I recently read 24 Things About To Become Extinct (Click here). The link will explain why these things may cease to exist just like the Dodo bird (Left). Here they are in short order…
24. Yellow pages. 23. Classified Ads. 22. Movie rental stores. 21. Dial up internet access. 20. Phone landlines. 19. Chesapeake Bay Blue Crabs. 18. VCRs. 17. Ash Trees. 16. Ham Radio. 15. The Swimming Hole. 14. Answering Machines. 13. Cameras That Use Film. 12. Incandescent Bulbs. 11. Stand-Alone Bowling Alleys. 10. The Milkman. 9. Hand-Written Letters. 8. Wild Horses. 7. Personal Checks. 6. Drive-in Theaters. 5. Mumps & Measles. 4. Honey Bees. 3. News Magazines and TV News. 2. Analog TV. 1. The Family Farm.
I can testify that I am contributing to the extinction of several on that list.
Then I got to thinking… what are some things that may cease to exist, become extinct, in the church? Now don’t get all riled up… this is just a fun exercise… a thought experiment if you will. Here are Ten Things That May Become Extinct In The Church…
Offering plates. More and more churches use ATM, on-line banking, and their website for people to give. If #7 above happens, this will certainly become extinct.
Hymnals. There aren’t many churches that don’t use projection screens now. The ones that don’t are usually found in rural areas.
Robed choirs. Most churches that have choirs allow them to sit in the congregation after singing. Many more churches use praise teams instead of a formal choir.
Choir lofts. This will come about as the previous cease to exist. Most church worship centers built in the last five years do not have a choir loft. But this only applies as new churches eventually outnumber older facilities.
Preachers in suits. Already close to happening. People are voting for comfort and preachers are with them. After all, “Man looks on the outward appearance, God looks on the heart.”
Weekly church mail-outs. Many churches have opted to utilize their website to communicate with their people. Only those without internet access want mailed communication from the church.
Sunday night services. Happening in a lot of churches already. This one may take longer than the others though and it may morph so that people meet on Sunday night, but just not in the traditional manner from back in the 20th Century.
Monthly business meetings. Many churches have already gone to a quarterly business meeting with a great number doing a yearly business meeting. The philosophy is that teams are empowered by the church to make decisions and are allotted money in the budget, so they trust them. There are checks and balances in place as related to large purchases and staff issues.
Church libraries. These are being replaced by church bookstores and media centers. Only time will tell…
Bus ministries. This one is pretty much a gimme except for a few extremely rare circumstances. Nowadays vans pick up senior adults who don’t have access to a vehicle.
What have I missed or overlooked?
Preaching about hell – there is more in the Bible about hell than about heaven. No one needs a dose every Sunday, but it will be a shame someday for people to be facing eternity in hell because the reality of that place was never mentioned in churches they attended for years.