Most Americans believe in God & have a favorable view of Jesus... but, for one reason or another, they’re staying away from Church. So there's a huge disconnect in the public eye between between God and the people of God. That's why we started Catalyst.
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There is a growing negative social perception of ‘church’ as we know it. Currently, Sunday church attendance in America is declining, as multitudes are choosing to abandon ‘organized religion.’ Nowhere is this more true than in the Pacific Northwest, where up to 80% of people have no significant religious involvement...while the vast majority would consider themselves as 'spiritual.'
Personally, we love the Church...but there is a great need to present new expressions of God’s timeless principles in order to share His love with those who aren’t connecting with existing churches. There is truly only one Church (big ’C’) - the worldwide composite of ALL Christ-followers; and it takes all kinds of churches (little ‘c’) to reach all kinds of people & places. There is a new movement across America to bring more a relational and intentional approach to the modern church-growth era of the past few decades.
Bill Hybels is pastor of Willow Creek, one of the most influential mega-churches in American history. For the past 30+ years, they have led the way in positioning the church as a “big box with programs for people at every level of spiritual maturity to consume and engage, heavily influenced by the methods of secular business.” Surprisingly, Hybels is joining a growing list of church leaders who are reconsidering their methods: "Some of the stuff that we have put millions of dollars into, thinking it would really help our people grow and develop spiritually, when the data actually came back it wasn't helping people that much. Other things that we didn't put that much money into and didn't put much staff against is stuff our people are crying out for...We made a mistake. What we should have done when people crossed the line of faith and become Christians, we should have started telling people and teaching people that they have to take responsibility to become 'self-feeders.’”
(Quotations from Christianity Today’s online Leadership Journal, Oct.18, 2007).
‘Church,’ in its simplest form, can be defined by the words of Jesus: “Where two or three come together in my Name, there I am with them” (Matthew 18:20). Jesus’ mission was to spread God’s love to all of mankind, but His method was remarkably personal and simple. He surrounded himself with a small group of people whom He poured Himself into—constantly teaching, serving, and loving them—and leading them to ’pay it forward’ to those around them. Of course, there were a few recorded occasions when Jesus directed His teaching to the masses, but His ministry was clearly devoted to a relatively small circle of close friends who, in turn, invested into the lives of others. This replication effect was the method chosen by Christ, & it worked.
We want to rediscover the most simple principles of Christian faith & lifestyle, believing they’re just as relevant today as in the first century. We pray that this will draw new people into relationship with Christ and His worldwide family of faith...The Church.”?If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. Rivers of living water will brim and spill out of the depths of anyone who believes in me this way, just as the Scripture says.” (Jesus, in Jn. 7:37-38, The Message)
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OUR VISION: We envision a reality where Christ-followers are admired for their generosity, love, and service towards their communities: Demonstrating the transforming impact of God in ways that draw new people into His global family, and equip ordinary people to become heroes who pay-forward acts of service to change the world one life at a time.
