During a discussion on church growth and effective ministry I started doodling along the lines of what made for an effective ministry and facilitated growth in our various (and many) churches.
One of the biggest problems is that all too often the measure used to determine a growing church is that of BOPS (Bums on Pews) or money, subjects that most conversations will come round to when the knotty issue of sustainability crops up!
The reality is that a growing church is not always one that can pay its way and this is especially true in the missional expressions of church that find themselves inhabiting Estate churches or ministering in Urban Priority Settings? The problem is that unless 'generosity' becomes more than something that is accompanied by a wistful sigh from bishops, the reality is that we are sometime soon going to find ourselves in a place where the neediest places will be the most bereft when it comes to ministry provision.
Of course there is always the hope that a new generation of worker priests will spring up but the reality is that the demands of such places often puts too much stress on those clergy who seek to function in the SSM/NSM (Self Supporting/Non-Stipendiary Ministries) and although this can be addressed by using OLM (ordained Local Ministers) the reality among many of those is that they function well as assistant clergy but many feel the pioneering and pastoral demands are outside of scope in terms of calling, ability and training (something I'm sure we will address in the years to come).
So what makes for a growing church if it is not BOPS and Pound coins? Here's some of my addled thinking of what makes for a growing church for you to ponder and challenge me over (in no particular order) where we are seeing people:
i. Come forward to take part in courses which develop Biblical understanding (Bishop's Certificate, etc.),
ii. Come forward to develop skills/abilities to enable them to be effective in ministry areas,
iii. Called out to minister in the local church - Covenanted Teams, lay or licensed lay/ordained ministry,
iv. Seeing people called out to minister in the wider church in licensed lay/ordained (stipendiary) ministry,
v. Come forward to be involved in the various ministry roles and projects as team members,
vi. Show a willingness to take responsibility and lead when needed and follow when called to,
vii. Come forward and give of their time without being asked in a consistent and reliable manner,
viii. Take pleasure in seeing others come to faith and grow in it such that they become peers,
ix. Put aside their own pleasures and interests to be at services or to fulfil commitments,
x. Want to spend time in prayer, study and fellowship.
I've limited the points to ten (and I could have gone on - and perhaps will sometime soon) and as I did I was blessed as I saw the faces of those to whom each point applied and saddened as I saw the faces of some for who each point did not apply (wondering whether I could have done more to facilitate or support).
How many people do we know for whom one or more of the above points apply? I would content that a happy, growing church is one where the members can lay claim to them in some measure. Not only that but I will be thinking and praying over each one of our members to see where I think they are and what I need to do to help them fulfil their baptismal calling and and take more ground for God in their lives. All-member ministry is the only way to grow church and the elements above are indicators and encouragement of same.
More soon - please come back to me and challenge - dialogue - amend and offer correction/suggestions.
4 comments:
A very useful article - this applies equally to rural ministry - where many of the churches stand empty but in the middle of a community. Yet the community doesn't want the church to close!Often you need to start from scratch to build a team and ensure they work as a team.
I can echo what Harriet says about rural ministry. The harvest is there, but the reapers are few.
I recall Arch Bishop Rowan's points where he mentioned 'Pastors (lay or ordained) in every community', something which seems to have fallen through the cracks.
If the Church is serious about empowering laity and to help and encourage them to fulfill the list of vocations you list so concisely, they need to provide the necessary training to accredit people, to authorise their ministry and to deploy them. Something which has been lacking in my diocese, which has been hugely disappointing.
In our five rural churches possibly there are two or three who could fill one or more of those roles, but when you say, "Across the Benefice" you are imposing costly travel on them, which many can't hope to meet.
Mission in this context needs to be acutely aware of the limitations and the need to concentrate on perhaps the strengths of each local church, and encouraging cross church attendance, when a particular ministry is to be exercised and highlighted.
An example is on one Sunday in our Benefice there are two Non-Eucharistic services (family services) in competition with a traditional sung Eucharist. You can guess which gets the higher attendance :(
Getting people to change their routines is difficult, and is hindering mission. The next Vicar will need to address this early, or their future ministry will be hamstrung by the 'we've always done it this way' brigade to the detriment of the whole benefice.
This is where inspirational leadership is needed, but from Clergy and Laity - a shared vision, fully articulated, discussed and agreed, resourced and implemented. And if this means asking Diocese for a Grant in Aid of Mission, get the Area Dean, Lay Chair and Deanery Synod on side, with their support and cooperation anything is possible.
I actually believe that unless we turn more of our rural benefices into 'mission communities' we are going to lose churches and congregations through inaction, complacency or sheer inability to keep them running.
Church Commissioners/General Synod - are you listening???
I can echo what Harriet says about rural ministry. The harvest is there, but the reapers are few.
I recall Arch Bishop Rowan's points where he mentioned 'Pastors (lay or ordained) in every community', something which seems to have fallen through the cracks.
If the Church is serious about empowering laity and to help and encourage them to fulfill the list of vocations you list so concisely, they need to provide the necessary training to accredit people, to authorise their ministry and to deploy them. Something which has been lacking in my diocese, which has been hugely disappointing.
In our five rural churches possibly there are two or three who could fill one or more of those roles, but when you say, "Across the Benefice" you are imposing costly travel on them, which many can't hope to meet.
Mission in this context needs to be acutely aware of the limitations and the need to concentrate on perhaps the strengths of each local church, and encouraging cross church attendance, when a particular ministry is to be exercised and highlighted.
An example is on one Sunday in our Benefice there are two Non-Eucharistic services (family services) in competition with a traditional sung Eucharist. You can guess which gets the higher attendance :(
Getting people to change their routines is difficult, and is hindering mission. The next Vicar will need to address this early, or their future ministry will be hamstrung by the 'we've always done it this way' brigade to the detriment of the whole benefice.
This is where inspirational leadership is needed, but from Clergy and Laity - a shared vision, fully articulated, discussed and agreed, resourced and implemented. And if this means asking Diocese for a Grant in Aid of Mission, get the Area Dean, Lay Chair and Deanery Synod on side, with their support and cooperation anything is possible.
I actually believe that unless we turn more of our rural benefices into 'mission communities' we are going to lose churches and congregations through inaction, complacency or sheer inability to keep them running.
Church Commissioners/General Synod - are you listening???
It's an odd situation for many rural churches especially in that those who speak loudest about keeping the building are more often than not the very same people who are unseen outside of the Easter and Christmas rush.
Those who are active are often few in number and the pressures upon the rural church with contraction of labour and the pressure on farmers (who receive less, work harder than ever and suffer from almost every angle) all conspire to make a close-knit yet, on their own, less viable congregation - and yet the church is essential for the good of the community.
Thanks for the reminded Harriet,
V
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