There are a lot of reasons for church decline, much of which is not unique to any one congregation, but is, indeed, something impacting “smaller-size” churches of all denominations throughout the United States. In part, it is the result of what some call, “a natural attrition;” i.e., decline resulting from people moving out of the area, deaths in the congregation and/or health issues limiting once active members from being able to come as they once did. For example, in one Seattle area congregation—in a space of four years--some 40 formerly active members had either moved out of the area, died, or were experiencing significant declining health issues which have limited their ability to come to worship.
Other reasons often sited for church decline, especially among “smaller-size” congregations, is their inability to offer a broader range of programs and other activities—such as those offered by larger congregations. At the same Seattle area congregation, this resulted in the transfer of membership of some thirteen formerly active people to other, larger congregations.
At the same time, over the past 40+ years, according to Church records and information found in Annual Reports and Directories, that same congregation had experienced a regular turnover of people—most often resulting from various kinds of transitions, i.e., staff changes, service time changes, etc. Once again, according to Church records, there are only 22 of 109 families—pictured in the 1977 church photo directory—who are still represented today and 38 out of 342 people pictured (38 of 519 people listed) in the 1977 directory.
The question is: What can a congregation do, given such realities? Indeed, what must be done, to turn this around? In asking “growing congregations,” especially the larger Lutheran congregations in the Seattle area, what they would attribute their growth to, the two most common answers that I have heard are: (1) Having a large percentage of the congregation be actively involved in a regular, weekly Bible Study, and (2) the ability and, willingness, to accept and embrace changes—not to the Message of the Gospel, but to the ways in which it is shared. I should also note that some—outside of the larger, growing Lutheran Churches in the Seattle area—have added a third reason for growth, i.e., location, location, location. Although it can have some impact, research and other evidence have shown that that is only a small part of it.
Bible Study is, perhaps, the single most important of the reasons given for growth. This is because active participation in regular, weekly study with others helps to keep a congregation—and its basis for decision and choices--grounded in the Scripture, rather than other places. It keeps a congregation focused on what it means to be the Church—the body of Christ in the world. And, it also moves a congregation away from arguing about “what would Jesus do,” to simply doing what Jesus did—which is the focus of the Gospel!
With regard to being able and willing to accept and embrace changes, let me quote David A. Roozen, Director of the Hartford-Institute for Religious Research, who, according to an article in the January 2007 issue of “The Lutheran” magazine has, “studied church growth trends for more than 30 years.” In the article Roozen says, “The world is filled with changing styles and generational changes. If you haven’t changed, you’re probably not connecting to the life experiences, expectations and habits of people today.” In addition, the article from The Lutheran also indicated that 70 percent of Lutheran congregations in America—which represents congregations with Sunday worship attendance of 150 or less—have either declined or only held steady between 2000 and 2005. Although there are exceptions to these numbers, the vast majority of congregations which are showing growth are those with average Sunday worship attendance in excess of 800 people. Of course, this does not mean, nor does it claim to suggest, that “smaller-size” congregations cannot and/or will not be able to grow. On the contrary, the same article highlights several “smaller-sizes” congregations that are growing.
The pattern of growth, as demonstrated in the various congregations across the country, is one of being Evangelism-focused, Outreach-oriented, Mission-minded, and Ministry-driven. What does this mean? First of all, to be Evangelism-focused is to have Proclamation of the Gospel to all people, be at the center of all that a congregation does. In such a congregation the Proclamation of the Gospel to the community and the world defines every decision, asking how does this decision help us to more fully Proclaim God’s Word to the world—our local communities?
Secondly, being Outreach-oriented means getting out of the church building and out into the community to “feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, clothes to the naked, care for the sick, welcome to the stranger and visiting the imprisoned,” in answer to Jesus words from Matthew 25, that say, “Whatever you do to the least of these, my brothers and sisters, you do to me.” Being Outreach-oriented means making a difference in the lives of those in need, showing the world that we are Christians by our love.
Third, being Mission-minded means being able to see the value and importance of taking the message of God well beyond our immediate community—the places in which we live. To be Mission-minded is to support, and where possible, to send people to participate in foreign and domestic mission work. To do such things is to have a life-changing experience. To live and work—even if for just a week or so—amidst a people, culture and experience beyond one’s own is to embrace the essence of the Gospel call to, “Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations . . .” (Matthew 28) and to more fully appreciate the power of the Gospel to transform lives forever. Just talk to anyone who has!
And fourth, to be Ministry-driven is to have the Message of God be what drives our deeds and our actions, along with our choices of what programs and activities we will offer. To be Ministry-driven is to recognize the importance of Proclaiming the Gospel to the larger community and doing it—to be Evangelists! To be Ministry-driven is to recognize the importance of having the people of the congregation get actively involved in Outreach projects and other opportunities--to get out of the building, and go where people are in need! To be Ministry-driven is to engage in Mission endeavors, making them available to all members, as they are able and as their talents permit.
How might such an emphasis look at small, declining congregation? To begin with, such an emphasis does not mean that age-old honored traditions need to be scrapped or forgotten. What it means is that we take a new look at those age-old traditions and discover anew why we do them and why they are important. This, then, can lead to us in doing what we do even better, because we have a greater understanding of the how and why it is done in the first place. Such things can be accomplished through Adult Forums and Bible Studies that focus on what it means to be a Christian in a Lutheran setting. Believe me, such efforts are well worth it, as they help us to more fully connect with our history and with the greater depth and meaning of what those age-old traditions mean—including to the people who started them.
At the same time, small congregations need to recognize and support the efforts which are being conducted in their congregation to broaden their ministry expressions. This is a matter of moving beyond one’s own personal preference to recognizing the value and intent of what others are doing to broaden our ministry in order to reach the larger un-churched population around us. This does not mean having people in one service be forced to participate in the other service, or to try and create some kind of “blended” service—which, unfortunately, studies have shown, usually doesn’t work. What it means is to support one another in our ongoing efforts to celebrate our diversity and our ability to provide multiple options to the community. Division serves no one in church—and hostility toward others serves only to frustrate growth. We have two different services in order to more effectively reach more people, not to undermine either form of worship.
So, where does one start? The greatest emphasis and best place to start is by having more people—my hope and prayer would everybody—get involved in a regular weekly Bible Study or Adult Forum which speaks to the Message of God. Indeed, pastors and laypeople must be willing to have a Bible Study at any time or place that people can gather—morning, day or night. Congregations could even begin by having a small group of people commit to spending a weekend—from Friday to Sunday—in order to read together, aloud, the entire New Testament. I know of a congregation that did this, and it was a deeply meaningful experience for everyone involved. Or, we could start with one of the Gospels?
The second place in which to begin is to open our hearts and minds to the greater calling of the Gospel, outside the church building and beyond Sunday morning. This can be done in numerous ways, some of which are already being done. For example: Joining those who lead weekly services in Nursing Home, Assisted Living facilities, Homeless Shelters and Prisons/County Jails. Taking the Gospel out into the community through deed and action is, by far, one of the most powerful ways to show who we are as a congregation!
"Why Have All The People Gone:
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