“Where there is no vision, the people perish” (Proverbs 29:18, KJV)
“How can we return our our church to
vitality?” “How can we have more children and youth at our church like we used
to?” “How can we stop our recent decline and start growing again?” These questions – and others like them
– are ones that I have heard repeatedly from various church members since
arriving eight months ago. And while
there is no single, “magic wand” solution that will fix these issues
immediately (like some might want), there is certainly a process to follow that,
in my experience leading two previous churches, can turn things around:
Step 1 is for us to rediscover our mission/purpose and current IDENTITY – that
is: who are we now?. Not, “ Who did we used to be?”, or “Who do we wish we were?” But “Who are we now?” -- the good, the bad, the things we like, and the
things we wish we didn’t know. For
example, we may wish we still had 1700+ members averaging nearly 600 in
worship, but that is not our current reality of 1113 members, averaging 351 in
worship. Instead of over 200 children
and 150 youth in our programs eight years ago, we now have about 100 children
and 80 youth active. Now, this kind of
information is difficult for us to hear, but it is our reality. To take a successful journey, one needs to
know where they are beginning from -- that
is the task before us now and through probably this Summer and Fall: to
rediscover who we are. So, look for various ways your leadership (starting with
a Long Range Planning Survey on March 13) will be asking for input regarding this
question for the next few months.
Step 2 is for us to begin to prayerfully discern and then eventually implement a
new VISION for LaGrange First UMC – a Vision that is bigger and more compelling
and unifying than the provincial visions that many of us may currently have. It will be a Vision that is bigger than me, you,
or any individual, class, or peer group. In short, it will be a Vision for who God wants us as a church to become – a Vision that grows out of who we are (our DNA) but which
calls us to become something and someone new
as a church congregation.
These two
steps may seem elementary, but the reality is that to do them correctly and
thoroughly may take up to 12-18 months, and will certainly involve a lot of hard
work, discussion, flexibility, and even anguish. Nevertheless, I firmly believe that this is
God’s prescription for our church’s future health, and you’ll want to know that
my intention is to lead us as a church to be willing to take these two steps over
the next year or so.
In the
meantime, though, we can begin to “prime the pump,” if you will, by offering
renewed opportunities for each of us to engage in mission, ministry,
discipleship, worship, and care as we seek to deepen our own spiritual
lives. After all, since people are
attracted to churches who’s members are “on fire” for God, both of these steps begin
with each of us being willing to open ourselves to deeper walks with God. So, look for new and renewed opportunities in
this regard over the next 18 months.
I realize
that some of us have grown accustomed to practices and traditions that no longer
serve to help us grow, but which nevertheless make us comfortable. Consequently,
I recognize that this journey will not be easy for all of us. However, just as God has walked with us
through our past, I believe we can trust Him to walk with us into the future as
we allow Him to lead and guide us to continue our rich heritage of being an effective,
vibrant church for Him! Remember, God
loves you and I do, too!
