“Progressive” and “Transformational” are words that mark our culture and also mark the 21st-century church.

It is remarkable that in such a short space of time, the local church and worship have radically changed.

We may well look back at these initial years of our new century and have some serious regrets about what has taken place and what has been lost.

5 Losses Of Our Church Culture

#1 – Bible In Hand: Far fewer Christians carry an actual Bible to church. What at one time marked a Bible-believing church — Bibles in hand, turned to the passage under exposition, and resting on our laps for viewing and sermonic reference — is no longer a typical part of church culture.

The ability to underscore, make marginal notes, see a verse in its context, or follow along as a passage is taught have been radically altered or lost.  Instead, a passage of Scripture and/or selected verses are flashed on a screen and/or viewed on the LCD of a phone or iPad. [1]

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#2 – Great Congregational Song Leading & Singing: There was a time when great congregational singing was part of the church service.  A great congregational song leader was part and parcel of what made a church service what it was.  Those hymns became so well-known that we can still sing them 10-40 years later. [2]

The congregational singing that marked the Bible-believing church(as people broke into parts) is now — maybe at best — a congregationally indistinct sound, by a small number of people, singing musical-melody-only, and marked by a moshpit-long-all standing up-repetitive religious song time.

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#3 – Weekly Services:  Sunday School, Morning Worship, Sunday Evening, and Mid-Week Service were all part of what marked Bible-believing churches.  If you were looking for a good church on vacation, look for one with a Sunday evening or mid-week service.

Rather than realizing the vital need for Bible teaching, as did Rober Raikes or William Booth, ministry leaders and even local church pastors have decided to weaken the structure.  While many a ministry began with “just a few, “just a few” isn’t worth the time anymore.  And too often, why there are “just a few” attending isn’t a question that is addressed!  [3]

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#4 – Church Bulletins:  This may seem small, but it had great benefits!  There were several great benefits of having a church bulletin. Knowing what is happening within the local church community, getting to know people and ministries by name, being reminded about those who were sick or shut-ins, rejoicing over the birth of someone’s new child, the date and time of a wedding, funeral, church event, attendance or offering numbers, learning about the accomplishments of fellow believers, heartened by a Bible verse or inspirational thought, and being encouraged about up-coming events was all part of was part of the Sunday church bulletin.

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#5 – Hymn Books: There was a time when we as parents held the church hymn book at our child’s viewing level, followed across the lines with our finer, as our children learned the words, flow, and music of a church song.  The words are only needed and are now projected on a screen.

Following the music, singing parts, an effective all-congregational song leader, and congregational singing have been replaced by an overly loud, guitar-prominent, and drummer-led stage performance.

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Not only has our American culture accepted and/or allowed some of the most extreme positions to influence the direction of our country, but ministry leaders and pastors have also allowed and/or encouraged some of the same kinds of excessive changes in direction.

Many may well look back and regret these five changes [4] that have been allowed or encouraged by ministry leaders, deacons, elders, church staff, and/or the pastors of Bible-believing churches.  Some may no longer assess them as concerned and prudent shepherds of God’s flock, but rather as part of the problems they themselves denounced!

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1. There are a good number of implications to this approach when it comes to being a “Berean Christian.”  No surprise that Christians are and will be easily deceived by speakers who control what is seen and read during a sermon or Bible teaching time.

2. Many of the religious songs of today will be no longer in but a few years.  They have no “entrenchment value” or strength.

3. Some ministry leaders and pastors, from one side of their mouth, decry what has happening in culture and the world around them, while from the other side of their mouth, close down their Sunday evening or mid-week service.  They are pastoral pretenders, not serious contenders, who ought to be ashamed of such complicity — Philippians 3:19; Revelation 3:18, 16:15

4. A sixth regret could easily be our view of Sunday as a different day.  For too many, Sunday is no longer marked out as a different day — by the way we prepare, dress, attend, arrive, participate in, serve or parentally value the Sunday worship service of our Lord!  This, too, has been allowed and/or encouraged by church leadership.