Dec 02 2013

Why Hawaii? The Ministry Context

Published by under News Updates

 

hawaii

Ministry Context


We live in challenging times and in a unique context for ministry. Statistically, 85% of churches have either plateaued in attendance or are shrinking, and of the 15% remaining, over 2/3 of them are growing for reasons other than conversion.  In other words, less than 5% of churches are growing because new people are being welcomed into the reign of God (by conversion). Churches must not only concentrate their ministerial efforts on evangelism, they must do it at a time when evangelical Christianity is suffering from an unfavorable reputation.

While most churches do not reach the lost, even those that do are experiencing a depletion of an entire generation: young adults.  As teenagers reach adulthood they are leaving the church at unprecedented rates. The result: only 27% of adults younger than 42 attend church; somewhere between 4% and 18% of adults under the age of 31 attend. No longer can the church assume attendance, assume in the famous adage from Field of Dreams: “If you build [a church], they will come.”

The churches in Hawaii share these challenges with the majority of American faith communities.  However, Hawaii is a unique ministry context. The state as a whole ranks 6th among states in lowest weekly church attendance.  Less than 10% of the residents of this side of the island attend church weekly. The Kona Coast is clearly a mission filed—a field ready for harvest (Luke 10:2).

Further, there is very little demographic consistency from one community to the next. The diversity along this coast resembles more of an urban metropolis (with cloisters of unique communities), while the geographic area spans over 100 miles (Hawi to Ocean View).  We have, in essence, a contiguous stretch of unique mission fields on the Big Island.

The need: effectively translate and embody the Good News in each unique, community mission field (eight “mission zones”—see map).

With urgency, KCN responds to these three challenges of our ministry context: 1) much of the Big Island is lost and living in darkness, 2) churches are shrinking and young adult are retreating, and 3) diverse mission fields are requiring unique outreach efforts. Kona Church of the Nazarene is called to respond by reaching the lost, discipling believers into permanent followers-of-Christ, and modeling the kingdom in diverse ways along the Kona Coast.

KCN is called to launch a big mission, MISSION: KONA COAST.  www.konacoastnaz.com/minstry-context

One response so far




One Response to “Why Hawaii? The Ministry Context”

  1.   Jenniferon 02 Dec 2013 at 11:46 am

    This is truth- Well said. The book “You Lost Me” by David Kinnaman shares those same sad stats about our youth. But ‘with God all things are possible!”

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