Signposts of Change -- Evangelism and the Mainline Church

Is there hope for evangelistic success on the part of Mainline churches? Martha Grace Reece, writing in her new book, Unbinding the Gospel, (Chalice Press, 2007), offers three reasons why there is hope:

1. "Mainline pastors and laypeople are beginning to see and say out loud that they are not doing a good job with evanglism. It bothers them! Insight helps." ---- Twelve Step programs suggest that you have to admit there's a problem before you can find a solution.
2. "Some of the old liberal/ conservative/ charismatic polarizations are begining to shift and melt. With that is coming a deeper spiritual/prayer life and more attention to scripture for many mainline pastors." --- We're recognizing that a relationship with God is central to being church, and we're attending to it. But, as I'll confess we have a ways to go, but at least we're paying attention to the Spirit.
3. After decades of lessened activity in new church planting and evangelism, some denominations, synods and churches are shifting their priorities. --- The Disciples, which is my denomination, is intent on launching 1000 new churches over 20 years, and we're about half way there in less than a decade, and things are just beginning to heat up. (p. 31).

Now much of this is institutional -- but it's a start -- for it represents a sense of refocused energy on telling the story. The next question is -- do we have an audience that's receptive to our message. The realities are that the nation is becoming increasingly less religious. Institutional forms of religion are struggling as people take a more "do it yourself" attitude. I'm not convinced this is workable long term. Again I point to the books of Diana Butler Bass among other for support.