When I take a trip to a place I've never been, I will take out a map and figure out which way is the quickest, shortest and least stressful way to go. However, I have realized that in order to travel accurately I have to buy new maps every year. Maps change because our country is growing. I saw a map of 1938 Texas and could not believe how much it has changed. Dallas and Ft. Worth were actually separate cities. There were no interstates and no loops around any city. Maps change constantly. So how do know how to go when the maps are constantly changing. What do we do when they just might be in-accurate? We have to use a compass! A compass always points north and allows us to know what direction we are headed. Our world is changing constantly and the maps on how to get people to church have changed. Some of the programs and ministries that have been beloved by churches have become like old maps. They are not useful anymore. So what do we do? We have to depend on our compass. Our compass is the Bible and it points to Jesus. See lots of people are scared of change because they believe it leads to heresy. They are afraid it will lead to liberalism or the ways of the world. That can happen only when the leaders refuse to use the compass (the Bible). But the maps are changing and we have to create, buy or borrow new maps!

Judges 2:10 (NIV) After that whole generation had been gathered to their fathers, another generation grew up, who knew neither the LORD nor what he had done for Israel.

How tragic to see a whole generation that does not even know God. People have free will and not everyone will accept Christ. Even the best parents can have children who reject Christ. But what about those who never hear about Jesus. They are a "lost generation!" The most recent stats I found show that only 5% of Europe attend church - In Canada only 19% and in the US 35% . Whose fault is that? I blame the church. The maps have changed and we haven't updated them. My passion in life is to reach the "lost generation." I am obsessed with making sure that the church I serve is relevant in our community. I am burdened by all of the people who don't know about God because "the church" has not updated the maps. We will be true to the compass (the Bible) but we will be changing our maps!