8 Assumptions Pastors Can't Make in a Post-Christian Culture

As ministers, we can spend a lot of time teaching, debating and arguing the finer points of sexual ethics, from gay marriage to premarital sex to gender identity and more. But when someone comes to faith in Christ today, not only can we not assume they will want to follow a biblical moral code, many will have no idea there is one to follow.

They are

Consistent, committed attenders used to go to church three times a week. Now, according to experts like Thom Rainer, it’s approximately three times a month. In some places, twice a month (not twice a Sunday) is considered the new normal.

This has profound implications for the way we do everything in church, from the strength of our relationships, to

It isn’t necessary for the church to adopt every new term that comes along. But we need to be aware of them so we can understand what people are trying to tell us. Only then will we be able to communicate compassionate truth in a way they’ll be able to hear.

Like sexual ethics, the idea of sin is increasingly passé for most people.

“God said it, I believe it, that settles it” won’t convince anyone any more. Instead, they need to know the “why” behind biblically-prescribed behaviors and prohibitions.

Increasingly, real life is giving us situations that were too far-fetched to be used as hypotheticals in o

We have to stop assuming that everyone who believes in Jesus also shares our political views. Otherwise, we will increasingly end up with churches that are more united around political convictions than shared biblical truths. No matter what side of the political aisle you’re on, that’s a downward trade.

Even after being drawn to Jesus, people are more likely to try to add Jesus to their current lifestyle than to abandon sinful behaviors as a necessary element in embracing biblical discipleship.

The idea that there are multiple paths to truth is more palatable to post-Christian people than accepting Jesus’ claim of exclusivity.

This is another reason

The next generation isn’t likely to follow either of those trends. Instead, they’re more likely to embrace ideas, friends and churches that can have civil conversations from a variety of political standpoints. They’ll even frustrate us by embracing contradictory viewpoints.

For instance, I’ve discovered the joy of teaching the Bible to people who have virtually no preconceptions about what the Bible says or means.

Instead of getting upset at people for not knowing about my favorite Bible story, I get to see their eyes light up as they are introduced to something they never knew before. There’s less unlearning to do, an

If there’s no understanding of sin, there’s no desire for salvation.

Terms that I grew up with, like “lost souls”, “sinners” and “unsaved” have less meaning to most people with every passing year.

Instead of knowing they’re lost, people feel lonely and disconnected. An awareness of sin has given way to a sense of hopelessness. And self-discovery has