They Don't Like Christians

As Christ-followers and churches, we are facing a serious public relations crisis. Check out some thoughts from They Like Jesus But Not the Church:

In our increasingly post-Christian culture, the influences and values shaping emerging generations are no longer aligned with Christianity. p. 15

Translation: We are no longer living in a Christian world. We can no longer assume that people know the basics of the Christian faith.

To them, Christianity isn't normal ... We've got to realize that in our emerging culture, we are now in a different culture and we need to view it and the people in it as a missionary would. Christians are now the foreigners in a post-Christian culture, and we have got to wake up to this reality if we haven't. ... Among those who are under thirty-five years old, and especially younger people in their teens and twenties, there is a quickly growing misperception of what Christianity is, what church is, and who Christians are. pp. 29-31

This may sound odd, but quite honestly, I don't blame people in our emerging culture for what they think about us. If I weren't a church leader or if I weren't friends with Christians who really are following Jesus in a loving and balanced way, I would probably judge Christians and Christianity based on what I could see from the outside. And it isn't a pretty picture. Based on outside observations of Christians, there's no way I would want to become one of them. I wouldn't want to become an angry, judgmental, right-wing, finger-pointing person. I wouldn't be saying that out of rebellion against God or the church; I would simply conclude that from observations of Christians and from not wanting to change into something I wouldn't want to be like. pp. 32-33

People generally have a negative view of Christians and the church. The good news is that those same people have a very favorable view of Jesus. More to come.