(CP) Australian American Evangelist Nick Vujicic has issued an urgent call to what he sees as an increasingly "delusional" American Church: repent and speak boldly against pressing issues like abortion, porn addiction and sex trafficking before it's too late.
"I think most churches are delusional," the 40-year-old Life Without Limbs founder told The Christian Post in a sit-down interview during the annual National Religious Broadcasters Convention.
"I don't pray for revival; I pray for repentance. I don't think America deserves a single more blessing from God; not one. We need to repent. And not only do we need to turn away from things, but we also need to equip and encourage the Church to go toward this: How do you stay out of your pornographic addiction? How do you now engage ... the one family in the church [that] ends up fostering and adopting?"
"It ain't rocket science to preach to 8 billion people," he continued. "We can have an army of churches coming together and teaching people how to evangelize and do street evangelism, just like we did years ago. When was the last time you heard a pastor say to his church: 'This is what you say to someone about the Gospel of Jesus Christ. This is how you share your testimony in three minutes. This is the reaction that you give to someone who's Islamic who tells you that we're serving the same God.' We don't even talk about that anymore."
Vujicic, who has traveled to 78 countries and preached to crowds as large as 800,000 people, expressed concern over the state of many American churches, noting that a significant number are burdened with massive debts while the country faces pressing social issues.
"We have 100,000 churches in America that represent $498 billion worth of debt for buildings that are half empty," he emphasized. "We have half a million kids waiting for a foster mom and dad or an adoptive mom and dad. Where are we?"
Churches must stand up and serve as the "hands and feet" of Jesus, he said, working on the ground level to tackle issues. He urged Christians to actively participate in city councils, school boards and other local political committees to use their voice for good.
"Christians [need to go to] school boards," he said. "Instead of just complaining about what's happening in your school districts, go and get your church to be a part of that. I really believe with media, politics and business, it's Christians being the light in the dark place."
He also stressed the importance of pastors tackling sensitive topics like "pornographic addiction in the Church" and sex trafficking from the pulpit.
"This is a problem; we need to start talking about this," he stressed. "There are many things that we need to talk about.
"I hope that this wakes us up as a people of God, to come together in unity like never before, pray for our country, pray for a man of God to lead our country and put our country back under God," he said.
Vujicic's passion for the Gospel is evident in his ongoing efforts to create positive change in society. His ministry's programme "Champions for the Brokenhearted" trains churchgoers to support those dealing with trauma and pain in a small group setting, helping them heal and find strength in Christ.
"We're training the average person going to church who has a heart for veterans, foster kids, women with PTSD from abortions that they've never told anybody about, to actually have a small group that's thematically based on a situation they've gone through to heal the brokenhearted," he said.
"I think the American Church hasn't stopped to heal the saved people. When you're healed, now you're complete [and strength comes] out of the overflow to then go help someone else in need. I think it's important. I think we need to go back to the basics," he said.
But evangelism begins in the home, he said. As a devoted father of four, Vujicic emphasized the importance of communication and open dialogue with children. He encouraged parents to seek out resources, like videos and testimonies, to reinforce biblical values.
He applauded those addressing controversial topics like gender identity and sexual orientation, adding: "I'm thankful for the remnant that is speaking out. Go out and feed them the truth."
"We've got to grow a little bit more of a strong spine and tell them the truth; tell them the truth in love," he said.
Open communication is also key to building strong families, he added, and creating an environment where children feel loved, cherished and encouraged daily.
"One out of three girls in America have been sexually abused. One out of five boys have been sexually abused. Think about that. It's unbelievable," he said. "Fentanyl everywhere. Kids are dying at parties, getting high, getting drunk like never before. We've got to be watching, be a little bit more strict. But then tell them the truth. Have conversations with them."
In a society that places little value on family, the evangelist urged Christians to invest in nurturing strong family bonds: "Like never before, demons are rockin' out unapologetically laughing in your face," he warned. "So pray, learn how to pray. Learn how to connect with your kids, teach them stuff, show them things. Tell them every day, 'You're beautiful.'"
"Tell them to dream big. Tell them to go further than you," he added. "Tell them, because they won't if you don't."