Charlie Brown was shooting arrows and then drawing a circle around the arrow. Lucy asked him what he was doing. Charlie said this way I never miss. We do the same thing when we are attempting to prove a point. We claim a prayer has been answered when there is no Bible support for the prayer we had prayed. We find a few things a person said we agree with and ignore what he says we do not agree with.
Many young adults are not intentionally avoiding the "church" they are unable to find it. Jesus said the world will know we are his disciples by our love. Over the years Christians have become blind to the reality that many congregations of the Church of Christ are unloving, non-evangelistic, elitist and cold to outsiders.
Like our friends in those many denominations we have formalized our assemblies. We are known for what we are against. Relative to everything but religion we say "united we stand divided we fall." The church of Christ very much refuses to unite with anyone even itself. If another congregation does the slightest thing with which they disagree they cross them off our list of the saved.
If congregations of the Church of Christ expect to attract we must be attractive. Groups attract people like themselves. Gray heads are not going to attract many under 30. Congregations with a majority under 40 are not going to attract many over 60. Unloving and uncaring congregations are not going to attract people who love and care.
While the world goes into eternity without hope the church of Christ prefers to argue if women should make announcements, or pass communion trays etc. If not for our format of sit and listen they argument would be moot. In an assembly in a house a woman standing up and handing a man a communion tray would go unnoticed. A woman telling the group about a sick friend would not be considered making announcements.
The church of Christ of the past 100 or so years is in serious trouble.
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