/// Why another church?

The State of the American Church:

• Recent research states that there are now 195 million non-churched people in America, making America one of the top four largest “unchurched” nations in the world.
• During the last ten years, combined communicant membership of all Protestant denominations declined by 9.5 percent (4,498,242), while the national population increased by 11.4 percent (24,153,000).
• The United States was once the number one sending nation of foreign missionaries but is now the thirteenth largest receptor nation.
• Each year 3,500 to 4,000 churches close their doors forever; yet only 1,100 to 1,500 new churches are started. Ron Sylvia
• Even though America has more people, it has fewer churches per capita than at any time in history. Although the number of churches in America has increased by 50 percent in the last century, the population has increased 300 percent. There are now 60 percent fewer churches per 10,000 persons than in 1920. Bill Easum

Why Another Church: 

As America moves from a Christian to a post-Christian, postmodern culture, it will become increasingly important to plant new churches to present the timeless truths of the gospel in a new and timely manner. We must put new wine in new wineskins. A new army of well trained, effectively taught church planters is essential to win back the North American continent for Christ in the twenty-first century.

On the average evangelical churches…
   Younger than 3 years old, annually win 10 people to Christ per 100 church members.
   3-15 years old, annually win 5 people to Christ per 100 church members.
   Older than 15 years old annually win 3 people to Christ per 100 church members. 

 “Today, of the approximately 350,000 churches in America, four out of five are either plateaued or declining…..Many churches begin a plateau or slow decline about the fifteenth to eighteenth year. 80-85 [percent] of the churches in America are on the down-side of this cycle. Of the 15 percent that are growing, 14 percent are growing from transfer, rather than conversion growth.” Win Arn

One American denomination recently found that 80 percent of its converts come to Christ in churches less than 2 years old.

“On a per capita basis, new churches win more people to Christ than established churches.” Ed Stezer