Running Head: GOSPEL RELEVANCY

Gospel Relevancy

Joshua Rohr

Arkansas Tech University

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As part of my PS 3003 course I was given the task of conducting and completing a research

project on a project site of my choosing. I worked with a stakeholder that was within the site that

was being studied who also contributed to the direction of the project to determine if the content

was having a direct correlation on the sites growth.

Background/Problem

Through the years what has been seen is a decline in congregational growth, with the number

one comment being content, and overall content relevancy. Aaron Wilson a blog writer for

Lifeway described the issue as “frozen styles” This is when a church finds a particular style and

sticks with it even when the world around it changes.

This is what leads to the current problem facing the congregation. Through the years the Gospel

has been shared through the King James translation of the Bible making it more difficult for

millennials and non-believers to engage and find relevancy withing the content that is being

shared on a weekly basis. In the city of 1.4 million people millennials account for 56% of the

population. (Borland,2020) Meaning that the content being shared on a weekly basis isn’t

appealing to 80% of those who attend the church and live in the area.

Purpose of Project

The purpose of this project is to determine if Mission Village Church’s messages or sermons are

contributing to the lack of congregational growth and retention and if those variables will affect

the future of the church. More people than ever particularly millennials are leaving the church at

an existential rate, and with a church located in an area where millennials make up a big part of

the populations this is a cause for concern. According to LifeWay “29% percent of people drop

out of church because they disagree with the church’s stance on political or social issue”
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(Lifeway,2019). By surveying and conducting analysis’s we can assess how the content and

messaging are playing a role, and we can determine the changes required to increase attendance

and the overall engagement of the congregation.

Research Method and Procedures

A survey was used as the primary method of gathering information for this

project. The reason being that congregants may have various opinions and reasons regarding the

quality of the content as well as why they believe the church is failing.

Through this method we were able to collect accurate data in an efficient time frame to develop

action items based on the responses and the overall consensus of the congregation. The

qualitative method used provided a scale for congregants to provide feedback on whether they

agree or disagree with pericellular statements as well as face to face interactions when possible.

Analysis and Findings

Through the data collected it was determined that the congregation is dissatisfied with the

accuracy of the message as it relates to the context of the scripture. The Survey also revealed that

90 percent of the congregation believed that the message were having a direct effect on the

growth of the church. Throughout the research process it was revealed that only 25 percent found

that the messages we’re easy to understand. Inferring that those who come could also not be

returning due to the inability to grasp the purpose of the messages given. Through this research

we were effectively determining what barriers are blocking the growth of Mission Village

Church. Though it must be noted that this is strictly driven by metrics and results given through

research. Through the information given it is clear to see that the results confirm the hypothesis
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in that the messages are having a direct correlation to congregational growth, and it critical that a

plan of action was established to further prevent the possibility of site closing.

Recommended Action Plan

After evaluating the data, the best solution would be to hire additional staff members that have a

focus on millennials/young families. Mission Village Church would hire two additional staff

members one who would focus on grades 7th-12th and another who focused on college students.

According to the FLUMC “90% of students who have grown up in the church may never return

after graduation” (Technologies, B 2020) What we can infer from this as well as the research

conducted is that there is a serious disconnect between those who have attended and are now

leaving in record numbers. Hiring individuals who not only are within the same season of life,

but also are more in touch with today’s culture will not only be able to have more relatability to

the individuals within the demographic who attend, but will have the ability to teach the gospel

in a way that in interesting and relevant.

References

Chris Morton on February 4, 2., & Written by Chris Morton on February 4, 2. (2020,

August 11). Churches are Closing. These Four Models are Thriving. Retrieved September 12,

2020, from https://www.missioalliance.org/churches-are-closing-these-four-models-are-thriving/

Most Teenagers Drop Out of Church as Young Adults. (2020, March 18). Retrieved September

12, 2020, from https://lifewayresearch.com/2019/01/15/most-teenagers-drop-out-of-church-as-

young-adults/
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Borland, K. (2020, January 06). Why San Diego Has Such a High Population of Young People.

Retrieved September 12, 2020, from https://www.globest.com/2020/01/06/why-san-diego-has-

such-a-high-population-of-young-people/?slreturn=20200811202723

Facts & Trends, Says, J., & Pastor, J. (2019, August 14). Should the Church Strive to

Be Relevant? Retrieved September 12, 2020, from https://factsandtrends.net/2019/08/14/should-

the-church-strive-to-be-relevant/

Relevance. (n.d.). Retrieved September 12, 2020, from https://www.merriam-

webster.com/dictionary/relevance

Hayden, K. (2019, September 25). 5 Reasons Your Church Is Failing. Retrieved September 23,

2020, from https://www.kevinhaydenmedia.com/5-reasons-your-church-is-failing/

Warner, J. (2019, March 29). What Makes a Church "Relevant"? Retrieved September 23, 2020,

from https://coldcasechristianity.com/writings/what-makes-a-church-relevant/

Morrel-Samuels, P. (2014, August 01). Getting the Truth into Workplace Surveys. Retrieved

September 24, 2020, from https://hbr.org/2002/02/getting-the-truth-into-workplace-surveys

Warren, R. (1996). Purpose driven church - every church is big in gods eyes. Zondervan

Publishing House.
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Technologies, B. (n.d.). Retrieved October 10, 2020, from

https://www.flumc.org/04importanceofcampusministry

What Churches Must Do to Attract Millennials. (2018, February 16). Retrieved October 10,

2020, from https://drjulieconnor.com/church-and-millennials/\

Cost of Living in San Diego, California. (n.d.). Retrieved October 10, 2020, from

https://www.payscale.com/cost-of-living-calculator/California-San-Diego