Why is the Church in Decline? | Our Power Source | Acts 1:1-11 | with Pastor Joshua Sanders

The Pew Research Center predicts the number of Americans identifying as Christian could fall below 50% over the next few decades. In the 1950’s, that number was around 90% according to Gallup. Nearly 1 in 5 adults in America are battling depression. More than 23 million American adults are battling a drug addiction. Around 653,000 Americans are homeless, and that number had gone up over 12% from the previous year. So, many would say that society is in decline, but many would also agree that the Church is in decline as well. As of right now, more than 4,000 churches are closing their doors in America each year, while there are only around 1,000 churches being planted a year. According to Gallup, only 20% of kids right now that grew up in church, are continuing to attend into their adulthood. Only 16% of churches in America are experiencing growth right now, even though there are millions and millions of Americans who do not proclaim Christ as Lord. Around 50% of clergy in America seriously considered leaving the ministry all together in 2023. Our society is in decline, meaning there are more opportunities to reach people with the Gospel, but the church is also in decline and losing its influence on the culture. Why is this? Could it be that we are not depending on the right power source, and because of that, we are not “getting after it” the way that God has called us to? This week, we start our verse-by-verse expedition through the book of Acts. In this book, we will see how the Capital C Church of Jesus Christ began after Jesus ascended back to heaven, and in today's message we will see where they got their source of power to get after it and to turn the world upside down.