Online Ministries Can Provide Inspirational Anchors Amid Church Membership ‘Churn’
NORTH RICHLAND HILLS, Texas, Feb. 29 /PRNewswire/ — According to a recent report from the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life, America’s faithful are turning from one church to another and yet another. Ron Rose, founder of Faith Coaching Network (http://www.faithteam.org/), points to this phenomenon as evidence that American Christianity is at a major crossroads.
Rose has personally witnessed the reported church membership churn. “I receive calls every week from Christians who are about to leave their churches in search of something more,” he stated. “In fact, in the last two weeks I have been in contact with pastors in churches who are deeply discouraged by the institutional and political posturing of church structure. They want out.”
However, Rose has also seen a trend that was not mentioned in media stories covering the Pew report: the emergence of the Internet ministry. A Google search on the phrase “Internet ministry” produces more than four million results on the subject.
Faith Coaching Network itself was created to reach out to both non-Christians and Christians of all denominations, primarily through its Faith Notes weekly e-newsletter. Designed to be inspirational without being preachy, Faith Notes contain reflections and real-world stories about topics that help readers continue or start their faith journey, such as setting priorities, facing adversity, living with integrity and the importance of hope.
Rose devised Faith Notes as a solution to the lack of spiritual connectedness he saw seeping out of the usual resources. “Denominational doctrines can’t hold people if there is no relationship and experience to match the doctrine,” he said. “Churches of all traditions have drifted into an institutional flavor. Many are losing members and circling the wagons, fearful of more defectors. Their focus is on shoring up the holes in the walls, while God wants the emphasis to be on being a community of believers who focus outside the walls and make a difference in the world – being Jesus in the neighborhood, not God in a box.”
In a recent survey of Faith Notes subscribers, Rose asked, “What is it that you get from Faith Notes?” He found that the overwhelming response was “inspiration and motivation to keep going.”
The positive response has encouraged Rose to increase his offerings. Faith Notes is the basis for his new Faith in the Workplace Network, which helps business leaders share their faith at work in a non-threatening manner, and Rose’s Web site provides an expanding array of resources for individuals in search of support or inspiration.
“On-demand ministries help people get off the dying institutional couch and onto the road less traveled, the church outside the walls,” said Rose. “That means putting faith in action and finding community in doing so. That’s what faithteam.org is all about.”
To learn more about the Faith Notes and the Faith Coaching Network, visit http://www.faithteam.org/.
Contact: Ron Rose Faith Coaching Network (817) 239-9229 ron@faithteam.org http://www.faithteam.org/
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Faith Coaching Network
CONTACT: Ron Rose of Faith Coaching Network, +1-817-239-9229,ron@faithteam.org
Web site: http://www.faithteam.org/