THAT THING THAT ALMOST NO ONE IS TALKING ABOUT

There is an item of key interest for all church leaders in the western world that I hear almost no one talking about.

First, what has been observed and noted widely: the losses churches sustained during Covid.  That story is out.

EDGEWALKERS

Last year, my colleague Beth Estock pointed me to a Richard Rohr piece about Edge-walkers.  This prompted me to go searching the use of the term, and to discover a 2006 book entitled Edgewalkers by Judi Neal.  The reason for our fascination with the term: we both have become convinced that there is a new breed of leaders, who are especially helpful in this era, who walk with one foot in the established institutions but with another foot into the world beyond.  These characters become bridge builders, prophets, instruments of renewal and more.

HERE IS HOW A CHURCH IN THE UK TRIPLED IN THREE YEARS!

 

Radyr Methodist Church is in a suburb of Cardiff, Wales.  Like most churches in the United Kingdom, the church has declined, down to only 20 Sunday worshipers by the start of the Pandemic.  Enter Pastor Judith Holliman.  Judith began prayer walking the varied neighborhoods around the church, especially the new housing estates that were being built up.  As Judith led her people outward, from the church house into the community, the word began to spread that Radyr Methodist was a place of life.  The church’s Sunday attendance hit 30, then 40, now over 60 most weekends.  This is abnormal these days in this part of the world, so I have paid close attention to Pastor Judith and her flock. The following story is a snapshot of how they roll at Radyr.

WHAT TO DO WHEN THE CONTEMPORARY SERVICE LIMPS ALONG WITH 20 PEOPLE IN THE FELLOWSHIP HALL

 

Over the past few years, many alternative worship services went from being the largest on campus to a struggling remnant.  The collapse of ‘contemporary worship’ may be one of the most remarkable trends in mainline churches of the past decade.  The bands have aged, the young folks got distracted (and in many cases post-Covid, they went missing altogether).  Sometimes, those who lead and serve outnumber all the other worshipers combined.  It is really remarkable, when I recall how adding such a service was my most common recommendation in church consultations before 2005.  In some cases, this choice stopped attendance decline and reduced median age on campus for several years.

CONVERGENCE BEGINS WITH THE HEART

“You do what you do.  And I will do what I do.  And we will be alright together.”

THE FUTURE OF DENOMINATIONS

Denominational Christianity is aging out before our eyes.  Most of the existing congregations are late life cycle. In the near term, it is impossible to replace the saints who populate these churches, and who are steadily moving en masse to Heaven.  They are simply dying faster than we can recruit, convert, and disciple new people.  Total numbers and total dollars are now set to decline steadily for most groups, even as some of them ramp up the planting of new congregations.

WHEN THE BELLS TOLL “YOU ARE MY SUNSHINE”

 

I just finished a late summer weekend in The Netherlands. The church bells largely chime pop songs rather than religious music.  Think: “What a Wonderful World” and “You are My Sunshine.” We ran across one church in Amsterdam with a decent crowd (Roman Catholic and possibly majority non-native).  Most church buildings were closed tight as a drum or repurposed.