I remember the exact date well. It was Valentine's Day.
After reading the book, I began a quest to discover and put into practice the dynamics of congregational revitalization. It was a natural pursuit because by that time the congregation where I am a member had declined from a healthy 188 per Sunday during the height of the baby boom to 145 at worship. As early as 1976, I had already sat down with pen and paper trying to determine what was happening to the church and what might be done about it.
But the book, it turned out, brought into crystal clarity some of the problems causing our church decline and focused what I wanted to do: to build the church.
I like to think of my call to church revitalization as the Valentine Conspiracy. I call it a conspiracy, not because it involved anything illegal or harmful, but simply because at first it would be a secret and covert agreement between God and me to build the church. For a long time, I thought that building the church meant only my own congregation, but over time, I began to see that it meant the whole church, His Church, that I was called to impact in whatever way might be possible.
I have been a learner all of these 32 years and I am still learning. I ask you to come along with me on this journey as we consider the ministry of church revitalization. Together we can help each other. I will share what I have learned and place on the table the questions and issues I am still wrestling with. You can do the same, and together we can hopefully bring fresh life and inspiration to the struggling churches under our care.
If you are ready, let's begin.
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Interesting. When did the church in general start to decline in membership? I'd almost have to say with the baby boomers who suddenly questioned authority. Do you think that the revitalization of a church has to consider reaching out to all ages? I often think that it's great to get people back to church, but if we can also get their children and grandchildren to come, that we are planting for future generations. I am interested in your thoughts.
ReplyDeleteThese are excellent questions and deserve a whole blog post instead of just a brief answer. Watch for my next blog where I will discuss the questions you raise.
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