Facing the ongoing challenge

Across the nation, some churches are experiencing a revival as well-known prophets foretold. Whilst this is happening, some churches are face declining numbers.

Facing the ongoing challenge of the “world” is a universal experience, irrespective of whether your church is experiencing revival, decline, or simply remaining unchanged.

From the census data, Christianity dropped from 67.3% to 43.9% between census years, while other religions like Buddhism (1.9% to 2.4%), Hinduism (0.5% to 2.7%), and Islam (1.5% to 3.2%) increased. Most of the growth is due to immigration intake.

We are all engaged in a major battle against the continuous undermining of marriage and family. Sadly, the ABS discontinued the publication of some statistics in their annual national marriage and divorce report. The last figure published for co-habitation before marriage was at 81.3% in 2021 against 72% in 2000. Annual birth statistics reveal a rise in non-marital births, increasing from 29.2% in 2000 to 39.9% in 2023 (286,998 total births).

We must also consider divorce. The period 2001-2021 saw 1,055,011 divorces, affecting 900,793 children. Consequently, over a million children could be growing up with a warped view of marriage.

Some have said that when divorce occurs, it is not just the break-up of husband and wife but this also destroys a community. That being the immediate and extended family, within the church (if the couple or one of them were Christian) and may have a roll-on effect within neighbourhoods and the workplace.

The church, regrettably, is not insulated from divorce, and its devasting effects, and this is just one reason we should invest more in marriage and family ministry. Marriage between a man and a woman is of God’s design; all part of His creation plan and from there family. We should value marriage and family as God does. Unfortunately, many marriages/families within the church would seem to be modelled on worldly perceptions and treated as a “contract” not covenant relationship. Some marriage partners were searched out to fulfil personal emotional, sexual and spiritual desires.

Many churches offer children’s, youth, women’s, and men’s ministries, each tailored to its specific demographic, but they overlook married couples, who are "one”. We also need to speak out on covenant marriage and related topics to the whole church, because we are all part of Christ's bride.

Strong marriages and families are key to personal and the nation’s wellbeing and also a growing church.

To be the salt and light, we need committed, Christ-focused marriages and families equipped to uphold God's vision for marriage. If we don’t no one else will!

“I looked for the church and I found it in the world; I looked for the world and I found it in the church.” – Horatius Bonar (1808-1889)