I really don’t like to lose. Whether I’m playing, coaching or spectating, I have a strong desire to win. I know that it’s not supposed to be about winning or losing. I know we’re all just out there to have fun. Yet I would still venture to say that most of us really hope we’re going to win.
That’s why I was disheartened to find out that it looks like we’re still losing when it comes to gospel advancement in our nation. I know that we’ve already won the war over sin and death—by “we,” I mean Jesus and all who believe in Him. Today the Pew Research Center released another report saying that it looks like we’re losing the battle for faith in America. According to the report cited in today’s Palm Beach Post, the number of “nones” (Americans who choose not to identify with any religion) has grown to 56 million. At the same time, the number of people self-identifying as Christians continues to decline (down 8%). The landscape of faith in America is changing.
Nowhere is this more apparent than in West Palm Beach, Florida. According to a recent Barna Research Group report our city is #1 on the list of cities with the most residents who have never once attended church (17%). This means more people here have never attended church, and likely never heard the gospel, than in New York City.
But this doesn’t mean that people aren’t open to hearing the gospel. In fact, I find it to be quite the opposite. I find that many people are ready to repent and believe, and most are open to hearing more. Perhaps the decline in Christians in West Palm Beach and the nation is due to a lack of gospel-centered conversations initiated by believers in everyday life. We need to get in the game. Our goal as a church is to give every resident of South Florida multiple opportunities to hear and respond to the gospel of Jesus.
We’re getting ready to release a book that will train believers to turn everyday conversations into gospel conversations using the 3 Circles. People are more ready to accept Christ than we realize, and it’s our job to go and tell them. Jesus already won the war; now let’s get out there a win some everyday battles!