RHYTHMS - Week 6

• Hebrews 10:24-25

CHURCH ATTENDANCE DECLINE STATS
• The Barna Group polled the general population, practicing Christians and “churched” adults about their attendance patterns. in 2019, only 14% of all US adults said they never went to church. In 2020, that number jumped to 53%. That’s an almost 40 point jump in less than twelve months.
• Recent data shows that, among practicing Christians—those who identify as Christian, agree strongly that faith is very important in their lives and attend church at least monthly (prior to COVID-19)—over half (53%) say they have streamed their regular church online within the past four weeks. Another 34 percent admits to streaming a different church service online other than their own, essentially “church hopping” digitally. Finally, about one-third of practicing Christians (32%) says they have done neither of these things.
• Hebrews 10:25
• Gather: a complete collection
• Acts 2:42-46
• Devoted: to attend constantly.
REASONS TO PRACTICE THE RHYTHM OF GATHERING
1. They Gathered to Grow
• Acts 2:42-46
• 2 Timothy 3:16-17 (CSB)
2. They Gathered to Connect
• Acts 2:42
• Fellowship: Koinonia is a Greek word that occurs 20 times in the Bible. Koinonia’s primary meaning is “fellowship, sharing in common, communion
3. They Gathered to Minister
• Acts 2:44-45
• How we minister to others: by giving and serving.
• 2 Corinthians 9:1,5-7,10-15
• Startling Stats:

- 65 percent of churches have seen a decline in giving since the COVID-19 outbreak began.

- A new “State of the Plate” poll, released by the National Association of Evangelicals and involved more than 1,000 churches across all 50 states, shows that more than six out of 10 churches have seen a decline in offerings since mid-March. In the survey, 34 percent of churches reported that giving had fallen by 10-20 percent or more; 22 percent reported a decline of 30-50 percent or more; 9 percent said they’d seen a drop of 75 percent or more.
• Ephesians 4:11-13
• You have a vital role to play.
• Romans 12:4-8
4. They Gathered to Worship
• Acts 2:46-47
• Colossians 3:16
• “There is something better. To worship God together and be committed to worship Him together, to hear His Word together. Do not reduce Church to listening to a podcast. It's so much more than that. It's community. It's worshiping with other, praying for others, hurting with other, serving others, being involved in the lives of others.” - Craig Groeschel
• Acts 2:47