dying all over the world

I read in an article yesterday that McDonald's, the global fast-food giant, closed down its doors in one particular country--Iceland. Even this profitable franchise couldn't stay ahead of the country's falling economy. And to bid the fast-food chain farewell, floods of Icelanders came to order their last cheeseburgers and Big Macs before the three branches closed down. A noisy crowd, long lines, and an almost ridiculous drive-thru traffic jam characterized the final hours of this burger joint in Iceland.

The story got me thinking about churches around the globe.

Churches too are closing down their doors and not just in one particular country but all over the world. Just search the internet for "churches closing" or "churches dying" and you'll find the different links that talk about this reality. And the reality is this: Churches are dying all over the world.

Pastors and leaders have to do something about this. We need to get our act together to stop and reverse this trend. And it's not because our jobs are on the line or because this historical church has been here for a hundred years. But it's because as Bill Hybels, senior pastor of Willow Creek Community Church, said in one of their Leadership Summits, "so much is at stake." People's lives are at stake. People's transformations are at stake. People's "forevers" are at stake. And so we better do a good job.

I firmly believe in the promise Jesus made to Peter when he said, "I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it" (Matthew 16:18 NIV). This apparently does not refer to local churches because we've seen local churches shut down. This probably refers to the universal body of Christ. Jesus will build his church--the global church which all Christians are a part of--and nothing can stop it from advancing. And if we've got Jesus on our side, tell me who can stop us? We need to claim that promise and get our act together because so much is at stake. I doubt that when a church closes down, there will be floods of people coming to say farewell in its final hours.