The Church a Stumbling Block to Real Change

[cultural and biblical] issues. When I speak to other Christians (including pastors) about a transformed life, both individually and corporately, I get a blank stare. Ask someone to actually read an article that might inspire a discussion on what God would want us to be in our culture . . . no time to read it. I find that we must plead with leaders to admit that "decisions" [for Christ] without discipleship (in our experience) inevitably lead to baptism without fruit. 

We’ve plenty of time for Sunday school but that has shown no meaningful effect in decades of effort. We’ve plenty of time to encourage people to attend a public worship service but that has failed to inspire any meaningful growth either. And we’ve surely have plenty of time for potlucks at church. But: “Be used of God to change the world” doesn’t even make the list of topics.
 
My conclusion, at least for now, is that I must be obedient, in some sense, from outside the confines of my church. My wife and I, as one example, will start to disciple a young couple in a few weeks. We are expecting God to use that time for his glory. I know culture must change in order for society to change but in my experience the church is quite often the stumbling block to real cultural change. I do empathize with those mainline folks that you write about who stay in their churches and trust God to work in less than optimal conditions.