doctor's appointments, or maybe their regular job is on Sundays. That's why our church services were provided online a couple of years before COVID, if only for a couple of people. If churches stopped putting their services online, would millions of pajama-clad people come back? i don't think so. Are pastors telling their congregations that it's okay to come back? That the "all-clear" has sounded? My pastor did that for a very, very long time. None of our pajama people returned. And they quit watching, too. In the early months, there was a huge number watching online. Now it's just a few. Whatever they're watching on Wednesdays and Sundays, it's not going to prepare them for what's coming.

"Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another; and so much the more as ye see the day approaching." (Hebrews 10:25)

"And on that day many will say to me........And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you...' " (Matthew 7:23)

joecool wrote:

"Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another; and so much the more as ye see the day approaching." (Hebrews 10:25)

Ooh!

Ouch!