Some wit once compared the church to Noah’s ark, we couldn’t stand the conditions inside if it weren’t for those outside. That haunts me. Research reveals that over half of self-identified Christians have no connection with a larger group of followers—meaning we may have more Christians outside the church than inside. A number of my friends and family, once deeply involved in a local body, have chosen to stop. The church that Jesus died to create.

Maybe we need to explore the best reason to...