Lifeway Publisher of Southern Baptist Literature addressed the top 10 issues facing today's church:
What are the most pressing challenges impacting the local church? More than 1,300 ministry leaders from Europe, North America and elsewhere provided input into their most important issues.
10. | Abortion - the church's lack of an effective response to 30+ years of legalized abortion. |
9. | Homosexuality - the rising social pressure to accept same-sex behavior and relationships. |
8. | Relevance - the seeming inability of the church to answer questions one has living in the "real world". |
7. | Marriage-the negative effects on families that result from divorce, adultery, etc. |
6. | Apathy - the seeming lack of personal interest, support, and enthusiasm from the pews for the work of the church. |
5. | Doctrine/Worldview - the growing pressure to compromise principles to make truths more palatable to an audience. The widening influence of explicitly anti-Christian culture and negative influences on the church. |
4. | Evangelism-the decline among Christians in personal sharing of the Gospel. |
3. | Leadership - the need for clear, biblical vision and direction by church leaders. |
2. | Discipleship - the need for involvement of every believer in being continually transformed into the image of Christ. |
1. | Prayer - the need for more ongoing, passionate prayer in both personal and church life. |