THE 20th century witnessed structures within the Church in Scotland change more slowly than in any other institution.

But the challenge with the rapidly "changing world" and the "unchanging church" was that they inevitably grew "worlds apart", even though its buildings still dominate the skyline of our towns and villages.

But if any institution, even a sacred one, gradually loses touch with the people it is meant to serve, and if it ceases to communicate effectively with young generations, then through time it will eventually die.

When the church becomes caught in a time warp, then far from becoming the preserve of faith in our nation, it becomes like a cultural museum which people only visit to remind them of a nostalgic past - one which seems to have little to say to the present, or offer to the future.

People these days distrust bold claims and reject judgemental words that do not connect with their own personal needs. They resent talk about "love thy neighbour" by Christians, and churches who do not relate to their own life challenges, nor lead by example.

They still see a spirit of religious exclusivity in some places of worship that fail to reach out to the depressed, addicted or marginalised. They cannot see how the modern day church can fit in with their wholesome but "non-religious" ambitions, and tend to view the church as an exclusive "holy huddle" for a do-gooder minority.

Also, in a consumer culture such as ours, we are often reluctant to acknowledge that our lifestyles - or aspirations - are ultimately earth destructive and, despite our mind-boggling technology, we seldom focus on the wider world - never mind where we go when we die. We know deep down that this level of consumerism is unsustainable, and that we are not indestructible, but we tend to avoid facing these massive questions.

Thankfully, many churches, both locally and nationally, are bucking this trend and proving they are not a spent force, or relics of the past. Various local churches are currently running "Alpha": a Christian investigatory course that has already been attended by over two million people in the UK. Furthermore, several of our local churches have invested significantly in extensive renovation work to ensure they offer greater comfort and a less austere setting for their worshippers..

The Riverside Christian Network, under the visionary leadership of Joe Ewen, continues to grow significantly and its "Youth Extreme" outreach regularly attracts in excess of 50 kids. The Destiny Apostolic Movement has recently planted new churches in Huntly and Keith, and the more traditional Roman Catholic Church in Banff has more than doubled its average Sunday attendance in less than 10 years

The Rev Andy Cowie had a letter published in the 'Banffshire Journal' several months ago championing congregational churches as the best way forward for Christianity in Scotland, but it takes all kinds of churches to reach all kinds of people.

That's why God created us with diverse personalities and preferences.

He uses different approaches to appeal to different groups of people. We should never confuse methods with the gospel message.

The " Back to Church" Sunday initiative this Sunday is not meant to be a large one-off event, before returning to "business as usual" the following week.

Although anyone will be made welcome for that one service, it should be used as a stimulus to re-gain confidence in who we are in Gods eyes either individually and collectively.

Be comforted by the reassurance that the never changing gospel of Jesus Christ with will never leave our land (Mathew: 16-18).

As Christian author, Ray Simpson, explains in his book "Church of the Isles": "The church is the conscience of the nation, the source of its wisdom, the motivator of its people, the spiritual home that enables people of many ethical backgrounds to relate as one family."