by Loren Seibold

Here's something I've been noticing lately, and I think it deserves some discussion.

I do a lot of home visits, especially to inactive members. Sometimes I find people who call themselves Seventh-day Adventists, who are loyal, knowledgeable, and in some measure engaged with the denomination.

They just haven't any interest in attending the local church.

There are programs to try to bring back inactive members, but they're not necessarily for these people. These consider themselves good Seventh-day Adventists. In a few cases they took offense at something in church, but not all of them. Many have nothing against us. Often they've been courted by pastors and members to return. They simply don't feel the need to gather with others. Some are content with their satellite dish. Some order the quarterly or read Adventist magazines and Ellen White books. They may come to us for baptism, a wedding or a funeral. But not regular worship services. Some tell me that they get more out of their own spiritual activities at home than they get at church. Maybe they do.

I've met people who regularly go on Maranatha church-building trips, but never come to church. Young people who wouldn't miss Adventist summer camp, but won't come to church. Those who send out their own doctrinal newsletters to a mailing list, but don't attend church. Some who go to camp meetings around the country but won't come to church. Many who spend every waking moment watching or listening to Adventist media, but won't don't bother with church.

We all know that people aren't "joining" like they once were. (VFW, Elks, Kiwanas are all struggling; once-popular hobby clubs are non-existent.) Even among those who consider themselves members in good and regular standing, church is more optional than it used to be, easily set aside by a trip to the beach or grandma's visit or the mildest backache.

But is there more than that going on? Does it have to do with the spiritual and emotional condition of some of our congregations? Perhaps we can't compete anymore? Small congregations aren't all that exciting. Many of the small churches, especially, are largely old people. Why listen to the local average pastor when it's easier, and less stressful, to tune in Pioneer Memorial?

Do you think this is becoming more characteristic of the church than it used to be? How do we draw people to church again?

Or should we give up trying to be a gathered church, and simply share the same beliefs remotely, electronically? And if local church doesn't survive, what happens to parish ministry?

What do you think? Discuss this with me on the Best Practices Facebook page.

 
In this video Vicente Lopez, member of the YG church in Arlington Texas, shares how he uses social media to build an awareness and appreciation of his congregation in his social media world.  This is just one example of how media can be used to strengthen adventist congregations in North America. Using  media is one of the building blocks that the NAD would like to use to help build up local churches in North America.

 

 

READING FOR PASTORS

TO THE POINT: KINDNESS

 I would rather make mistakes in kindness and compassion than work miracles in unkindness and hardness.
~ Mother Teresa

I have learned silence from the talkative, toleration from the intolerant, and kindness from the unkind; yet, strange, I am ungrateful to those teachers.
~ Khalil Gibran

Whether one believes in a religion or not, and whether one believes in rebirth or not, there isn't anyone who doesn't appreciate kindness and compassion.
~ Dalai Lama

You cannot do a kindness too soon, for you never know how soon it will be too late.
~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

It has always seemed strange to me... the things we admire in men, kindness and generosity, openness, honesty, understanding and feeling, are the concomitants of failure in our system. And those traits we detest, sharpness, greed, acquisitiveness, meanness, egotism and self-interest, are the traits of success. And while men admire the quality of the first they love the produce of the second.
~ John Steinbeck

A mistake made by many people with great convictions is that they will let nothing stand in the way of their views, not even kindness.
~ Bryant H. McGill

The average dog is a nicer person than the average person."
 ~ Andy Rooney

The test of our progress is not whether we add more to the abundance of those who have much; it is whether we provide enough for those who have too little.
~ Franklin D. Roosevelt

IDEAS, EVENTS, RESOURCES, ANNOUNCEMENTS