I want to open up some reflection; a conversation.
I promised in a recent comment to explore inviting to tasks, ministries, and church growth. A specific example: the comment was from someone whose community invites people to proclaim the scriptures at church. A lot of these people wouldn’t normally come to church – so this becomes a way to get these people into church. Such a person, obviously, would not regard their reading as “ministry” (as I would). They may read well, excellently, or badly (or anywhere along the spectrum).
I know a parish that was revitalised because the vicar invited generally-not-regularly-attending men onto a roster to be “sidesmen” (and yes – they were, in those days, all men – I don’t use “men” as a gender-inclusive word 😉 ) This was decades ago, when coming to church (especially in this particular parish context) was still in vogue. Welcoming people at the door did not, in those days and context, require special “gifts”. It would not have been seen as a ministry, but a task. The men started coming more regularly. The parish, as I said, thrived.
As a parish priest I confess that I increased the roles that children and young people could be assigned significantly from what I inherited. Children held candles either side of the gospel-reader; serving; etc.; etc.; More and more children came – it became understood as a child-friendly, family-friendly parish. Children brought their parents and grandparents (“I am needed at church this Sunday – to hold a gospel candle”).
On the one hand, let’s acknowledge issues around bait-and-switch. On the other let’s acknowledge that our motives are “mixed”. A young man goes to youth group because there’s an attractive young woman he likes there. A person is drawn to priesthood because of being drawn through its dramatic possibilities… someone comes to church because they have been invited to fulfil a task.
When do you think it appropriate to get people into church through inviting them to fulfil tasks? When is this at the detriment of ministry? When is it bait-and-switch too far? What do you think?
Yeah, interesting. Agreed, there are always mixed motives and it’s the motive and purpose of church in society that needs exploration.
From my perspective church growth is a non-issue, nor is converting people to Christianity or getting them to change their particular brand. If you are church you have to deal with the realities of a changing society (thus has it always been so!) and that doesn’t necessarily translate to getting more people in the door.
If spirituality is inherent in everyone and church might be about the exploration of the Divine then going about that business (holding that space) and inviting people , in a range of ways, to take advantage of that seems great. But to me it has to be done with no strings, no desire to convert, hold, shape, contain and so on.
Church and its rituals becomes a framework, a conduit, a portal concerned about access with the Divine but not owners of it or the process.
Thanks, Sande, for those important points, a lot of which I agree with. Your consequences, however, do not appear to me to flow from your premise. Suddenly the church, clergy, etc. must only be able to act with totally unmixed motives: “it has to be done with no strings, no desire to convert, hold, shape, contain and so on.” The mixture of motives could include that if I don’t get more teenagers into church, these couple of teenagers will feel isolated on their spiritual journey and give up. If I don’t get more people into my church, this place (“framework, conduit, portal”) will cease to be available/attractive for many/others. If I don’t get more people into my church, my income is threatened, my job-prospects and family’s future livelihood… Blessings.
Oh this is a topic near and dear to my heart. After trying a few churches in San Francisco, I finally joined the one where they clapped on to me and said “hey, can you do a reading” one week and “hey, we need you to serve at the altar” another week and eventually “hey, will you come to Education for Ministry” and ultimately “Hey, would you be willing to TEACH Education for Ministry.” That congregation was so tiny that they couldn’t afford to have anyone just sit in the pews and not pitch in some way. I got to know many people through these activities and it all started with doing a reading one time.
The biggest lesson I learned at Holy Innocents was that my path to God was not to be trodden alone, but in community with other people, and specifically by helping and engaging with other people — even ones I didn’t like!
Since moving to New York last year, I have tried several churches and although I’ve discovered two congregations that really speak to my spiritual journey, the one that I like the most is so huge that I despair of them ever “allowing” me to do any tasks. The other congregation has had me do readings and help with flowers (most definitely NOT my strong suit) so I’m inclined to stick with them.
So rather than being a bait-and-switch type thing, I actually believe that the handing out of simple tasks is precisely the invitation that many people are yearning for.
Thanks, Jonathan. A wonderful perspective. I was recently a visiting preacher at a parish. The early service was quite a small congregation – but it seemed every one had a task. It gave a strong sense of a community at worship together. There will, I am sure, be others who do not want to be asked to do all the tasks that you appreciate being requested. Blessings.
That is a terrific description of what a good church community will do. I wonder if it is simply that ‘most’ churches have no idea of what other jobs there might be to offer: sidesman, reading lessons… then, ummm! flowers? making coffee?who’d offer ‘Sacristan’ ? Small churches might not have people up at the altar very often, and sidesmen prefer to do the other jobs like collections [we usually ask children to do this] So, Bosco, another thread to follow up: a list perhaps of the creative involvement we could offer?
Great idea, thanks, Bene. Blessings.
Interesting topic! Everyone wants, no NEEDS to feel needed. By letting a newcomer know that you have needs and asking them to help fill them is not in any way misleading— it is an invitation, dare we even say God’s invitation— to become an active, vital member of a community of faith. We need to get out of the way and believe that may just be how the Spirit is moving to do its work in that individual’s life.
I have my own theory about empty worship spaces, however. I liken them to a restaurant. If you drive by a restaurant at meal time and it’s empty, there is usually a very good reason– either the food is not good or the service is terrible. When a restaurant is great the word spreads quickly!
I attended a Worship Committee meeting in my parish recently and we were talking about service music for Pentecost and the music director said. “well the old timers who have been here a long time would know that Sanctus we’ve been singing it for 30 years.” Needless to say I wanted to jump out of my seat and exclaim that perhaps that had something to do with the reason that we are a very, very small congregation.
Our church and our worship must evolve if we are to survive. We must ask ourselves several questions about what we do every Sunday–
1. Is it welcoming or is a newcomer intimidated by walking into a cold setting and juggling hymnals and prayerbooks? Can someone leave without having been greeted and spoken to?
2. Is the worship joyful and vibrant?
3. Is the homily message healing and relevant? Does it give me the strength to carry on and get through the week until I come next Sunday to be feed in Word and Sacrament?
4. Is the music, the scripture, the physical space relevant. I have always said the test of good liturgical music is what one would absent-mindedly find themselves humming while washing the dishes in the middle of the week on Wednesday evening.
So, if inviting someone to fullfill a task in order to “taste and see the goodness of the Lord,” seems out-of-the-box it might just be the right thing to do. God doesn’t like to be confined to a box!
Most major denominations are at a crossroads as our congregations have dwindled. God is dynamic, the kingdom is in our midst and is yet to come. By grace, we are its builders. Our charge is to “Evolve or Dissolve”.
Thanks, Paul. You say so much that I’m often thinking or saying. When choosing a new vicar/parish priest we consult those who are part of the community. I often think we should be consulting those who aren’t part of the worshipping community! I do, however, want to leave some space for those who want to do nothing for a while, and, new to the community, just want/need to be. Some get burned out by the demands on them in church and when they start again in another community, the best for them may be to just be carried for a while. Blessings.
That is what is so wonderful about Our God! The call to a faith community comes in so many different ways and forms. As pastors it should be trusted that by the grace of God given at ordination we are shepherds moved to call and engage or not to engage a newcomer is the prompting of the Spirit and should be believed as such. Today is the 31st anniversary of my ordination as a RC priest. I have been away from active ministry for many years, but still value the gift I received that day. I treasure my Episcopalian community but find that we spend way too much time looking at each other’s belly button and miss the point that our charge is to throw open the doors in hospitality and gather up “God’s walking wounded” to come in and be healed and fed by the touch of each other’s embrace, the sharing of the Word and be strengthened and empowered to do God’s Will in the Eucharist. God is so good and surprising that we shouldn’t be surprised at what God asks of us!
Thanks, Paul, for your thoughts, and congratulations and blessings on this anniversary of your ordination. Blessings.
We have friends who pastored a little church, which constantly emptied itself as members went off to found new churches in the nearby town! wonderful!! but the pastor became exhausted, and left for NZ where he joined a huge church that asked nothing of him… he is now able to teach, and is refreshed.
Agree strongly with all you say; and love the description! But! large BUT! if you live in a rural village, and expect no more than 15 in a Service [fewer if it is wet, or at a curious time of day] you are pushed to attract more. No multimedia but lots of good coffee/companionship of a spread of ages, but children do not come unless invited [and that’s where I feel small churches have to work harder, ringing round and actually inviting people to a service works very well – people might think of coming but then something else happens, but if invited that becomes a ‘fixture’ for Sunday]
>>I do, however, want to leave some space for those who want to do nothing for a while, and, new to the community, just want/need to be.<<
I think this is an important point. I can't be the only one who prefers to be left alone to "acclimatise" to a new environment before getting involved. I was very lucky (or God was leading me to the right place) when I was left to do just that when I first started attending my church and not at all sure whether this was really what I wanted to be doing. Even too intrusive and hearty a greeter might have been enough to frighten me off.
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new arrivals in a village [or your street], may welcome meeting others; a personal invitation along with the “Welcome Pack”. Involvement could be something as simple as handing round coffee cups [always a good way of helping people to talk to a newcomer] That’s a bit of a litmus test: are the newly-arrived happily doing this?
I’ve mentioned ringing round to invite people, and some lay-led services depend on inviting children to write/read their prayers as well as other roles.
There’s a fine line between involving children, and making them a ‘token’ [as in ‘look we have children’] If involving children is to work, it must be as part of the whole community, whatever any adult is asked to do; not as something specially invented for that occasion..