WILL WE CONTINUE TO TOLERATE THE DECLINE OF THE CHURCH IN MELBOURNE?
 
There are many serious and urgent issues the Church and the City of Melbourne. The Bible tells us are far from God's plan, and that He is able to turn these situations around – through us, His people – unless we tolerate them and make no serious effort to change.
 
The Church as a whole provides vast levels of welfare and care to the people of Melbourne, and is doing some wonderful things, but it is still declining in attendance and influence.  And despite efforts by some individual churches, there is no effective plan for intentional mission to our city by the Church.  Without spiritual renewal the welfare and other great things cannot be sustained.

TM undertook the 18-month research of the whole Church to give a clear picture of the situation as a basis for a response we (the Church) could make that would turn around these trends.

While maybe 70% of the population have had some contact with the Church, and 57% identify as "Christian", these "contacts" are rarely developed as opportunities to share the Gospel of Jesus.  Despite the great resources in the Church, with 1700 over churches and over 3000 Christian mission and ministry organizations, it is estimated only about 5000 come to faith each year in the Church.  TM research indicates about 200 people a week cease to attend church and less than 20% of the population and only 8% of people under 34 attend about monthly.  The people groups largely absent from the Church include professional people, those less educated, single or divorced or in de facto relationships, or blue collar workers, or under 34.
 
Most of the City is outside the Church with no real idea what it is or what it stands for.  Many see it as useless or a problem to get rid of.
 
Transforming Melbourne believes this situation is intolerable and that there are clear biblical responses we could take to see the urgent change that is needed. For the sake of the Church that we hand on to our children, and more importantly for the future of our City which depends on the Church and the Christian faith more than it knows. – But how could it know how vital the Gospel is if we don't know, and we tolerate its decline!