OUTCRY: God’s Heart For Your ChurchSample

Does the Church Still Matter?

The Church is in the middle of a season of critique. It’s hard to find positive news articles about the Church. We see viral blogs about how the Church is missing it with millennials. Or about how we’re in decline. Or even dying.

I remember being in the middle of planning for the first tour. We were writing the first promo video to introduce the world to OUTCRY. We already had Hillsong United, Jesus Culture, Kari Jobe, Bethel, Crowder, and Passion signed up, so the task felt weighty, to say the least. But in one moment, while pacing around my hotel in Redding, I felt God fall on me, and I began to write. I wrote from the perspective of the Church as Jesus’ bride.

Then I wrote a line on the paper (actually, on my iPad!) that stopped me in my tracks. I wrote, “She is not dying. She is not in decline. Her best days are ahead.” As I read it back, I could just hear the skeptics saying, “Get real, Ryan! Haven’t you seen the statistics? Get your head out of the sand and accept reality!”

But God’s reality is not our reality. It is not swayed by public opinion or research.

It’s easy to find what is wrong with the Church. But God has chosen the imperfect to carry his message of perfect love. His ways are not our ways, and the Church is powerful and eternal… because God says she is. 

Prayer: God, remind your bride that she has a glorious future. Remind me that I am on the winning team. The Church is sure because you are sure. Lift my eyes to see the Church as you see her. Amen.