going, going........gone?

This article about church life in the United Kingdom paints a dire picture:

"Church attendance could be down to two per cent of the population by 2040 if current trends continue, a new forecast suggested this week. As a result, 18,000 churches might close."

and finishes with this:

"The organisation [Christian Research] recognised that initiatives like Fresh Expressions were beginning to have an impact, she said; but there needed to be "masses more" such initiatives in order to reverse the decline. "We do have a window of opportunity now. We need at every level throughout all the churches to be working strategically to be turning these around."

This kind of research can spark lots of nailbiting and cause people to wonder what to do to 'protect' the church. i would hope any strategies employed by the church in the UK (and eventually here in the US) will be squarely focused on promoting the common good. perhaps losing oneself (even if you are the church) is the only way to be found.