Encouragement for small churches
There's good news for small churches...there are signs of hope that the small church has a place within the religious landscape of America.
Rev. Lewis Parks penned a commentary entitled, Who Is Visiting Small Churches Today? for the United Methodist News Service. You can read his full commentary at: http://www.umc.org/site/apps/nlnet/content3.aspx?c=lwL4KnN1LtH&b=2433457&ct=5995977
Parks said that while the first reaction of small churches often is defensive, the fact is that 35 percent of small churches are growing each year. Parks identifies five target audiences for small churches:
1. Persons seeking a surrogate family -- persons separated from their families of origin by work, school, or military obligations. Or they are persons who are estranged and divorced from their families. They are looking for a "new family" who can reciprocate; they are intergenerational because many are looking for wiser, older people who can share their wisdom from life's journey.
2. Persons seeking an alternative to the anonymity of the workplace and public square. They want a setting for worship and spiritual growth like Cheers "where everyone knows your name," because the rest of their world is one filled with anonymity. They also want to participate in worship and not merely be a spectator.
3. Persons weary of self-absorption and in search of a corporate story into which they can jump. In a day where we have been sold a bill of goods that the only churches growing are non-denominational types, Parks points out that persons are looking for a community or institution that is greater than the sum of its individual members and give oneself to it. Hmm...sounds like United Methodist connectionalism at its best. People are looking to hear the community's story and churches need to be prepared to tell it. Seekers particularly are looking for a story bigger than themselves but still small enough that they can contribute to the story's present and future.
4. Persons who have a score to settle with God but want to settle it in a safe environment. They demand that God make sense of the sudden death of a child, spouse or best friend. They regret the setbacks of their lives and would like to find an overriding providence. As they have it out with God, they have a strong preference for an intimate and safe setting.
5. Persons who are looking for a place to give back for the blessings they have received. These persons have done well in life and are now looking for a place where they can give back from the blessings of their life. The resources may be financial or they may be in volunteer labor. As we know, the lifeblood of the small church is not paid staff but volunteer efforts and financial patrons.
Considering that half of the congregations in the Illinois Great Rivers Conference have less than 100 members and less than 50 in Sunday worship, this is encouraging news. The key is to be prepared to receive persons into the church with an attitude that there is always room for one more.
In this week's Alban Weekly from the Alban Institute, found by visiting http://www.alban.org/conversation.aspx?id=6484, notes:
"It is pretty easy to stay within the four walls of the church and make assumptions about the lives of the people in the broader community. It is more difficult to actually build relationships with community residents and grow in your understanding of their needs and desires. It takes more time, too.
"There are tremendous advantages, however, to building your congregation’s ministries on what the community says it wants. If you take the time to build these relationships, your congregation will focus its efforts on meeting unmet needs rather than duplicating what other groups are already doing. You will also have a strong foundation for sustaining your programs; strong relationships with your community make it easier to recruit participants and volunteers and raise money."
So let's talk about what is working in your congregations...What are you doing that is making a difference in the lives of people and communities in the southern two-thirds of Illinois? Let's share these stories!