The Role of the Church in Today's Culture

"A fundamental shift is taking place within our culture: we are coming to view North America as a "mission field," a term we used to reserve for other continents. This shift is requiring church to make substantial adjustments in both their self-understanding and their ministries. Churches can no longer enjoy the luxury of spending most of their time on nurture, dealing with evangelism only as a specialized "add-on" for those who have the interest. It's becoming increasingly evident that if churches are to be effective in reaching people, they now need to seek out the world. They must place as much emphasis on mission outreach as they used to place on nurture." -Craig Van Gelder