Is the church of God still important today?

For anyone that follows the rates of religious affiliation and church attendance in America and some part of the world , the numbers can be shocking. According to ChurchLeaders.com, less than 20 percent of Americans regularly attend church. Americans that reject any religious affiliation have grown from 6 percent to 22 percent, between 1992-2014. For Millennials, the figure is 35 percent. Behind the detached numbers hides a reality that deeply affects individual’s lives. Considering the rising levels of cultural conflict, and the political strife that accompanies the cultural divide, in light of the figures above, a potential pattern emerges.

While it is important to look at the numbers, it is also important to remember that when it comes to questions of faith, the impact and power of God’s love cannot be fully comprehended and certainly cannot be quantified. The numbers suggest something that your local church pastor has likely been saying for a long time. When individuals become disengaged with their faith and their church, not only does the moral fabric of our society suffer, not only are families torn apart, not only are the bonds of communities weakened, but the very foundation of our country and society begins to erode. David A.R. White, who stars in the upcoming film GOD’S NOT DEAD: A LIGHT IN DARKNESS, believes the church remains a vital force in our world.

“There is so much back-biting going on, there are two sides of this country splitting in different ways. At the center of it all is love and that is what we need to bring people back together again—Christ’s love. It is loving your neighbor as yourself and putting down your swords and putting down your ‘right to be right.’ It is about accepting and coming from a place of love. That is what makes GOD’S NOT DEAD: A LIGHT IN DARKNESS relevant today.”

Ultimately, the numbers may only confuse the simplicity of the truth. As White suggests, when love is at the core of the church’s message and outreach, a broken world will always find the church not only relevant but essential.