Today, we will be celebrating communion together. Ushers will be distributing the elements during the service. We also have a gluten-free option and sealed cups available at the Welcome Center.

The State of the Church
(Matthew 28:16-20; Luke 9:23-26)
Yearly Theme: “Patience is…”
Series Title: “Vision and Purpose”
August 28th, 2022

Something to think about:

Here are some current statistics this morning on the state of the American Church. Some of them may not be all that surprising to you, but some might. According to Lifeway Research Group[1]:

· 47% of Americans are members of a house of worship

· 4,500 U.S. Protestant churches closed in 2019

· 3 in 10 Unchurched Americans say a Christian has shared the gospel with them

· 39% of Americans see pastors as honest

· 37% of Americans have confidence in the church

· 65 people attend the median U.S. church each week

In this final week of our series on “Vision and Purpose” we will be exploring, how to be and make disciples. For North Main, this is the very purpose of our existence. One final time, let’s read the Great Commission as the basis for our vision and mission as a church:


[1]Aaron Earls, “22 Vital Stats for Ministry in 2022,” Lifeway Research, January 11, 2022, https://research.lifeway.com/2022/01/05/22-vital-stats-for-ministry-in-2022/.

Here’s the takeaway this morning:

Key Point: “Making disciples is the litmus test for a healthy church.”

We’ve learned over the past few weeks that a disciple is one who “knows Christ intimately, grows in Christ continually, and goes for Christ daily.” We’ve explored the various ways in which these disciplines happen, and we’ve hopefully learned the means by which we, ourselves, can continue to develop these disciplines in our own lives. However, we must also be helping others to make this decision and live out these disciplines as well.

In Luke’s Gospel in the New Testament, Jesus takes a moment in His development of the Twelve, as well as the crowds who had gathered around Him, to instruct them on what discipleship really is. Let’s check it out:

Though John 3:16 is undoubtedly the most recognized and most often quoted verse in the Bible, what is often missed is the depth of generosity in the nature of GOD. If we are to believe in and surrender our lives to GOD, it must be a daily pursuit. If we are to follow GOD’s example in Jesus, we must learn to GO for Christ daily in the simple act of generosity:

So, a disciple, or as we call them here at North Main, “a completely committed follower of Christ,” is “all in” for Christ in every aspect of their life. And being a disciple of Christ and making disciples of Christ requires:

· ____ - _________.


· ___________ up your _________ daily.


· _______________ Christ.


· _____________ the _____________ of Christ.

Something to take home:

So that is the state of the church here at North Main? I would like to believe that we’re in the process of developing completely committed followers of Christ. I would like to believe that every member of this congregation has taken seriously the mandate to be and to make disciples of Christ. I would like to believe that the evidence of this would be a healthy, vibrant, growing body of Christ here at the top of North Main Street hill in Butler, PA. But this takes everyone who calls this their home church to be in the constant process of denying self, taking up their cross, following Christ, and sharing the message of Christ as they go about their days, weeks, months, and years.

Key Point: “Making disciples is the litmus test for a healthy church.”

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