Leading Ideas ~ Lewis Center for Church Leadership ~ A Leading Edge ~ Wednesday, 23 October 2013
Quotable Leadership:
We change only if we decide that the change is meaningful to who we are. Will it help us become who we want to be?(Margaret J. Wheatley)
~~~
Lessons on Engaging Young Adults Effectively by Asa Lee
How can a congregation effectively engage younger adults? The Faith Communities Today (FACT) study provides some clues. As part of the largest ongoing religious research project in the U.S., the study focused on the active involvement of young adults in participating faith communities and involved a multi-year examination of ten congregations with a sizable presence of young adults between the ages of 18 and 35. These ten congregations were diverse in every aspect, including size, ethnicity, and faith tradition. These case studies and other qualitative data revealed some key lessons in how to attract and engage younger adult populations.
Be intentional in engaging young adults. Congregations in the FACT study initiated programming with the intent to engage young adult populations in their surrounding contexts, whether urban, rural, or suburban. It was not haphazard or accidental. In the areas of worship, budgeting, service, or governance, these congregations were strategic in cultivating young adult participation and creating space for young adults to exercise their gifts. They displayed a willingness to “make room” for young adults and “envisioned” them into the life of the community. The churches sought input from young adults to plan, build, and implement programming for their age group.
Be true to yourself. Key to the intentional actions of these congregations was a strong sense of identity. The FACT study congregations discerned a role for young adults as part of their communal identity and found ways to enact that vision. In one of the churches studied, young adults attributed their involvement in the church to the congregation’s strong Roman Catholic identity. The young adults became deeply involved because they appreciated how the congregation lived out its values. Ultimately, the essential work of attracting and engaging younger adults requires congregations to recommit to their identity and the values that shape their communities.
Integrate, don’t assimilate. Vibrant congregations have a culture of “integration” as opposed to “assimilation.” The etymological root of assimilation means “to make alike,” while integration simply means be “part of.” A culture of integration rather than assimilation frees young adults from rigid conformity and allows them to be who they are. The congregations studied exhibited a form of inclusivity, a culture of integration that invites young adults to exercise their gifts and abilities in ways that best suit them. They accept young adults “as they are” and work deliberately to connect them to the broader community. Young adults feel welcome and report a sense that they have a place integral to congregational life. The resulting affirmation encourages participation from young adults in areas of visibility, including worship, faith formation classes, service activities, and governing committees. FACT contributor and religious researcher LiErin Probasco explained that these vibrant congregations “meet young adults where they are on their faith journey.” They embody a “come as you are” and “be what you will” attitude.
Offer challenging programs addressing real-life needs. Too often, church leaders provide younger adults what they think young adults want and need rather than what young adults really want and need. The FACT study revealed that vibrant congregations strategically invest in young adults in ways that build on their real needs, both spiritual and physical, and provide opportunities for growth. All of the congregations studied offered programs and worship that challenged young adults to grow in various aspects of their lives, but each congregation did this in a way consistent with its own values. These programs and activities were oriented toward creating community and faith formation. They offered fellowship and challenge. They accepted young adults and provided space for them to exercise their gifts in the community. They also equipped them to address the challenges of their lives.
Be innovative, not contemporary. Many congregations seek to be relevant to young adults with “contemporary” worship, language, or décor, while retaining traditional values. However, the FACT study reveals that being “innovative” may be more important than being “contemporary.” The difficulty with the contemporary mindset is that it can quickly become static, such as the many “contemporary” worship services that are stuck in the practices of the 1980s. Innovation refers to the readiness and adaptability of a congregation to address its present context for ministry. Innovation is characterized by a willingness to entertain the new and effective ideas for the sake of relevance. With innovation as a mindset, ministry is contemporary. An example from the study is the role of innovation and technology. Technology is not what makes ministry relevant, but innovation views technology as a vehicle to be relevant.
Information on the FACT reports, specific case studies, and the aggregate data is available at http://faithcommunitiestoday.org/increasing-young-adult-participation-churches-and-other-faith-communities.
Asa Lee is assistant director for programs for the Lewis Center for Church Leadership.
~~~
Are Young Singles Invisible in Church? by James Lemler
St. Bartholomew’s is a friendly congregation. It has always perceived and represented itself as a warm and caring community and is the home to some 300 worshipers each Sunday. There is pride in a full range of programs and occasions offered for the congregation and its members.
One Sunday, four people in their twenties were noticed by some long-time members at the end of the service. A conversation began. A church member welcomed them to their first St. Bart’s worship. “Actually, this isn’t our first visit here,” offered one of the visitors in response. “Each of us has been here as individuals, but no one seemed to notice. It’s kind of a scary place to visit, so we thought that we would come together.”
The last term the people of St. Bartholomew’s ever thought applied to their congregation was “scary,” but the parish members listened to what these young people had to say. They had not felt welcomed by the music or the worship, and not a single person had talked to them at the coffee hour. Each of these young people wondered if they should return, but they decided to come back together for a last attempt.
The two St. Bart's members talked with others in the congregation and related the story of these young visitors. They realized that very little in their congregation was welcoming to young, single people — and they decided to do something about it. The four young people were contacted and invited to return. People listened to their stories, and the parish decided to learn more so that they might be truly hospitable to the stranger. They began to try different forms of music and worship that reflected the interests of younger generations; they did some advertising in the community's young adult newspaper, and investigated opportunities for specific young adult ministry.
Hospitality in a congregation is the practice of openness, invitation, and welcome that reflects the hospitality of God. This practice is rooted in God’s hospitality and welcome to us. A hospitable climate is essential to mission and the invitation of people into the community of faith.
James Lemler is priest-in-charge of historic Christ Episcopal Church in Greenwich, Connecticut, and former director of mission for the Episcopal Church and dean of Seabury-Western Theological Seminary. This article is an excerpt from Transforming Congregations, a book in Transformations: The Episcopal Church of the 21st Century series, published by Church Publishing in 2008 and used by permission.
~~~
Bring the best of The New Welcome Conference presentations and workshops home to your church. The resource includes videos, narrated presentations, outlines of key points, and supplementary materials to help you reach, welcome, and engage newcomers. Save $15 Only $60 when preordered through November 2. Save even more with Reach New Disciples resource bundles. Order today.
~~~
The Right Question
Leaders do not need answers. Leaders must have the right questions.
Gerald W. Keucher offers a question useful for church leaders when a congregation is making changes to facilities; but it would serve well for all decisions. He encourages use of this successor test question:
Will our successors thank us for doing this project this way?
Or will they mutter, What were they thinking?
Want more Right Questions? Check out “Right Questions for Church Leaders: 2013 and 2012 Collections.”
~~~~~~~
Lewis Center for Church Leadership
Wesley Theological Seminary
4500 Massachusetts Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20016-5690 United States
~~~~~~~
No comments:
Post a Comment