As we commemorate Black History Month, there is concern in the African American community that its older churches — the backbone of the civil rights movement — are losing members.
But other black churches, many of them less than 10 years old, are attracting young people with different kinds of services and new technology, CBS 2’s Jim Williams reports.
This is not your parents’ church service. The songs, the clothes, the dancers are Christians. They believe in Jesus Christ, but the presentation at the New Covenant Church is why so many young people, like Takisha Wade and Torrance Barber, come here, Sunday after Sunday.
“The service really pulls in young people,” Torrance said. “It’s hard when you deal with the type of stuff in street, when kids get deterred so easy, but when you come here, they can really get drawn in.”
It’s hard to imagine that the New Life Covenant Church is only seven years old and that a mere 50 people were there on that first day. Founding Pastor John Hannah now sees thousands at each of three Sunday services.
“I think if the church is willing to come out of the four walls of the church and bring the church into the streets, then I think the church will experience major growth.”
Major growth has also happened because of modern communications tools.
“We have Facebook. We Tweet,” Rev. Otis Moss of Trinity United Church of Christ says.
Facebook and Twitter are as much a part of growing churches as tent revivals were years ago.
“This is a techno generation, so if we want to get this generation, you have to use their tools,” Hannah said.
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aticle courtesy of CBS Chicago.com/BlackChristianNewswire.com
