Postcards and Prayer

Postcards and Prayer
“The dechurched will eventually give way to the unchurched – those who never attended church to begin with.” -Jim Davis

 In “The Great Dechurching” Jim Davis unearthed a shocking fact. The #1 reason people left the church was not church hurt or even a significant change in religious belief – but something far simpler. Across nearly every demographic, the #1 reason people left the church is that they moved. Yes, it really is that simple.

Most people had every intention of finding a new church when they got to their new home. But in today’s fast paced world, other opportunities crept in to occupy the space that church once took up. Before they knew it, they had commitments on Sunday morning, and church went by the wayside.

Daphne is one of the fastest growing metros in the country. Hundreds of people are moving to our area each month. According to Jim Davis’s research, each of these people are at risk of dechurching. Left unchecked, their dechurching will lead to a whole new generation of the unchurched – those who “never attended church to begin with.”

In an effort to stem the tide of dechurching, we’ve decided to reach out to the new movers in our area. Each month, CPC will be sending a post card with an invitation to church to anyone who moves into the neighborhoods around the church. On August 28, 273 of these postcards went out. Our great hope is that these postcards will not just be pieces of mail, but an intervention in the lives of those most at risk of walking away from the faith. Most people never intend to leave the church – they just need a reminder to keep church at the top of their priority list.

Will you join me in praying every day next week for the recipients of these cards? When the recipients show up at church over the next few weeks, will you take them under your wing and be a friend – not just friendly? May God bless our planting and watering here in Daphne, and may he give the increase as only he can.

Your Pastor and Friend,
John Knox Foster