Over the course of a year, I get to visit many congregations; sharing worship, teaching a workshop, leading retreats, and more. Sometimes I leave these interactions a bit depressed at the navel gazing and hand wringing. Other times, I can sense the excitement and commitment to discipleship that will ensure a healthy future. To paraphrase Justice Potter Stewart, I'm not sure how to define Congregational Vitality, but I know it when I see it.

When I speak about Vitality, one of the ways that I recommend to nurture it is by reconnecting to the community in mission and ministry. Dr. Lovett Weems Jr. of the Lewis Center for Church Leadership points out that the longer a congregation exists, the less connected it tends to be with its community.

New congregations have to pay attention to trends and demographics to ensure their survival. As congregations become settled and stable and larger, their focus invariably shifts from reaching new disciples to caring for current members. It's a shift from external sensitivity to internal focus. The longer a congregation exists, the more disconnected it can become. That's not good news for our churches, now averaging almost 200 years old.

Churches that seek a renewed sense of vitality can often find it by reengaging their communities, finding a renewed passion and purpose in serving others. Moreover, this mission and ministry can become an important new entry point for both participation in the life of the church and financial support. Time and again I see examples of our churches that are receiving significant financial support from members of the community they serve - from those who are not members or even attendees of worship. This support comes when the congregation establishes itself as a spiritual and literal force for good; where the congregation is perceived as 'value added' to the community at large, not just its membership. These same congregations are, by no coincidence, growing numerically. It's important to note that this is mission and ministry done 'with' your community, not 'to' or 'for' your community. It's a partnership.

Imagine then, my delight after a visit with the Waitsfield United Church of Christ recently to talk about their stewardship campaign. This is a congregation that through regular community meals and a myriad of other ways has successfully reengaged their community. They are, just a few months in, very close to reaching their Capital Campaign stretch goal of $375,000. This will be added to more than $260,000 in grant monies already awarded to improve their facility to better meet the needs of their community.

Here's the part I don't want you to miss. About 25% of the contributors, and more than 50% of the total funds, came from people unaffiliated with the congregation. Let that sink in for a bit. A congregation that is seen as an important, contributing partner to the community in which they reside can expect significant financial support from that community. It can also expect growth in attendance and participation. It's not WHY you reengage your community, but it is an anticipated positive result.

To return to Dr. Weems, he invites you to ask yourself this question: "If your church closed today, who would miss it other than your members?"

Our Church Shouldn't Be Political!

At least, that’s what I hear. One of the churches I am assisting in the search and call process, at a conversation about what they dreamed and hoped for in a new pastor said, “We want relevant sermons that speak to our daily lives – but we don’t want a pastor who is political. That’s not the church’s place.”

I pushed back a bit, wondering what they meant by that. And countered with the idea that the church has always been political – the history of the United Church of Christ (UCC) and its denominational forbearers is chock full of such examples. Reading the list of UCC Firsts on the denominational website is a pretty good primer on this. The Pilgrims landed on our shores to escape persecution and for religious freedom. Moreover, they organized churches using ‘congregational’ polity, a democratic, self-governing form of organization that became a model for the democratic government that would eventually form.

The idea of freedom of the press was formed when the Congregationalists formed the first publishing house in the new world, Pilgrim Press. Then there was the first stand against slavery. And acts of civil disobedience (the Boston Tea Party was inspired by thousands protesting unfair taxes at Old South Meeting House).

If you’ve been connected to the UCC for a while, you’re listing along with me. There was the ordination of the first African American pastor by a Protestant denomination. A Reformed church hiding the Liberty Bell under its floorboards to protect it from the British. Organizing to free the Amistad slaves, and later the formation of the American Missionary Association – the first anti-slavery society in the U.S. with multiracial leadership. Then there was the first theological school to admit women, and also the Social Gospel, which denounced injustice and exploitation of the poor.

In the 1950’s, at the request of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr, the UCC organized and won in Federal court a ruling that the airwaves are public, not private property. The decision led to a proliferation of people of color in television studios and newsrooms.

Following that, there was the ordination of the first openly gay pastor, support for marriage equality, emphatic response to the Love Canal disaster, and so much more.

And it’s not just the UCC, of course. The people of God have always been called to speak truth to power, to bring injustice to light, to seek fairness and wholeness. See: Isaiah, Amos, Jeremiah, among others.

I hope I didn’t exhaust you with all that. But I make no apologies for being a church engaged in political discourse. Being civically involved is part of our DNA. We don’t take off our Christian cloak when we exit the sanctuary on Sunday morning. We are called to live as disciples all 168 hours of the week.  That doesn’t mean we are ever to be partisan, recent signing by our President to the contrary. We are called to participation but not to endorsements of persons or parties. We are called to speak to issues, not individuals.

As a church.

Everyone is of course entitled to their opinions, even your pastor, but that doesn’t mean the pastor gets to, in robe and stole, endorse a candidate for office on behalf of, or representing, your congregation. And no one else gets to either.

I went on a bit of a rant, I confess. And when I was done, I asked if I had helped to clarify things a bit. “Oh, yes,” was the response. “I understand. I suppose political is fine. But can we find someone who does it without being controversial?”

Peace,

Jim

Here's to the Doubters!

The Lectionary (which many of our churches follow) is a three year cycle of biblical exploration, following the themes of the church year, and seeking to put together a Hebrew Scripture, Psalm, Epistle and Gospel reading that seem to fit each other.

In the midst of all this diversity, Easter 2 (the Sunday after Easter) in the Lectionary is always John 20:19-31, the story of so called "Doubting" Thomas. Poor guy. We know he was a dedicated zealot who followed this interesting and unorthodox rabbi around the countryside, thinking perhaps this was the Messiah, the one who would lead a revolt to remove the Roman occupiers from their land. Thomas was the disciple who, when Jesus turned his face toward Jerusalem, said to the other disciples, "Come along. We might as well die with him."

In John's Gospel, Jesus visits the disciples (minus Thomas) that Easter evening and shows them his hands and side, and they believe and are filled with joy. When they tell Thomas what they saw, he made his famous assertion "Unless I see the nail marks on his hands..."  Eight days later, with Thomas in attendance, Jesus appears again.

What is Jesus' reaction to Thomas? Does he scold him, mock him, or berate him? No, none of these.

He simply, and lovingly, gives Thomas what he needs. No "You're fired, Thomas!" or "You're off the team Thomas!" And yet Thomas is labelled Doubting Thomas, even though all he asked for was the exact thing all the other disciples wanted and needed and received in order to believe. They certainly didn't take the word of Mary Magdalene.

The further I travel on my Christian walk, the more I understand how little I actually know. And I'm ok with that. What I do know is that Jesus does not judge my uncertainty, and embraces me in the midst of my doubts, trying to give me what I need. And I despair a bit for those who have all the answers. Because that seems to leave little room for epiphanies and growth. A static faith seems a dead one to me.

So, thank you Thomas! Thank you for being the disciple who shows us that we don't have to pretend to have all the answers. Thank you for being the disciple who Jesus uses to tell all of us that we aren't to be shunned for being uncertain. Thank you for letting me know I am good company.

And thank you Jesus.

Peace,
Jim