In the over 15 years that I have served in full-time ministry, I have seen numbers of people who have dropped out of church. In order to be an outward focused Christian, we must declare, as Thom Rainer says, I will not be a church dropout. There are several reasons why people drop out of church.

(1) The burnout syndrome. Burnout occurs when the church member is doing too much or too little. It also happens when they serve in areas where they have very little passion. Burnout also occurs when the church member becomes frustrated and disappointed with the church. The primary reason many church members suffer burnout is because they are seeking to please people rather than please God. Rainer writes, “Church burnout will not take place if we are seeking to please God in our service rather than to please people.”

(2) The ministry atrophy factor. The word atrophy describes how our body’s organs and tissues will waste away if we don’t use them. God has given every church member spiritual gifts, talents, and unique personalities. All of which provides edification to the entire church body. Every church member has a job to do. If you are not actively serving in your church then you will become a disoriented church member and may eventually drop out altogether. Thom Rainer bluntly states, “If you are not serving in your church, you are not a legitimate church member.”

To avoid being a church dropout, we must avoid the extreme of being over-committed and the extreme of intentional non-commitment. In conclusion Rainer points out, “An inactive church member is an oxymoron. A church dropout is a disobedient Christian. May we now make this commitment: I will not be a church dropout.