The Unchurched

There are a couple of questions in relationship to the unchurched surrounding our Mission Statement. 1) What does unchurched mean? 2) How will we know if we are reaching the unchurched? 3) Are there things we should be doing to reach the unchurched?



The answer to the last question is a resounding yes! One of the chief purposes of the church is to reach out to those who don't have an active and intimate relationship with Jesus. But who are the unchurched? First the unchurched are not heathens they are just like the rest of us. The unchurced are people who do not have an active engaged relationship with Jesus and other people who are attempting to put their faith into action on a regular basis. While technically not fitting the usual definition I would suggest that their are many people in today's churches that are unchurched. They have been showing up at church but they have for one reason or another not allowed the Holy Spirit to begin the work of transformation in their lives. They know about Jesus and the church but they have not begun to be the church in their relationships with others both inside and outside the buildings we call churches.
The only way to know if we are reaching the unchurched is to look for signs of transformed lives. Are people making first time commitments to Jesus? Are people recommitting their lives to following Christ? Are there people who are asking questions about what difference Jesus makes in the way one lives? If we don't know the answer to those questions then the reality is that we are not reaching the unchurched. It might seem harsh to say, but most of the churches in America are not reaching the unchurched. SJ might be doing a bit better than some, but the truth is that we have a long way to go.