It has been 22 years since my first local church
consultation with St Jude Episcopal Church in Valparaiso, Florida. I prototyped
a process of intervention based on the work of Lyle Schaller, Bill Easum and
Kennon Callahan. I recommended to St Jude in 1995 that they sell their building
and move to a neighboring town. They did not blink. They bought land across the
street from Niceville High School, built a new campus, and tripled in size
within a few short years.
I have now been onsite with more congregations than many bishops (about eight hundred churches as best we can estimate). These churches span almost every state in the USA, plus a couple other countries. This ongoing visitation of hundreds of Protestant congregations over two decades has given me a somewhat rare vantage point: extremely helpful in the writing of eight books on church leadership.
As I look back across this relatively short time, many of the changes are worrying. Business as usual is no longer a viable option in most places. When I walk in the door these days, it is likely that:
The median age of the leaders is higher than ever.
The number of Sundays that each active member attends worship in a year is lower than ever.
The children's Sunday school rooms are quieter than ever, even in churches that were scrambling to add space twenty years ago.
The empty Sunday school rooms play host to junk and White Elephant Sale inventory.
Often the church is at one-fourth of its peak attendance from two to four decades ago - and even where the decline set in more recently, attendance is dropping steadily.
There was a recent church conflict, after which a good portion of the remaining younger families left the church.
The 'contemporary service', started in the 1990s, has more people now than any other service: but they are older, on average even than the folks we would have seen in the traditional service two decades back.
The traditional service (while still thriving in some congregations) is now reduced to sixty souls where once there were more than three hundred.
The steadily inward shift toward a church that functions more as family than as parish has produced a network of tight internal relationships, impenetrable by most newcomers.
I have now been onsite with more congregations than many bishops (about eight hundred churches as best we can estimate). These churches span almost every state in the USA, plus a couple other countries. This ongoing visitation of hundreds of Protestant congregations over two decades has given me a somewhat rare vantage point: extremely helpful in the writing of eight books on church leadership.
As I look back across this relatively short time, many of the changes are worrying. Business as usual is no longer a viable option in most places. When I walk in the door these days, it is likely that:
The median age of the leaders is higher than ever.
The number of Sundays that each active member attends worship in a year is lower than ever.
The children's Sunday school rooms are quieter than ever, even in churches that were scrambling to add space twenty years ago.
The empty Sunday school rooms play host to junk and White Elephant Sale inventory.
Often the church is at one-fourth of its peak attendance from two to four decades ago - and even where the decline set in more recently, attendance is dropping steadily.
There was a recent church conflict, after which a good portion of the remaining younger families left the church.
The 'contemporary service', started in the 1990s, has more people now than any other service: but they are older, on average even than the folks we would have seen in the traditional service two decades back.
The traditional service (while still thriving in some congregations) is now reduced to sixty souls where once there were more than three hundred.
The steadily inward shift toward a church that functions more as family than as parish has produced a network of tight internal relationships, impenetrable by most newcomers.
The buildings are getting tired and dated. They have also
become more expensive to maintain, at a time when finances are tighter than
ever.
The chances of a dysfunctional personality on the church leadership team (staff or lay) holding the church hostage is more likely now, especially as the number of available volunteer leaders has evaporated.
The chances of a dysfunctional personality on the church leadership team (staff or lay) holding the church hostage is more likely now, especially as the number of available volunteer leaders has evaporated.
The church downsized and simplified its org structure at
least once in the last decade, and probably needs to do it again.
The church's income peaked within the last decade, years
after the decline set in; and now income is dropping annually with the deaths
of major donors.
The church's preschool is healthier than the church - often
renowned in the community - yet preschool families experience almost no
interaction with the church's ministry beyond preschool hours.
The capacity of church leadership to follow through on
constructive ministry recommendations is lower now than at any time in the last
twenty years. (In other words, today St Jude would probably not be able to make
the collective decision to sell a building and move.)
If the church managed to turn around its decline sometime in the last twenty years, the rally was typically short-lived, and the decline set back in. (This is especially concerning.)
If the church managed to turn around its decline sometime in the last twenty years, the rally was typically short-lived, and the decline set back in. (This is especially concerning.)
Despite all this:
The sermon will probably be as good as, if not better than, twenty years ago.
The church is more likely to be shifting towards diversity in ethnicity and cultural background.
The music team, while smaller today, will often be excellent - probably with more paid musicians.
After-worship refreshments are better.
If any two rooms have experienced recent renovation - it would be the worship space and the fellowship hall, and they are often looking good.
The tight finances offer us an excellent pretext to retire a staff member or two whose effectiveness has waned.
A team of church members is probably engaged in significant community mission/ministry.
There are likely a handful of committed disciples, with a sparkle in their eyes, hanging on, hoping against the odds.
The sermon will probably be as good as, if not better than, twenty years ago.
The church is more likely to be shifting towards diversity in ethnicity and cultural background.
The music team, while smaller today, will often be excellent - probably with more paid musicians.
After-worship refreshments are better.
If any two rooms have experienced recent renovation - it would be the worship space and the fellowship hall, and they are often looking good.
The tight finances offer us an excellent pretext to retire a staff member or two whose effectiveness has waned.
A team of church members is probably engaged in significant community mission/ministry.
There are likely a handful of committed disciples, with a sparkle in their eyes, hanging on, hoping against the odds.
Obviously we have moved beyond the season for tweaking and
quick fixes. While great worship and fellowship are essential, they are simply
not enough to give American Christianity a vital future. Most of the churches I
enter these days will simply be gone in twenty more years, or in the last
stages of life. Many of them can yet
change that narrative. But big shifts are required.
The book Weird Church, which Beth Estock and I released last year, is intended as a canticle of hope and endless possibilities for great ministry in this century - but with the clear understanding that business as usual (a la twentieth century norms) is no longer a viable option!
Next month, I will look at some of the most hopeful possibilities for church renewal.
The book Weird Church, which Beth Estock and I released last year, is intended as a canticle of hope and endless possibilities for great ministry in this century - but with the clear understanding that business as usual (a la twentieth century norms) is no longer a viable option!
Next month, I will look at some of the most hopeful possibilities for church renewal.
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