Relevant Church?

The precipitous decline of the American church is well-documented. Simply stated, (many)church(es) continues to provide something that no one is looking for.

First on the "what-no-one-is-looking-for-menu" is the "you must believe what we believe"; a tribal flavor of distinctive beliefs of which cognitive compliance is expected—from the macro to the miniscule. This complicates matters for the inquirer who, at an early juncture, is only looking for a sense of connection within the community. To expect "believe before belong" is a turn-off and often a turn-away.