Lifeway conference address how to get ‘Big Results’ amid cultural change

By Lindsey Carraway
Writing Specialist

GREENVILLE, Miss. — Change. It happens all around us whether we want it to or not.

Change is inevitable. We can deny the shifts in culture and continue our routines, but that won’t stop change from affecting the ministry of the church. 

Today, only 63% of Americans claim to be Christian. In 2010, Pew Research predicted that the number of Americans claiming to be Christian would drop from 78% to 63% by 2050. The predicted 2050 decline in the church has happened 25 years earlier. The United States is now the third largest unbelieving nation in the world.

Believers must be transformed by the renewing of our minds, not by a worldly viewpoint, but the heavenly truth found in Jesus. That’s the ultimate change, and the Spirit that enacts that transformation helps us to minister to a lost and dying world with a living Gospel that never changes.

This need for adjustment is exactly what speakers at the “Big Results Conference” addressed. Presented by the Black Church Ministries of Lifeway Christian Resources on Aug. 29, the event was hosted by Victory Temple Baptist Church in Greenville. 

Black Church Ministries serves urban and multicultural pastors, ministers, and lay leaders through authentic Bible studies, resources, and events that understand their unique ministry needs and point-of-view. But the content of this conference was a wake-up call to all churches. 

Approximately 170 men and women attended the conference and left challenged, encouraged, and equipped to aim for “big results.”

Mark Croston, main speaker of the conference and National Director of Black Church Ministries, led a general session on “Church Trends,” helping participants see the big picture and how the church must adjust to reach the world for Jesus. Croston emphasized that the way we deliver the message needs to adapt, but the content of the Gospel hasn’t changed and will never change.

Other speakers led breakouts specific to certain ministries. Brenda Croston, Mark Croston’s wife and a Lifeway Trainer as well as CEO of Simple Truth Ministries, directed open discussion about ways we can reach and connect with children and members of all generations.

Carolyn Fountain, WMU National President, led “Women on Mission” to show how women can impact their church and community for Jesus. Her husband, Leroy Fountain, church consultant for the Louisiana Baptist Convention, led a breakout on “Deacons as Leaders,” giving examples on how deacon ministry can meet the needs of the church amid cultural change.

Church trends

From research and resources through Lifeway, Mark Croston shared:

  • Gen Z is leading the surge in church attendance. Only 20% of Americans go to church on any given Sunday. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, Baby Boomers have been the slowest group to return to church. Driven by anxiety and despair, Gen Z are the quickest among the groups returning/going to church, even outpacing millennials. The Gospel is the peace Gen Z is looking for in an ever-changing world. Croston suggested that if this does not seem to be the case at your church, it is necessary to explore why and make changes to help young people feel welcomed.
  • Evangelism is on life support in most churches. Only 3 to 5% of American churches are growing by conversions. Only 1% of pastors agree their church has an effective evangelism program. “When the church becomes a club for the already convinced insider,” said Croston, “the church has lost its mission. Churches need to take evangelism more seriously. We must preach, teach, and model effective evangelism.”
  • The mental health crisis among pastors remains in critical condition. While 21% of pastors over the age of 45 say they are flourishing in their well-being, only 7% of church leaders under the age of 45 say they are flourishing.
  • Americans’ trust in pastors hit a historic low. It’s easy to find scandals involving pastors all over the internet. A little over a decade ago, 78% of Americans had confidence in pastors. Today, that number is 27%. “Every time one pastor falls,” said Croston, “a little bit of the dirt gets on every other pastor, whether we earn it or not. People become more cynical about everything a pastor says and does.”
  • Young women are leaving the church. If this is the case for your church, or if your church is attracting only one particular demographic — rich or poor, young or old, men or women — Croston encourages leaders to audit your ministry and explore why. “Embrace the Gospel that reaches and disciples all people regardless of gender, age, income, or how they vote,” said Croston. “The Gospel reaches into the hearts of all peoples.”
  • Small groups remain an important aspect of discipleship. Around two out of five worship attendees participate in some form of small group. Many congregations have found their small group participation declining. The higher the church’s percentage of weekend attendees who participate in small groups, the more likely the church will grow over a five-year period.

The trends, the times, and the things to do

Christianity is growing around the world — in Asia, in Africa, in South America — but it’s shrinking in the United States and Europe. Considering Jesus’ parable of the sower, the seed (the Word of God) is not the problem. The issue is with the soil. 

“Churches are not addressing enough of the true community,” said Croston. “Cultural issues and biblical illiteracy have to be addressed… The alignment of the church with political parties only exacerbates this problem.”

We are in a post-modern, post-Christian society. The public perception of where authority lies is not in God, as it was in pre-modern times, or even in science, as it was in the modern period. The authority has moved to the self and the group. In searching for truth, people look inward and to their group. But Jesus assured, “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life.”

“This is the era in which we now have to minister the Gospel,” said Croston. “We don’t live in the time when the Bible was seen as the final authority. We live here now, where tolerance is a virtue, where the authority is in the group, and where change is contingent upon self-expression and culture.”

Christianity is no longer the dominant religion of the United States, and the popular version of Christianity has taken on values, cultures, and worldviews that are not Christian. Many people have bought into the post-modern, post-Christianity mindset without realizing it. 

So what should you do?

  • Know your neighbor and get a vision of a new future. Get to know your neighbor, the people you come across every day. At the same time, consider that every tradition used to be a fresh idea. “Church can’t just be what it’s always been,” said Croston. “The Bible gives us a forward vision of where we’re going, not a backwards vision of where we’ve been…We have to make sure that we are not holding on to traditions that are holding us back.”
  • Modernize your outreach. Update your website and social media. Set up public accounts on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube, because people will look for you online before they walk through your doors. Use visuals and a modern translation for preaching and teaching. Older generations grew up in a more oral society and learned through listening, but new generations are more visually oriented.
  • Remember the 3 V’s:

    • Vestments: Is the tradition of “Sunday Best” keeping people away? Many younger people do not own a suit or “church” dress. 
    • Vittles: It’s a simple fact that good free food invites people in!
    • Vitals: Talk about the deep truths of God, not just the trivial items of today. People are searching for answers and authenticity.

  • Train your leaders. Focus on discipleship, no matter how long a minister or member has been a believer. Discipleship is an ongoing, lifelong process.