May, 2012

The Growing Church of None

Dear ACTS Friend,

It was sad to hear of the passing of Chuck Colson, founder of Prison Ministries—as another dynamic Christian leader's active voice is now silent. Thank God that Chuck is with the Lord—not so, however, for the mega thousands of people passing into eternity every day without Christ and without hope for all eternity.

Joy and I recently saw the updated Titanic movie. Seeing the hundreds of people in the water with lifeboats (that weren't filled) rowing away from drowning people—1,500 of them—and only one lifeboat turning back to help rescue others, was extremely distressing. I left the movie greatly challenged, thinking of the millions of people without Christ desperately needing life boats to turn back to rescue them from a lost eternity.

Our local church is evangelical but without launched lifeboats. We have wonderful community services including: holding baby showers for marine wives; serving the Engineer Corps Marines a special Thanksgiving Turkey dinner on base at Camp Pendleton every year; conducting birthing classes by Joy (a labor and delivery nurse) for expectant marine couples and non-members; a very effective MOPS (Mothers of Pre-School children) ministry; an excellent Steven's lay support ministry; and more. The tragedy is that we do everything except share the gospel. I recently offered to donate a supply of ACTS gospel literature to our church—in vain. Nor can I get our church to include a gospel message on its website.

As Joy was away this past weekend visiting family, I visited another local church (advertised as conservative). I felt more like I was in Las Vegas. There is another "evangelical" church nearby that uses Hollywood-type "smoke" floating across the stage/platform in its Sunday morning worship service. Are these just cases of "it can only happen in California?"

Our pastor was saying recently that the fastest growing "church" in the U.S.A. today is the church of none; that is, more and more people are dropping out of the organized church. Hmm … I wonder why?

This, along with the growing anti-God and anti-Christian attitude here in the U.S., and with the accelerating moral decline with the growing approval of gay marriage; the teaching of school children that homosexuality is normal; that abortion for almost any reason with the practice of barbaric partial-birth abortion are also acceptable. Sadly, some "Christian" denominations are now approving the ordination of pastors who are openly practicing behavior the Bible condemns.

Can't help but wonder what God thinks of this once greatly blessed Christian nation founded on biblical principles? How soon we forgot the disaster that befell ancient Israel when they had been so greatly blessed of God, and still they turned from Him to worship idols. And how soon we forget that "blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord" (Psalm 33:12). The culture and events of today are shouting how desperately we need a spiritual awakening. But who's listening? I think it is only a dedicated minority.

Without doubt the only hope of today's sin-sick world—including the U.S.A.—is the saving gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. And thank God for the incredible means of communication he has given to today's church family—which every Christian who has an e-mail address and access to the Internet can have a vital share in. Thus, today, it is incredible what a dedicated minority can do when it comes to God's work. The fact is that God has always used a dedicated minority to do his work here on earth.

As tiny as ACTS is—only two on our U.S. staff—we are seeing visitors to our gospel websites from 194 countries and territories every month. Every day we are receiving salvation and re-commitment to Christ responses from around the world. We have 27 websites (see list at: www.actsweb.org/acts_websites.php) plus 400,000+ subscribers to Daily Encounter—our weekday e-mail devotion—which, combined with our websites, has become our most effective tool of evangelism. To date this year ACTS has received 1,095 decisions for Christ: 200 have been for salvation, and 895 for re-commitment of their life to Jesus Christ. They have come from 77 countries that we know about!

Besides salvation decisions we are very encouraged by the positive responses we receive such as the following:

R.D. writes: "Your Daily Encounter, 'Thinking Makes It So,' was special at my house. This message was profound to me and all to whom I gave a copy. I also want to thank you for helping me to spread God's Word [via e-Mail]. In my senior years you have helped me to become another of God's servants."

L.M. shares: "The ACTS ministry is remarkable in that it has helped me to under stand many things I didn't know. I am a disabled veteran with physical problems and suffer from post traumatic stress disorder. But you have showed me how to become inter-dependent with God, so I thank you from the bottom of my heart as your ministry has changed me for the better."

R.J. writes: "Love your work. I use it here in China all the time. We had a large baptism in a public pool the day before Easter. Not legal but GO GOD!"

These are just three responses from the many thousands of people worldwide to whom we are so privileged to be able to minister the gospel via the electronic media. We are living in a revolutionary day of "Global Electronic Communications Outreach" in which every person with an e-Mail address can be involved. To see how, please go to our website at: www.actsweb.org/people_power_invite.php.

Do know that every financial supporter is a vital part of ACTS Global Communications Outreach. You are the folk who, together, make the gospel outreach of ACTS possible. So thank you again for your prayer and financial support again this month. Both are vital for the ongoing ACTS gospel outreach ministry—and are greatly appreciated. As you stand with us again this month, may God richly bless and reward you in his own abundant way.

Gratefully in Christ,

Dick and Joy Innes

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