Church leaders, are you sensing something but can't quite put your finger on it? Perhaps you're feeling it's becoming harder to lead. I want to talk about how we can change a culture. To do this, we need to understand it first.

We sometimes believe we have a problem when we don't. We have a word for that, and it's called being misdiagnosed, and it's something we must avoid in our efforts to reach people. To reach the post-Covid and post-Christian West, we must first understand it thoroughly.

As you know, the world is shifting at a rapid pace. In this post, I'd like to focus on cultural changes taking place right under our noses. In other words, let me explain the mindset of the people who attend our churches and why it's difficult leading them.

Photo by Towfiqu barbhuiya on Unsplash

The People We Lead Prefer Individual Freedom and Happiness.

Lately, people are splitting into groups aligned with their self-interests. People are more interested in themselves and what they think of themselves. They don't care about what other people think of them anymore. These days, it's all about us.

The Bible established the standard for ethics, what people thought, how they behaved, and what they valued in the past. Experiences, wants, preferences, and emotions have taken their place.

For example, married people might say, "I feel like something has changed." And they might think that means they should get divorced. But sometimes, couples can work it out because their feelings change back again. That's why the divorce rate is five times what it was 50 years ago.

Furthermore, people will say, "I believe in God," but they won't attend church because it is old-fashioned and too traditional. Why? Because self has been elevated above God.

I have a friend who fights for Black Lives Matter. She's also sexually liberated and doesn't believe in God. She is like, "I am not going to listen to what you want me to do with my body, but I will tell you what you can do regarding Black Lives Matter.

The contradiction is confusing. Some people do not want to be judged on what they do. But on social media, everyone seems to judge other people. They're wannabe moralists.

As church leaders, we need to be able to push against this trend and make a difference.

Anything or Anyone That Restrict Freedom, Happiness, And Self-Expression Are Cancelled.

In the west, many people don't think religion is important. They believe that they can make their own religion. This may be because they don't like the way authority structures work. People want to do what they want to do and not follow anyone else, so many churches are having a hard time in today's world. That mindset doesn't adhere to the fact that Jesus is Lord.

When we say, "Jesus is Lord," it's about how we listen and obey what Jesus tells us. We know what we believe, but we must also follow his instructions. 

Moreover, Christianity is not about winning. It is about obeying. We preach that you can be a winner in Christianity, but the truth is that it's about following something that goes beyond you. This can make your self-fulfillment challenging.

What's Next?

Expand your thinking beyond the church and your building. Think Mission.

The church is not meant to be a sanctuary, but rather it's called the mission field. The goal should shift from building our faith within bricks and mortar walls; instead, let us strive for more than believing in something without seeing its results on earth--we need active participation that impacts lives around us!

If you are a church leader or pastor, this post should explain why leading in today's climate can be challenging. The people we lead prefer individual freedom and happiness instead of being told what they should do by an authority figure. This means that many churches are having trouble attracting members who want the gospel message of Jesus as Lord but not as Savior with all its restrictions on their behavior.

So, in short, people today don't want to be restricted by authority structures - including the church. They want to do what they want to do and not follow anyone else. 

However, this doesn't mean that we should give up. We need to preach that Jesus is Lord and that our Faith is not about winning in life but following Him. We also need to be obedient to Him and not just do what we want. This will be a challenge in today's society, but it's one that we need to overcome.