I recently
finished reading a book authored by Alan Klaas titled "In Search of the
Unchurched: Why People Don't Join Your Congregation." The book was the
result of a million dollar, two year, Alban Institute funded project which had
some findings that may appear self evident, and some surprises as well.
The researchers began by asking themselves some questions (here's a small sample):
● What were gas stations like thirty years ago?
The researchers began by asking themselves some questions (here's a small sample):
● What were gas stations like thirty years ago?
What are they like now?
● What were
grocery stores like thirty years ago?
What are they like now?
● What was communications
like thirty years ago?
What is it like now?
You can perhaps guess what questions came next.
● Is the church affected by similar changes?
● Is your congregation a place embracing change or a refuge from uncomfortable change?
The book asserts that 80% of congregations are in decline, due to a combination of factors, not the least of which is the change from a churched to an unchurched society. People no longer automatically participate in a community of faith; and as a result, the way we interact with the community outside the walls of our church must change.
I'm reminded of the analogy I once heard Brain McLaren use - "Are we in the phone booth business, or the communications business?" Because if we're in the phone booth business, we're through. If we are in the business of communications, the methodology can be fluid - even when our message is not.
There's a lot to digest in this book, but the point I'm pondering right now (and invite you to ponder with me) is this:
In the churched society, in our church 30 or 40 or 50 years ago, "mission" meant something very different than it means today. Congregations functioning well in the unchurched society of today see themselves as mission outposts in a mission field. These congregations perceive mission as starting at their property line, not in some far off land. Rather than focusing all their energy to meet the needs of current members, they instead invest in new ways to speak to the people in their community.
Peace,
Jim
Hi Jim,
ReplyDeleteI just found your blog on the book by Alan Klaas titled "In Search of the Unchurched: Why People Don't Join Your Congregation."via my hometown church Bradford Congregational Church. I shared it with my current pastors here in Jamaica Plain, MA at Covenant Congregational Church. We have a diverse congregational of new folks, middle-aged folks, and elderly folks (mostly life-long members, too!) We are also racially diverse, which is an additional attraction to folks in an urban setting. Yet and still, we struggle to grow our congregation! Your thoughts on this matter were helpful and will help us to continue to evaluate how we reach out to the larger community of Boston. Thanks and God bless!