There are no two ways about it: the religious foundation laid down by America’s Founders has been destroyed over the last 100 years. “ How easily one forgets that our system of higher education had its roots in American Protestantism, that 106 of the 108 colleges were distinctly Christian. It was while the First Amendment was passed, requiring all new states entering the Union to have educational systems in place emphasizing the teaching of both religion and morality.” 1

Secularism in modern America has charted a fundamentally different course than America’s Founders. Sharply antithetical to Biblical Christianity, Secularism’s basic religious position teaches the intrinsic goodness of man and human nature. Conversely, the Bible looks upon human reasoning as flawed and views man as possessing an innate disposition to sin.

One of both worldviews is true, while the other is false.

David, the sweet psalmist of Israel, worried, “If the foundations be destroyed, what can the righteous do?” 2

The easy answer would be: Rebuild the foundation. As simple as that may seem, it still leaves America’s contemporary Church with the question of how to achieve that.

For a resounding answer, lets again call attention to Ed Silvoso’s book Ekklesia: Rediscovering God’s Instrument for Global Transformation, as well as to his 11-minute video of “ going into the heart of the book.” [ vimeo.com/314949198/8160e5dcee]
 
Here is an excerpt of Silvoso’s words:

If the church is so important, why did Jesus mention it only twice in the gospels?
Why are there no instructions or commands on church planting in the New Testament?
How does the Church today compare to the Ekklesia of the New Testament?

Look at the metrics of the Ekklesia in the New Testament:

Members devoted themselves to [the] teacher’s leading.
Individual and corporate prosperity to meet the needs inside and outside of their circles.
Daily numerical growth.
Ongoing and expanding favor with outsiders.
Signs and wonders - what we call here ‘divine downloads’.

It was a different type of Church:

It was always people, never buildings.
Vibrant, expansive, operating 24/7. Unstoppable capacity for growth.
It set the agenda rather than being an item on somebody else’s agenda.

The question is, why such low performance and little social relevance today?

Could it be that we have confined to four walls, once a week, what is meant to operate 24/7 all over the city in the marketplace?

Is there something that the Church in America has not tapped into yet? If so, what is it? Jesus’ intention all along was to co-opt an existing secular institution and impregnate it with his Kingdom DNA.