Alban Weekly – Issue 487 – for Week of
Monday, 25 November 2013 - “Shifts You Should Know About” by Sarai Rice
Question: What are some of the emerging
trends that you see in congregations as they adapt to a changing environment?
Answer: This is a question I’m asked
frequently, either by curious participants at a workshop or by members of a
struggling congregation who want to know if other congregations are struggling
with the same thing. As a result, I’ve started compiling a list of what seem to
me to be changes that are adding up to a significant re-imagining of what it
means to be “church.”
1. A congregation’s identity does not
equal its building. For centuries, the church has acted as if the building
“makes” the congregation in the same sense that clothes makes the person,
leading to ever bigger and more grandiose statements of our worth. Now,
however, some congregations are beginning to see this dependence on buildings
as not necessary to the definition of “church.” In my work with congregations,
I’ve encountered:
* congregations who move to a different
site every few years and are known by their work rather than their street
address or their location atop the tallest hill
* congregations who shed their historic,
on-the-town-square, public-meeting-space buildings in order to conduct their
own worship in much more modest facilities
* congregations who merge and divest
themselves of both buildings in order to worship in rented commercial space
that calls forth their best liturgical creativity while freeing their financial
resources for mission
2. Pastor does not equal a full-time position.
This is nothing new.The church has recognized tent-making ministry literally
since its beginnings, and most congregations in this country are too small to
support a full-time pastor (although not all are ready to admit it). What’s new
is the emergence of pastors who train with the intention of conducting their
lives in this way, which frees up congregational dollars for mission and
provides these pastors with the opportunity to earn something closer to a
living wage.
3. Resourcing happens via drop-down menus
rather than denominational staff. I can remember the day, early in my ministry,
when I brought in the Christian educator from the Presbytery staff to give a
workshop for Sunday School teachers on creating effective bulletin boards.
Today, bulletin boards are arguably a thing of the past, but programmatic
specialists on judicatory staff are pretty much gone. Even small congregations
in remote communities know how to use search engines for everything from
conflict management to curriculum choices.
4. “Group” participation does not equal
my congregation’s group. Hearkening back once again to my early days in
ministry (the 1990’s, so not that long ago!), members of our youth group were
precisely that—ours—and were expected to be “loyal” to our group. Today, young
people routinely migrate from group to group, participating in the activities
of a number youth groups a week while still identifying one of the
congregations as “theirs.” Adults also exhibit this behavior, belonging to
Bible Study or other groups across congregational lines while still identifying
one congregation as “theirs.”
5. Worship does not equal Sunday morning.
Again, this is nothing new, but other-than-Sunday worship opportunities are
increasingly being adopted by congregations for a variety of reasons. Some
church buildings, for example, house multiple separate congregations that must
schedule their activities so as not to conflict with one another. Many
congregations are realizing, however, that Sunday morning is simply not the
best time to try to get everybody together. Organized sports are one
explanation, but even more importantly, families view Sunday morning as prime
time to relax together, with church not always being viewed as the best way to
relax. Furthermore, this behavior is not limited to families with small
children—even adults increasingly view Sunday morning as a time to settle back
and relax or golf or spend time with grandchildren.
6. Small groups and faith formation does
not equal Sunday School in church buildings. Increasingly, small groups
off-site are taking the place of Sunday School on Sunday morning. These groups
are much more likely to happen in people’s homes or in coffee shops and at the
beginning or end of the work day rather than on Sunday.
7. “Active” membership does not equal
weekly attendance. When I was a child, being an “active” church member meant
attending church every Sunday, with the possible exception of the one Sunday
that we vacationed with a relative. When my children were small, “active” would
probably have meant attendance three out of four Sundays a month. Now, people
consider themselves “active” who may attend as infrequently as once every 6-8
weeks. They still feel loyal to their particular congregation, but the
combination of Sunday as a time to relax and as a time to travel means that
“active” looks very different. In addition, adult ability to volunteer weekly
in the way that former attendance patterns supported is also a thing of the
past, even though many congregations persist in believing that their inability
to recruit teachers is a failure of discipleship rather than the inevitable
result of a shifting cultural norm.
None of these shifts represents a single
decision reached by a particular group at a specific denominational gathering
on an identifiable date. All are the result of shifting patterns of behavior
across all age groups in all parts of the country over a long period of time.
As such, they are not problems that can be “fixed” by a congregation that wants
its people to behave the way they used to. Instead, congregations must adapt,
and, to their credit, many congregations do.
It is also important to say that
congregations who experience these shifts have not betrayed their ancestors in
the faith by allowing new patterns of behavior to emerge. They have adapted in
the same way that their ancestors always adapted, creating new traditions and
finding new meaning as generations change and grow. The worst mistake a
congregation can make is to try to hold on to the delivery systems of the past—e.g.,
particular styles of building, classrooms, schedules—thinking that yesterday’s
logistics are the heart and soul of tomorrow’s faith.
Copyright © 2013, the Alban Institute.
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2013 Thanksgiving Sale(1)
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Alban turns 40 in 2014 and you can help
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Alban Weekly, 25 November 2013
Number 487
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The Alban Institute
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Herndon VA 20170 United States
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