If you do the same thing over and over. . .

Albert Einstein once said “The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results”. Think about this quote for a second and ask yourself, does this quote apply to the way we function as a church and denomination? I ran across this graph (click to make larger) while blogging last week and it "shocked me."

I asked myself upon seeing this; "what is the real problem here"? I mean really, didn't the conservative resurgence take place within the SBC during this time? The resurgence that was supposed to bring us back to greater heights and growth because we aligned and committed ourselves to becoming an biblically inerrant denomination. Side note: I am biblically conservative! So what is really going on? My read is this; you can know everything you need to know about the bible, you can think right, but if what you believe is never fostered into action and change nothing will ever really take place. To me, that is the church's problem. We think we have it all down pat with our theology and ecclesiology and that all is good and well. We'll it "ain't" so. The Pharisee's thought the same way in Jesus' day and the results (spiritually speaking) were bad. In the midst of religion you had a culture that was relationally far away from God. And, in the midst of that culture you had biblical inerrantist who knew everything about God's law. In our day the biblical inerrantist should have see this one coming. Just because you know the rules doesn't mean you live or play by them. So, what is the church of today doing? We're doing what we always know to do; learn more, talk more, create more, and fail to engage the culture in which we live. The results are the same as A.D. 30, a people and culture that is further removed from God. I believe Einstein's definition is describing the church of today; using the same methods (over and over, since 1950) to reach an every changing culture is "NUTS"! What would make the difference? Take the unchanging message and try to taking to the people. Relate to them where they are, instead of believing that the people you are trying to reach are going to come to you. It is interesting to think that at the beginning of the graph this denomination was at its peak. Now, you can see that in the last 57 years it has been in gradual decline. Why? If you do the same thing over and over again and expect different results that is what you get; decline. My prayer for every church planter is that they would never place themselves in a position where they can never promote and implement change. Always remember that "the message" never changes; but our methodology will always have to change if we expect to engage and transform an ever-changing culture.