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Indiana Ministries Update
November 14, 2011 - Vol 3, Issue 22
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Two Article Special !!
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 What happens when the landscape changes so dramatically that existing structures find themselves obsolete and dysfunctional? The above photo was taken after Hurricane Mitch slammed into Honduras in 1998. The hurricane was so powerful; it changed the course of the Chulateka River. The bridge in the photo once spanned the river so that people could safely cross from one side to the other. When the bridge was built it was a thing of beauty and functional; now it seems oddly out of place and it serves no purpose. We can't even call it a bridge anymore because it doesn't "bridge" anything; it doesn't bridge one side to the other. The river was redirected; it's not where it used to be. The bridge is now just an oddity, a monument or a tourist attraction.
Dan Kimball-lead pastor of Vintage Faith Church in Santa Cruz, California-spoke at this year's 24 Conference and he used this photograph as a powerful illustration of the challenge facing the church in the 21st century.
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The Next Chapter:
Can a Gray-Headed Congregation Reach the Next Generation?
By Ray Houser
rayhouser.blogspot.com
I have had the privilege this year of visiting a lot of churches, and I've found many of them are dominated by people my age and older. Sometimes people from the church want to share with me about their church. Often I've heard them say, "Our church needs young people. I just don't know why we don't have very many any more." Many of them have noticed that the attendance of their churches is not growing. Some are even willing to admit, at least to themselves, that the congregation is dwindling. Long-term members remember past glory days and wish for a return to those exciting times. I think there is good news and bad news for congregations in this situation.
The bad news is...
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