I recently spoke at a conference in Virginia where I was asked a strange but insightful question: "How would you describe the church today to a first-century Christian?" I had brief fantasies of standing alongside the Apostle Paul making my prophetic utterances about the state of the church 2,000 years later.

The initial challenge I faced was deciding what information to communicate. Neither the secular society nor the church world has a shortage of information. Indeed some would suggest we have information overload.

My approach, I decided, would be to compare salient points between the churches of two different eras. With the research we have assembled at Church Central, I provided the following response:

• The church of the first century saw people become Christians daily. The church of the 21st century in America reaches only one person for Christ per year for every 85 members.
• The churches of the first century had no buildings of their own. The churches of the 21st century most often see building issues as critical for ongoing ministries and growth.
• The church of the first century quickly began to win the favor of culture. Many churches in the 21st century do not believe they can impact culture.
• The church of the first century saw unbelievers reluctant to embrace the faith, but the Christians won their favor.
• The church of the 21st century is in the midst of a large unchurched population in which 92 percent of the unbelievers said they would come to church if invited. Unfortunately, only 14 percent indicated that they had ever been invited to church.
• The church of the first century saw thousands come to Christ in virtually every area where a church was located.
• The church of the 21st century sees most of the evangelistic activity accomplished by a few churches. Seventeen percent of the churches in America accounted for 80 percent of the conversions in 2001.

My purpose in providing this information is not to paint a picture of doom and gloom. To the contrary, I am an obnoxious optimist about the church in the 21st century. Yet there is little doubt that much work is to be done.

We at Church Central desire to partner with the local church to get the work done in God's power. Our approach is straightforward. We seek to provide churches with information and resources to help them make a difference in the world.

Our focus is in two areas: leadership and church health. We will cull through the mountains of material and report to you the most important issues for the church today.

We will conduct original research so you can have cutting-edge and timely information to help you become a stronger leader, and to help you lead healthier churches. The information contained in this article, for example, is the result of recent research we conducted.

We will also continue to add to a growing body of resources to assist the local church and its leaders in the ministries to which they have been called. Even now we have the premier church health analysis tool that we call the Church Health Survey.

The name Church Central is no incidental name. We hope that you will find this site and the resources we provide to be central in your quest to become the best leader you can be in the healthiest churches possible.

By the way, do you know the number one factor that would lead an unchurched person to visit your church? The answer is a crisis moment. Our research found that either a positive or negative crisis most often prompts an unchurched person to "try" church.

Now, think of some negative crises. Death of a loved one. Sickness in the family. Loss of a job. Divorce or separation. Family problems. You can easily add to this list.

Next, think of some "positive" crises. Marriage. Birth of a child. Relocation due to job promotion. Again, you could add many more.

But don't stop there. Now that you know the impact of crisis moments on the unchurched, what can your church do to reach people during these times? Think strategically. Be proactive.

Why did I give you this information at the end of this article? I wanted you to see how our information and research could help make your church most outwardly focused and, thus, healthier.

I wanted to demonstrate to you how we could partner with you in the great endeavor to become God's best church. Stay in touch with us and visit often. We are Church Central, and we desire to serve you.

Dr. Thom S. Rainer is president of Church Central Associates and dean of the Billy Graham School of Missions, Evangelism and Church Growth at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Ky. He has authored 13 books on the church, and is internationally known as a speaker, conference leader and church consultant.