Incoming Lewis Center Director Doug Powe says that demographic shifts will bring increased diversity to the neighborhoods around most churches in the coming decades. Rather than simply ignoring changes, churches can prepare for this shift by being in conversation with new neighbors, risking new ministry initiatives, and making room at the table for new voices.
Depending on what census report you read, the United States is headed toward non-whites being the majority population sometime between 2040 and 2050. Of course, this does not include the various other ways we measure diversity in the United States. Whether it is race, age or some other form of diversity, many of us recognize that the neighborhoods around us will probably shift in the near future. What does this shift really mean for our congregations? Do we simply stop doing worship and ministry in the current fashion so that we can be prepared for the future?
Starting a new ministry with the new individuals in the neighborhood is a risk, but it is a risk worth taking.
The truth is congregations and particularly mainline congregations have not done well at adapting as the culture has changed. This is why a number of congregations look up one day and realize they no longer resemble their neighborhoods. Most of the people in the congregation drive in to the church and have no connection to those in the neighborhood. A shift occurred and the congregation was not prepared for it. Whether it is 2020, 2025, or some other time in the future, many of the neighborhoods where congregations reside will be experiencing a shift.
Here are three suggestions to help your congregation honor the work that is currently taking place with an eye to the future.
1. Start conversations with new neighbors.
We cannot be afraid to engage those who are different from us even when there is a language barrier. In fact, the barrier can be an opportunity to find ways to dialogue and learn from one another. Too often when individuals who are different from us move into our neighborhood, we make assumptions about why they will not want to connect with us. Our assumptions may be true. Our assumptions also may be false. And if we do not actually seek to be in conversation with our neighbors we will never know. The beauty in starting a conversation is that it does not require a congregation to stop what it is currently doing.
2. Take risks.
The fear of failure continuously haunts congregations. Whenever a new idea comes up, there is always that one person who reminds everyone, “We tried it before, and it did not work.” This does not mean that we did not learn from our past efforts. It also does not mean we should not seek to try something again or to try something new.
Starting a new ministry with the new individuals in the neighborhood is a risk, but it is a risk worth taking. The key is starting a ministry with people and not for people. When we start a ministry with those in the community, they actively participate in forming it. While this may alter what we currently do, it does not do so in a way that negates who we are as a congregation.
3. Make space for new voices.
This can be the biggest challenge for congregations. It is one thing to talk with individuals and do ministry outside of the congregation, but to make space for those individuals inside the congregation seems like a huge sacrifice. One of the ways in which we live out our Christian calling is by making room for others to take the journey with us. This does not mean we give up everything that has made our journey meaningful, but it does mean we are willing to make room at the table for others who may expand the way we see and do things. Certainly, of all the suggestions, this one may alter what we have done and how we have done it.
I do not know if the pundits are right about the rate in which our culture is shifting. I do know that congregations have typically not fared well when dealing with shifts. Shifts will continue to happen in many of our neighborhoods. We have an opportunity to start conversations, take risks, and make space for others so that our congregations can find a balance between continuing practices that have been formative and connecting with others. Shifts do not have to impact us negatively if we are preparing for them.
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5 Things I Need from a Sermon by Larry Buxton
What do those in the pews need from a sermon? Larry Buxton says it's more than platitudes and common sense. An effective sermon needs to speak to people's real needs and individual situations, challenge them with meaningful truths, share Jesus, and remind people that God is at work in our lives and the world.
Since retiring from full-time parish ministry last year, I’ve had the opportunity to visit different churches and hear many different sermons. It’s been a new experience to live a non-parish-focused life during the week, then walk into church on Sunday and hear for the first time a Scripture and sermon.
By hearing sermons all along the quality spectrum in a wide variety of denominations, I’ve gotten clearer about what I’m most looking for in that preaching moment. Other people often reflect on the welcome, the liturgy, the coffee, and so on. Here’s what I most need from the few minutes that you stand in the pulpit.
1. I need your sermon to grab me. I need it to be important. Is there an insight or action here that’s captured you, too? Your heart, your imagination, your mind? Has it caused you to see things differently? If it’s important to you, I’ll hear your passion, no matter how you speak. If it’s not significant to you, then volume or humor won’t matter.
2. I need your sermon to pinch me. I need to hear a gospel that isn’t like ordinary life. Call into question what I take for granted. Make me wince at how I live. Jesus’ early preachers didn’t “turn the world upside down” by sharing simple platitudes and common sense. The good news in your sermon needs to address with strong medicine some startling realizations about my life.
3. I need to hear about Jesus. I know sometimes your sermon is from Exodus or Amos and you want to honor the integrity of that text. But these are all Scriptures of our Christian church. There’s not a God-action anywhere in the Bible that doesn’t align with, and gain power from, the story of Jesus. “God” can sound vague after a while. Every Sunday, say something about Jesus. (And remember, Jesus was never boring.)
4. I need to know God is doing something. If I leave thinking it’s up to me to make these noble changes, then even if God is “with” me, you’ve told me Jesus is just a bystander and a judge. If it’s up to me to give more, try harder and do better, that’s a heavy burden to carry. But if I know Jesus is still working today — creating, healing, speaking, redeeming, forgiving — then I want to pitch in and help him do that good work.
5. I need your sermon to help me. “What’s in it for me?” sounds like a selfish question. I know all too well how you may need to preach about the budget, salute moms and dads, build up the choir, and honor the Scouts. But all of us who have come want to hear something that helps our individual situation. Fosdick once said, “No one goes to church to hear what happened to the Jebusites.” Make it personal. Please talk to me.
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The Right Question:
Leaders do not need answers. Leaders must have the right questions.
It is easy to let problems worsen from neglect while focusing on other and easier subjects. Hayim Herring and Terri Martinson Elton pose these questions to help churches discover if they have this dilemma.
- Are you a part of a congregation that has regularly scheduled meetings with reappearing agenda items?
- Do critical issues languish for months at a time because they are not given due focus?
Want more Right Questions? Read Right Questions for Church Leaders.
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This five-minute video by Lewis Center Director Lovett H. Weems, Jr., provides an overview of how new people are coming into church communities in different ways than previously, what it means for your congregation, and what you can do to engage these newcomers today.
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Learn concepts and strategies to welcome and respond to your first-time and repeat visitors, reach younger generations, expand your church's entry points, and get new people involved. The New Welcome Video Tool Kit helps you open your church to new people by acknowledging the changing ways that people enter into the life of congregations.
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Quotable Leadership:
When leaders consistently dedicate themselves to the purposes of the group rather than to the enhancement of their own power, they demonstrate authenticity. Authenticity establishes credibility and sustains supporters' faith in leaders. [Jean Lipman-Blumen]
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As our reliance on technology grows, we need to increase our awareness of potential risks involved. Data breaches, computer viruses and network crashes can be costly events that also impact the trust people place in our churches, writes Deborah Ike for The Church Network via "MultiBriefs."
Technology is an excellent ministry tool. We can communicate with our members via email, text message, push notification, social media and more. We're able to help people find a small group using the church database, and we can offer services online.
However, as our reliance on technology grows, we need to increase our awareness of potential risks involved. Data breaches, computer viruses and network crashes can be costly events that also impact the trust people place in our churches.
If a place where you shop announces a data breach and warns that your credit card information may be compromised, you may think twice about shopping there again. Those in your congregation could have a similar reaction about giving if their card or bank information is stolen from the church.
Thankfully, we have options available to reduce the risk of losing electronic files or having personal or financial data stolen. Here are three tips:
Tip 1: Back up electronic files
What would happen if someone steals an employee's computer, the building floods or a server crashes? Would you lose all of that data or would you have a backup ready to use right away?
Maintain a backup of all electronic files offsite that you can use to restore data should the worst happen.
Tip 2: Secure personally identifiable information
Personally identifiable information (PII) includes data that could be used to identify an individual. This may include data such as credit/debit card numbers and bank account numbers. If you collect information for the church database such as name, address, phone number, email address and birthdays, that information could be used for fraudulent purposes.
If you accept credit or debit cards, that's information you need to protect. Most churches use a third-party vendor to process credit card, debit card and ACH transactions. Make sure whichever vendor you choose is payment card industry (PCI) compliant.
Require strong passwords for access to the church database or ChMS, restrict who can access various types of information within the database, and train your team on data security.
Tip 3: Guard against viruses
Malware and ransomware are often delivered via email attachments. Educate your team to not open attachments from someone they don't know or from companies when they weren't expecting an email. Consider installing a firewall to protect your network along with antivirus software.
Technology is an incredible tool, but like most tools, it's one we need to use and protect wisely. Make sure your church has the appropriate safeguards in place so you can continue to use technology effectively.
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If a new pastor is in your congregation's future, be sure to check out "50 Ways to Welcome a New Pastor," prepared by Bob Crossman. This free resource shares tips on how to say goodbye to your current pastor in a healthy way and offers helpful advice on how to welcome your new pastor.
50 Ways to Welcome a New Pastor
Congregations can help a new pastor get off to a strong start with these 50 Ways to acclimate a new pastor and make that new pastor feel truly welcome.
Prepared by Robert Crossman
Prepare to welcome your new pastor
- Open your hearts and decide that you are going to love your new pastor.
- Begin praying daily for the new pastor and family, even as you continue to pray for your departing pastor and family.
- Invite church members individually to send cards of welcome and encouragement to the incoming pastor.
- Know that welcoming your new pastor in genuine and effective ways lays the ground work for a healthy and vital relationship and the development of stable, long-term ministries together.
- Plan for the transition. Occasionally important welcoming gestures are missed with everyone thinking someone else is handling these details.
- Appoint a specific liaison person to whom the pastor can go for help and information during the transition.
Say goodbye to your current pastor in a healthy way
- Show love, regard, and even grief, for your departing pastor. This is one of the best things you can do for the new pastor.
- Acknowledge the change in public ways. Especially in the case of a much-beloved pastor, this allows the congregation better to let go and receive the new pastor.
- Provide the congregation the opportunity to say thank you and goodbye to the outgoing pastor, even if things have not always gone well.
- Find appropriate occasions — in worship and at other times — to thank the outgoing pastor.
- Express appreciation in ways that are consistent with what you have done in the past.
- Consider giving the pastor the last two weeks off. This helps the pastor enter the new situation rested and gives an emotional buffer between one pastor’s last Sunday and another pastor’s first Sunday.
- Plan goodbye celebrations prior to the beginning of the two weeks off.
- Provide information to the local media about the outgoing pastor’s accomplishments and future plans.
- Do not invite the former pastor to return for weddings, funerals, or baptisms. This allows your former pastor to engage fully with his or her new congregation, and it establishes your new pastor as everyone’s pastor from the beginning.
Make things move-in ready
- Make sure the parsonage and pastor’s office are clean and ready. Offer to provide help or a cleaning service if needed.
- Determine if the parsonage is in need of repairs or painting. Consult the outgoing and incoming pastors about timing so as not to disrupt the lives of either party. Do not ask a new pastor to move into a parsonage “under construction.”
- Consult the new pastor on any paint, design, or furnishings issues.
- Offer to have someone cut the parsonage grass.
- Make sure the new pastor and church officials are clear on how moving expenses are paid and all matters related to compensation, benefits, and reimbursement policies.
Welcome your pastor on moving day
- Stock the parsonage refrigerator and pantry with some staples.
- Make sure there are kid-friendly foods and snacks in the refrigerator if children are arriving.
- Have a small group on hand to greet the new pastor and family when they arrive and to help as needed.
- Offer child care if there is an infant or toddler in the household.
- Invite children in the household to do things with others of their same age.
- Welcome any youth in the household by having church youth group members stop by and offer to show them around.
Continue the welcome during the entry period
- Take food over for the first few days. Many churches continue the practice of having a “pounding” for the new pastor when persons bring food items.
- Provide a map with directions to local dry cleaners, grocery store, drug store, veterinarian, etc., and information on local options for internet and cable television providers.
- Give gift certificates to several of your favorite restaurants in the community.
- Give the pastor and family a welcome reception on the first Sunday.
- Plan a worship celebration of the new appointment.
- Invite the new pastor to any social events held by Sunday School classes or other groups in the early months.
- Make sure the pastor’s spouse and children, if applicable, are invited to Sunday School and other appropriate small groups.
- Continue to remember your new pastor and family in your daily prayers.
Help the new pastor become familiar with the congregation
- Introduce yourself to the pastor repeatedly! You have one name to learn; your pastor has many names to learn.
- Wear name tags. Even if name tags are not a tradition, the congregation can wear them for a few weeks to help the pastor learn names.
- Provide a current pictorial directory of all the church members, if available.
- Provide an up-to-date list of all church committees and officers.
- Provide the new pastor with a tour of where things are kept inside the church and perhaps a floor plan of the facilities.
- Orient the new pastor to information systems and the way records are kept.
- Make sure the pastor has a list of home bound or nursing home members, a list of those struggling with long term illness, and a list of those still in grief over recent deaths in the family. Better yet, take the pastor for an introduction to each of these households.
- Have an appropriate person offer to go with the pastor for introductions and support if there are particularly urgent pastoral situations (a member near death or the family of a member who has just died).
- Have a lay official offer to take the pastor to meet church members in their businesses or other work settings, if they are easily accessible.
- Offer to help arrange small group sessions to meet and talk with the congregation.
- Create a “church yellow pages’” (a list of people in the church who have specific skills that a newcomer may find beneficial…. auto mechanic, doctor, dentist, dry cleaners, book store, office supply, etc.).
Help the new pastor connect to the community
- Provide local media with information about the new pastor.
- Provide a list of hospitals, nursing homes, and community service agencies.
- Introduce your new pastor to other clergy in the community. Provide information on any ecumenical activities or associations.
- Introduce the new pastor to public and community leaders.
- Ask church members in civic clubs to take the new pastor to one of their meetings.
Dr. Robert Crossman, Minister of New Church Starts and Congregational Development for the Arkansas Conference of the United Methodist Church, is the primary author of this document. The Lewis Center staff and others provided suggestions and editorial assistance.appropriate for self study and for use with groups in your church.
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