While in a few parts of the world, some churches and denominations are in decline, globally, Jesus’ church is exploding with growth.

In China more people worship Jesus than in America. In Africa, the number of Christians has grown to 500 million. In Asia, Christianity is growing at twice the rate of population growth. More Muslims have come to Christ in the last 15 years than in the previous 15 centuries.

Every day the average number added to the body of Christ worldwide averages 174,000 and 3,500 new churches are opening every week worldwide.

Jesus said, “I will build my church.” And He is!

Then why is the growth of Jesus’ church slower, plateaued, or declining in some Western nations including the USA? I’m not an expert but I wonder if these are some of the factors:

• With economic growth, good health care, and relative peace and safety, many people foolishly feel no need for God. Jesus said that it is hard for the rich to enter His Kingdom.
• Too many “Christians,” rather than loving God supremely and worshiping Him exclusively, are guilty of idolatry choosing practically to worship the good life, happiness, health, family, friends, popularity, reputation, politicians and parties, church, technology, celebrities, personal pleasure, etc.).
• When the church ceases to be a diverse, global movement – a revolution of love – but instead becomes institutionalized, nationalistic, tradition-oriented, consumeristic, comfortable, negative, and discriminatory rather than welcoming, it loses its dynamic and vitality, and ceases to remind people of Jesus.
• When the church is more about programs and politics than about Jesus; when the church loses its “first love” for Jesus; and when its message trades the excitement of the Good News about Jesus and His Kingdom for arguments about doctrine and culture, it ceases to be inviting and magnetic.
• When Christians substitute the church for Jesus, settle for cultural Christianity rather than the transformational Good News, and adopt the American Dream instead of Jesus’ mission, their faith is a lifeless sham.

True Christianity is alive, thriving, and available to all who deny themselves and follow Jesus.