I suggest that the primary problem that is at the heart of the creeping
crisis in American Christianity is a spiritual one – not merely
financial or lack of members or the presence of young people or
unresponsive structures or antiquated thinking (1960’s and 1970’s
thinking, that is the antiquated thinking I’m writing about), but a
spiritual problem.

What is the single thing that the Christian
Church provides humanity that no other organization or institution or
system offers?  It is squarely Jesus Christ! Redemption –  forgiveness,
healing, and restoration between God and the rest of humanity.  That’s
it.  Period.

The Christian Church is not needed for social work,
political activism, justice seeking, or most anything else, except new
life in Christ. (Not that we don’t have something to say or do with
regard to those other things, but our engagement with such things is on a
primarily different plain than is secular society’s.)

Until we
recognize the reality of spiritual crisis, no matter what “change” we
engage in to correct other presumed crises within our churches will
bring about the results we seek or bring about the reality of the
Kingdom of God in the world around us.