The ‘dechurched’ are our neighbors. We may have sat beside them in church a time or two, but now we haven’t seen them for a while. For some reason they chose to disconnect themselves from the church (the body of Christ (Read 1 Corinthians 12:12-20), and stopped worshipping God, stopped hearing God’s Word, and stopped receiving the gifts of God’s grace. Some may believe they will come back after college, after marriage, after children are born, after working nights, after the children are older, after they feel better, after a time whenever something in life changes. But will the ‘dechurched’ comeback on their own?
The ‘dechurched’ are facing the many challenges of life (like so many are), but they are trying to make it on their own. Satan and man’s sinful nature say there’s no other way to live, but that’s a lie. The ‘dechurched’ as well as the ‘churched’ need God’s guidance, but who is going to go and tell what they need.
God told His people, “You are my witnesses, and my servant whom I have chosen, that you may know and believe me and understand that I am he. Before me no god was formed, nor shall there be any after me. I, I am the Lord, and besides me there is no savior. I declared and saved and proclaimed, when there was no strange god among you; and you are my witnesses,” declares the Lord, “and I am God. (Isaiah 43:10-12)
God’s chosen people were to tell others what they had seen and heard God do for them, and they had much to tell. We have much to tell what we have seen and heard God do for us. We have just celebrated Easter and we recall Christ death on Good Friday, but there’s more than that for us to tell others, to tell the ‘dechurched’ and remind the ‘churched’ of what can be forgotten when people do not remain a part of the church, the body of Christ.
We know and believe what God has called us to do (to be witnesses), but how to be a witness may not be as well known. The L.A.S.S.I.E. approach in the Every One His Witness evangelism process teaches participants to Listen, Ask, Seek, Share, Invite, and Encourage the ‘dechurched’ and others people. In order to learn about witnessing to the ‘dechurched’ go to everyonehiswitness.org, scroll down the page, find the ‘Witnessing to Dechurched Adult Children’ context module, follow instructions to login and be blessed during your training).
Our attitude should not just want the ‘dechurched’ back in church but back in a healthy relationship with God. God desires all to believe that He is God, that He is the Lord, and besides Him there is no savior (see Isaiah 43:10-12 above). God desires all to be in His fold and led by the ‘Good Shepherd’, Jesus Christ, hearing His voice tell them to lie down in green pastures and that they are safe while walking behind Him through the valley of the shadow of death.
The ‘dechurched’ are lost but they are loved by God and He wants them to be with Him forever. We love the Lord our God and Savior and trust the Holy Spirit sanctifying work to address the challenges of witnessing to our neighbors (Read Ephesians 4:11-14).
Pastor Dwayne Schroeder
Evangelism Secretary
