{"id":31223,"date":"2022-09-10T15:21:51","date_gmt":"2022-09-10T20:21:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/sermons\/5-groups-of-people-your-church-must-re-engage\/"},"modified":"2022-09-10T15:21:51","modified_gmt":"2022-09-10T20:21:51","slug":"5-groups-of-people-your-church-must-re-engage","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/sermons\/5-groups-of-people-your-church-must-re-engage\/","title":{"rendered":"5 Groups of People Your Church Must Re-Engage"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Octavian Dan photo – Unsplash<\/div>\n

By Aaron Armstrong<\/em><\/p>\n

It\u2019s been months since my church last met in person. We haven\u2019t gathered to sing, study the Bible, or take the Lord\u2019s Supper as a congregation in that time.<\/p>\n

Complicating our situation even more, we meet in a public school, so barring an opportunity for us to find an alternate location, we can\u2019t even target a date on the calendar for us to resume in-person gatherings.<\/p>\n

And even for the introverts among us (of whom I am the foremost), our Zoom meetings and YouTube videos have become tiresome. We\u2019re all ready to see one another face to face again (and, Lord willing, we\u2019ll be doing that soon!).<\/p>\n

But there\u2019s something I\u2019m concerned about as that day comes closer to being a reality:<\/p>\n

How can we serve the people who don\u2019t come back?<\/strong><\/p>\n

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Maybe that seems strange to you. I get it. It seems strange to read it as I type it. But this is where we find ourselves.<\/p>\n

Churches need to wrestle with this question, especially as we begin to resume in-person worship gatherings after several months apart.<\/p>\n

But before we explore what we should do, we need to recognize not everyone will have the same reason for not returning.<\/p>\n

Five Groups Missing from Our Churches<\/strong><\/h3>\n

There are at least five different groups of people you may not see returning to weekly worship gatherings, including people who:<\/p>\n

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  • Moved to another community<\/li>\n
  • Don\u2019t feel safe coming back yet<\/li>\n
  • Are avoiding discipline<\/li>\n
  • Made choices you struggle with<\/li>\n
  • Are disconnected entirely<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    Each group has their own reasons for not returning, each represents a different opportunity to live out our mission of making disciples.<\/p>\n

    1. People who moved to another community<\/strong><\/h3>\n

    Whether because of employment or pre-existing plans, some people will have moved away. This actually just happened with a family in my community group.<\/p>\n

    This kind of loss is sad, but it\u2019s also a really great reason for someone to leave\u2014and an opportunity to continue our mission in a really beautiful way. Remember, moving to a new community is challenging at the best of times.<\/p>\n

    Beyond sending these people out with our blessing, being on mission here means:<\/p>\n

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    • Try to help them find a new church to call home by researching options.<\/li>\n
    • Continue to include them as part of community groups via online meetings.<\/li>\n
    • Maintain one-on-one communication via phone, text, and email.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

      After all, if the church is a family, we want to treat people that way.<\/p>\n

      2. People who don\u2019t feel safe coming back yet<\/strong><\/h3>\n

      Some people in our churches may not feel safe rejoining a larger gathering, whether because of health issues or other concerns.<\/p>\n

      Like the previous group, being on mission and serving this group is all about continued connection.<\/p>\n

      We need to keep them connected to their community in whatever ways we reasonably can. Online meetings, one-on-one get togethers, calls, texts\u2014you get the idea.<\/p>\n

      3. People avoiding discipline<\/strong><\/h3>\n

      Sadly, this group exists in every community. Sin exists within the church because the church is made up of people. When credible accusations of sin are addressed, some people choose to leave rather than repent.<\/p>\n

      Sometimes they leave altogether. Sometimes they leave and go to another local church.<\/p>\n

      Mission is complicated with this group; how do you pursue people that the Bible says to treat as non-Christians but profess to be Christians?<\/p>\n

      While much more could be said (and will be at another time), there are two basic actions we need to take:<\/p>\n

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      • Pray for their repentance, trusting that the Holy Spirit will do His work of bringing conviction and a desire to turn from sin;<\/li>\n
      • Love them as Christ does, showing kindness to them in every way, especially by reminding them of the gospel itself.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

        4. People whose choices you struggle with<\/strong><\/h3>\n

        We don\u2019t know the hearts of people who leave and don\u2019t come back. Some have good reasons (called elsewhere, work needs, etc.), but others\u2014if we\u2019re being honest\u2014we\u2019re not sure.<\/p>\n

        These aren\u2019t people leaving because of sin. They just left.<\/p>\n

        Some decided to \u201cchurch shop\u201d via livestreams and decided to go to another church because they liked the preaching or music better.<\/p>\n

        Some might simply prefer worshiping at home with their families instead of coming back into a building.<\/p>\n

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        See also  What Sparks Evangelical Generosity? Discipleship<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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        Mission with this group begins with prayer\u2014not only for those not coming back, but for ourselves. It\u2019s easy to feel hurt or even bitter when someone leaves, especially if we aren\u2019t sure their reason for leaving is a good one.<\/p>\n

        We need to give space for the Holy Spirit to work on our own hearts, even as we maintain those personal relationships to whatever degree people from this group are willing.<\/p>\n

        5. People who disconnected<\/strong><\/h3>\n

        This group is the most challenging, in part because it may be significantly larger than you realize. According to recent data from Barna:<\/p>\n