I have heard this lament over and over again, especially here in the San Francisco Bay Area, where only 3% attend church on Sunday. But there is a small but growing contingent demanding a better future. They recognize that this narrative of decline stems largely from pastors and church leaders who are inclined to cling to old systems and faith structures, who are unable to meaningfully engage with the rapidly changing culture in which we find ourselves. This post-Christian context has changed everything. The Church cannot simply carry on as it is and expect to remain relevant in this landscape of competing isms. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay To be totally transparent, I have found myself in this very position, lamenting the decline of the church. Church analysts predict 30-40% of congregations in the United States will close within 30 years. The fastest growing demographic claims no affiliation to any religious category. A high majority of young people define Christians as anti-homosexual, hypocritical, critical, too politicized and out of touch. The church's reputation is rapidly eroding. We are no longer considered credible witnesses. These are all reasons to complain, yes, but we are a people of hope. Rather than allow this exile status to discourage the work of God's people, we must instead take a hard look at the condition of our testimony and, through the Spirit, discern the ways in which we need to be transformed and sanctified to remain faithful to the call of God. As Christians, we must ask ourselves, “How are we “un-Christian?” Only then will we see how God is cleansing the Bride of Christ. Only then will we realize that the Church is not dying? How could he? The church was built on Christ Jesus Himself! The narrative therefore is not that the church is dying: it is changing. The church is changing. I have attempted to identify some of the critical paradigm shifts for churches and ministry professionals that are paving the way for this inevitable shift. It is an attempt to use broad brush strokes because anything else would require writing entire chapters, if not books, on each paradigm – and indeed, books have been written. I pray that this list of paradigms prompts you to do further research. If so, let me know and I will forward you a list of books. Paradigm shift n. 1: The church must view evangelism not as a gathering of converts to build an empire, but as an embodied lifestyle to reflect the Kingdom of God. Evangelism must be about God's people bearing faithful witness to the love of Christ, individually, and the community of believers, collectively, where actions, words, attitudes and passions reflect the beauty of the future Kingdom of God – where all creation is to be re-established according to God's good plan. Only when we demonstrate a commitment true to the emptying of ourselves for the good of the other, as modeled in the life of Jesus, evangelization can go beyond the spread of a religious paradigm that simply promises a better life immersed in consumerist practices. Evangelism is not a sporadic transfer of knowledge from the enlightened to the dark. It is a neighborly relational effort in which our loving actions and a life given for others point to Jesus. Paradigm shift #1. 2: The church must be willing not only to love the stranger but to be the stranger. We must avoid the temptation to remain safe among our ownwalls. Unfortunately, many churches rarely venture into community, avoiding the discomfort that comes from mingling with those they don't know, with those who are different – ​​those who are the very people we are called to love. We must step out of our preferences, comfort zones and places of safety, into places where we are “the other,” to stand in solidarity with those on the margins. When we see God working beyond the church walls, and when we participate in that work, it is a divine and uplifting experience that is difficult to match from the safety of our church pews. When we travel to places that are foreign to us, where we are the foreigners, we see God move in new and fresh ways. We see people in their habitats where God is already present and at work. Paradigm shift n. 3: The church must move from being the schoolyard bully to reflecting the kindness and compassion of Jesus. Historically, the church is known for taking violent measures when imposing its beliefs on others. Even today Christians can be aggressive in their testimony. The incentive to share the gospel was rooted in an ethic of conquest, acquisition, and self-preservation. Rather than being intellectually persuasive or aggressively defensive, Christ's ambassadors must communicate the message of the Gospel by being people of peace, where we show up, stand by each other, stick faithfully, love radically, and give grace generously. The way of Christ is to reach out and extend a compassionate invitation. Likewise, we must be kind and transparent, avoiding manipulation and intimidation tactics. Peace and reconciliation actions speak louder and clearer than coercive measures. Paradigm shift n. 4: The Church must move from insisting on believing before belonging to inviting people to belong before believing. The Church is often perceived as judgmental. For others, it seems that Christians are more concerned with who to keep out than how to invite everyone in. Outsiders are evaluated and judged whether their behaviors grant them a pass to belong, and a declaration of faith is mandatory before participating in the life of the church. . Rather, churches must exude the alluring love of God and trust that those who have yet to know Jesus will be compelled to draw ever closer to the family of God. Jesus is the center, and Jesus wants all to come and be saved. This is the difference between a limited-set and a centered-set church model. The bounded set uses a criterion that defines the boundaries between who is in and who is out. A centered set recognizes the dynamics of motion as people move towards or away from the center. It is not necessarily a criterion of right action, but rather our relational closeness to Christ. Are we going towards Jesus? Are we falling more and more in love with him? Paradigm shift n. 5: The church must eradicate practices of classism, sexism and racism and embrace diversity. Statistics show that homogeneous congregations do not thrive. Congregations that are growing in number and vitality are those that reflect a diverse demographic. Diversity is not the latest trend. The biblical understanding is that for the body of Christ, a deeply symbiotic commitment among its diverse members is key to the community's ability to thrive and be fruitful. Racial reconciliation is not a political agenda, it is God's will. Faithful witness in our society calls us to confront America's original sin, racism, and build greater racial diversity into our lives. Gender egalitarianism is not a feminist conspiracy, it is by design/