Churches are closing at an unprecedented rate. The number of Americans who identify as Christians has dropped below 50% for the first time since researchers began tracking such data in 1831. And yet — in the midst of a cultural shift that shows no sign of reversing — the question isn’t whether the church has a purpose. The question is: where do you fit?
That was the question Brian Walker, president of the Grace Gospel Fellowship, brought to Grace Bible Church of Phoenix on January 19, 2025. Speaking from decades of walking alongside churches across the country, Walker painted a sobering picture of where the American church finds itself today — and then offered clear, biblical direction for what faithful participation looks like in 2025 and beyond.
The State of the American Church
Walker opened with data. Between 2004 and 2024, approximately 219,000 churches closed in the United States — a 47% reduction. That’s roughly 4,800 churches per year. In that same span, 15.3 million church seats were eliminated.
The attendance picture is equally stark. In 2004, 9% of people who identified as Christians did not attend church. Today that number has climbed to 21%. Meanwhile, the percentage of Americans who consider themselves Christians has dropped from 54% (post-WWII) to 47%.
“For the first time in the recorded history of the United States,” Walker said, citing research from the Pew Research Center, “there are more people in this nation who consider themselves no longer Christian than those who call themselves Christian.” The church has moved from majority to minority — and the trajectory shows no sign of reversing.
Walker acknowledged this can feel discouraging, but he was quick to frame the moment with hope: “If this was a movie score, it would start to get a little nicer right now,” he said. “Because there’s reason to be encouraged.”
Where Do I Fit?
Walker’s sermon title asked the question many believers are quietly wrestling with: Finding Your Place in Church Ministry in 2025 and Beyond. Rather than offer a programmatic answer, he walked the congregation through four biblical foundations that reframe how every Christian should view their role in the church.
Biblical Truth #1: Every Christ Follower Is Essential to the Body
Walker turned to 1 Corinthians 12:12 and 1 Corinthians 12:27–28 to establish a non-negotiable premise: every believer matters to the functioning of the church.
“Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but its many parts form one body… Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.”
— 1 Corinthians 12:12, 27
Using the analogy of a physical body, Walker explained that the church — the body of Christ — is metaphorically complex precisely because every member is vital. No person in the congregation is a spectator. No one is optional.
“You are important,” Walker said directly to the GBC congregation. “Individually and corporately — what you do matters. Don’t mistake how important you are.”
Biblical Truth #2: God Has Already Prepared Your Work
The second foundation came from Ephesians 2:10:
“For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”
— Ephesians 2:10
Walker emphasized that God is not waiting for believers to figure out His plan from scratch. He has already prepared specific work for every individual — work that fits their school, their workplace, their neighborhood, their family situation.
“Don’t be stressed over trying to find where you fit,” Walker encouraged. “Be faithful. Be ready to be used. God has already set the way for you.”
Biblical Truth #3: Ministry Looks Different in Every Season
To address the temptation to cling to what worked in the past, Walker referenced Ecclesiastes 3:1 — a passage that acknowledges the rhythm of different seasons.
“There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens.”
— Ecclesiastes 3:1
The methods and models of ministry will shift as culture changes. What worked in 1985 doesn’t necessarily work in 2025. Walker encouraged the congregation to embrace adaptation without losing sight of the timeless mission: making disciples and serving communities in Jesus’ name.
Biblical Truth #4: Ministry Is Not Just Inside the Church
This was perhaps Walker’s most provocative point. Ministry — genuine, kingdom-building ministry — does not end when the Sunday morning service concludes. He used the illustration of a battery pack: the church exists to recharge believers so they can go deploy their gifts in the world.
“Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function.”
— Romans 12:4–6
Walker described a church in the GGF fellowship that has about 50–60 people on any given Sunday — but ministers to roughly 1,000 people every Saturday through community outreach events: football and cheerleading programs for neighborhood kids, oil change services for single mothers, backpack giveaways. Most of those 1,000 people will never walk through the church’s front door on Sunday.
“That’s church for them,” Walker said. “The only bit of Jesus they might see is in that little moment of interaction.”
Walker coined the phrase “garage door Christian” as a warning: a believer who drives into the garage, closes the door, and never engages the neighborhood. He also referenced Francis Chan’s concept of the “holy huddle” — the tendency for churches to gather, encourage one another, and then… stay gathered, never deploying into the community.
Three Things You Can Do Today
Walker concluded with practical application. Research, he said, indicates these three actions make a meaningful difference:
1. Read and Study God’s Word
“33% of Christians don’t read their Bible at all throughout the year,” Walker noted, citing Pew Research data. “How can we know what to do if we’re not hungry to learn about God’s word?”
“About this we have much to say, and it is hard to explain, since you have become dull of hearing. For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the basic principles of the oracles of God. You need milk, not solid food.”
— Hebrews 5:11, 12
Walker warned that the result of shallow Bible engagement is confusion and vulnerability to deception. “We become thin in our ability to handle scripture,” he said. “We don’t understand what to do when the church is in crisis mode.”
2. Pray with Confidence
Walker turned to 1 John 5:14–15 as a reminder that believers can approach God with boldness — not because of anything they’ve earned, but because of who God is and what Christ has accomplished.
“This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us — whatever we ask — we know that we have what we have asked of him.”
— 1 John 5:14–15
Walker encouraged believers to bring their workplace struggles, family conflicts, neighborhood tensions, and community concerns before God — and to do so with the confidence that He hears and responds according to His perfect will.
3. Attend Your Church and Be Present
The third action was both simple and countercultural: show up. Walker emphasized that gathering together is where gifts are identified, sharpened, and exercised — where believers admonish, encourage, and equip one another for the mission outside the walls.
“Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly… and whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus.”
— Colossians 3:16–17
Walker challenged the congregation: “Your church needs you. You’re an essential part. Be here — and be here with each other.”
Fix Your Eyes on What Is Eternal
Walker closed with 2 Corinthians 4:16–18 — a passage that reframes every local church struggle in light of eternity:
“Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.”
— 2 Corinthians 4:16–18
Walker shared the story of missionaries he and his wife Amy support in mainland China. When Chinese authorities raided their church, jailing the leaders for months, the congregation didn’t disband — they simply went to each other’s homes and started new churches. “They just went and did church again,” Walker said. “Because it’s so important.”
The bottom line, Walker said, is this: “Church ministry is complicated. But there are reasons to be encouraged. Put your nose in the word and study it. Pray with confidence. Be faithful in your church ministry. Recharge your battery today so you can deploy your special gifts out in your community, in your home, in your workplace, in your schools.”
Where you fit in 2025 and beyond isn’t a question of program or platform. It’s a question of faithful presence — in the body, in the community, and in the mission God has already prepared for you.
Scripture References
- 1 Corinthians 12:12, 27–28 — Every believer is essential to the body of Christ
- Ephesians 2:10 — God has already prepared your good works
- Ecclesiastes 3:1 — There is a season for every activity
- Romans 12:4–6 — Ministry extends beyond the church walls
- James 1:17 — Every good gift comes from above
- 1 John 5:14–15 — Pray with confidence
- Colossians 3:16–17 — Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly
- 2 Corinthians 4:16–18 — Fix your eyes on what is eternal