11. The worship wars are waning. Three decades of worship wars have taken their toll on our congregations. I wrote about this issue in a recent post. And, despite a few protestations to the contrary, I stand by my thesis. There will be more energy to focus on ministry rather than to fight one another.
12. Church members are doing greater ministry in the local communities. We can largely credit Christian millennials with this trend. Local church ministry is moving from “you come” to “we go.”
I am not suggesting that these developments are indicative of a quick turnaround of our congregations. Many are still in dire straits. But I am hopeful. Above all, my trust is in the one true God who is still working among His people. I am excited to see what He will do.
Let me hear from you. Tell me what you think about these 12 reasons. Tell me what you are seeing in your churches.
Thom S. Rainer is the president and CEO of LifeWay Christian Resources. Previously, he served the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary for 12 years, where he was a founding dean of the Billy Graham School of Missions and Evangelism.
Charisma Staff 
Joseph Mattera