This is one that has been in the blog-hopper for a long time now. My ideas on it are not fully developed yet (maybe they never will be).
I was asked recently by the Bishop of the SWMN Synod, Jon Anderson, if I might give 3-4 minutes in our synod's annual assembly coming up in June to considering this question: "As we journey into the next twenty five years of the synod's life, what are your hunches about how God is calling us to move forward our shared life and work together in the name of Jesus?"
I am honored to have been asked to speak briefly on the subject, humbled by the topic to be considered, and most importantly curious whether there will even be another twenty five years of synod life.
Bishop Jon asked me this question, I think, because he was interested in something new the congregation I serve is trying. With rural communities in steady decline and rural congregations reflecting that downward trend in numbers, we are having to approach how we "do church" differently than we ever have.
Gone are the glory days when a rural congregation's sanctuary seating 300+ people needed two Sunday morning services. Gone are the glory days when a rural congregation, in a town like the one in which I live, could support 60+ committee positions and have each committee be thriving and active. Gone are the glory days when solo pastors in a rural congregation like the one I serve could rely upon a steady stream of local leaders to take strong roles in church leadership.
I'm not one for overblown, scare-tactic-like statistics. Statistics like these are often spouted off in order to frighten us into spreading ourselves thin in church ministry. If we truly do believe that God our Father is still our Maker, that Christ the Lord is still our Savior, and that the Holy Spirit is still our Advocate, Comforter, and Guide, then we don't really have much to worry about if the church numbers declining. If God really does have the whole world in His hands, then what are we doing worrying about declining numbers and church leaders that are stretched way too thin?
The glory days are gone. Popular opinion might say, "it's about time!" I might say that, too, but not because it's popular. I say that because it is opening us up to think about ministry in a new, perhaps even better way. I'm not worried about declining numbers. In fact, it might be a blessing in disguise.
Why is that, you ask? First, I believe that these declining numbers are finally forcing our hands. Our big, bulky structures that reflect the glory days are being stretched to the breaking point. We can't support the big, bulky structures of 60+ committee positions in a church that worships 100 on an average Sunday. We can't support rural, solo pastors running themselves ragged trying to pump life into 10 committees that barely have even one semi-interested person on them.
This has implications for synod and church wide ministry, too. If it is true that congregations are being stretched thin trying to support big, bulky structures then synod and churchwide ministry must be suffering equally, if not more so. Big, bulky structures built on the glory days of American Christianity are unsustainable. Synods are cutting programming, staff, and even critical resources for doing their work. Churchwide has done the same. We are being forced to reveal our cards.
Second, I believe that these declining numbers are finally forcing us to consider our relationships in ministry and not our ministry programs. I've been reading this really good book by Dr. Andrew Root at Luther Seminary called, "The Relational Pastor." His thesis, paraphrased by me, is that church ministry has emphasized building relationships for the sake of getting people involved in the programs or winning them over to the Christian faith. Relationships only serve the purpose of getting people in the door, or getting people active in the life of the church. The crucial part of his thesis is that relationships should be seen as the goal of ministry, not a tool for getting people involved in ministry programs.
With declining numbers, once well-supported programs fall apart. And not only that, our decline in numbers is seen as losing influence on people's lives. Declining numbers easily becomes about how the church is "losing." Mainline denominations are losing the numbers race.
An exhausting list of remedies are imagined for our declining numbers: do worship better, become more inclusive, become more relevant, focus on Latino ministry, etc.
Relationships, at one time, were developed in order to win influence. Now that we are losing influence in our relationships, our numbers are in trouble.
So be it; and good riddance. Relationships ought to be the goal of ministry, not a tool for getting people involved in ministry programs. Declining numbers force us to focus on the relationships as the goal of ministry. (I'd secretly like to think that the church may even grow in numbers if we start treating the relationships as the goal of ministry).
I'm not worried about declining numbers. I think it might be a blessing in disguise, forcing us to look out our big, bulky structures and how we build relationships as the goal of our ministry.
At Clarkfield Lutheran, we've restructured to do away with that 60+ person committee structure. We're down to 20 positions. And we are focusing on the relationships we develop through our ministry. Our ministry programs (the ones that still run smoothly) are about building relationships with people. People and our relationships with them are our goal. We want better relationships.
I have used two terms to talk about this important shift: our structures should be both "nimble" and "flat."
Nimble means that the church must shake off its big, bulky structures in favor of something more flexible, more nimble, better able to move with changing culture and times. I like to picture myself at both 350lbs and 175lbs. At 350lbs, my 5 foot 8 inch frame would be WAY to bulky to shift if something came my way. But at 175lbs, I might have a shot. We need to be nimble, shaking off big, bulky structures that weight us down.
The other term, "flat," is one that I think is also very important and it emphasizes the importance of building relationships for the sake of building relationships. Flat structures are structures are not towering with hierarchical authority, but authority resides much lower on the totem pole. Flat structures take advantage of where authority really comes from. Online social networking has flattened our world significantly. People decide what is trendy by viewing what others in their social networks are talking about. We even use terms like "trending" when something on Twitter is being talked about a lot.
Mainstream news media likes to check in with their Twitter followers to see what is trending on Twitter. Images and quotes are "shared" and "liked" on Facebook. Posts with more "shares" and "likes" have more influence. And the people on the bottom of the totem pole are deciding what has authority and influence. No one is telling these people what is trendy. The design world once set the tone for what is trendy; now they only follow trends and try to anticipate the next trend.
This is not to say that the church must follow the trends of the culture. Some will use what I am saying to justify that the church in needs to be trendy and accommodating to the culture. Nothing could be more detrimental to the church. This is what we've done in the past; we've tried to build relationships by being trendy and therefore winning influence. But the relationships themselves are the end goal, not the means to an end. Paying attention to what is trending is a tool for building relationships, not the other way around. We don't accommodate, we speak the truth in love, building relationships with the people God has put us into relationship with.
If there is a synod life in twenty five years it will have to be both nimble and flat. The same is true of churchwide life as well, I think. We're trying to be nimble and flat in the church I serve. We are trying to shake off big, bulky structure so we can build relationships.
My refrain for the next 25 years in ministry will likely be this: "Jack be nimble; Jack be quick," because if I am not, really great opportunities for building relationships will be lost. Big, bulky structures and relationships for the sake of programs and influence will block my view of Christ moving in my midst. Christ will walk right by, maybe in the person who is hungry or hurting, and I will never see him. The church needs to be on the move with God, not bogged down by bulky structure. "Jack be nimble; Jack be quick."
