Raise Us Up

What can a church do when it comes to terms with the reality that it is slowly dying due to a lack of baptisms?  Getting rid of the preacher may be an option for some churches, but it makes about as much sense as firing the manager of a baseball team for losing even though every player is making a ton of errors and striking out each time at the plate.  Having a consultant come and lead a church growth conference might be considered, but it can be expensive especially for smaller congregations.  Of course, there are books and articles to read, sermons to hear, and podcasts to watch.  

The real key to renewal of the ministry at the baptismal font, or pool is prayer.  Has anyone  ever wondered what happens when a church begins to take prayer seriously by making it not a peripheral ministry, but a central one? Has anyone ever wondered what would happen if two people, or five people, or ten people in a church gathered to pray that God would bless the church with baptisms again?  It is not strange that we ask the people of God to pray for pastors, for the sick, for mission programs, for the bereaved, for financial campaigns, for our youth and children's ministries, but no one is intentionally praying for the church to be blessed with new believers in Christ Jesus?  

God is the Source of all spiritual blessings we seek for the church.  Surely, there is no blessing which would bring more joy to the heart of the Holy Spirit than to see people who have never openly professed faith in Christ to do so in His Church.  The first step toward seeing the baptismal waters stirred again is for a few to know themselves as the ones the Spirit is raising up to pray that seeing people professing faith in Christ would be the norm instead of the occasional occurrence.  "Lord, use us to raise up such a people."