Reaching in to Reach Out

by Dot Killian

Pastors, congregations, governing bodies and denominations have been surmising about ways to mitigate the impact of Covid-19.

One idea was to stop measuring congregational vitality by the numbers, i.e. the number of people attending worship, the number of new members, or the number of children in Sunday School. The new metric would be not how many [attend] but how many are actually engaged in ministry. How many are putting their faith in action in worship, service, stewardship and hospitality?

Another idea was to launch new and innovative outreach ministries that would not only bring back those who have not returned from Covid, but would also attract the “nones,” those who have never been involved in a faith movement, and the “dones,” those who have in one way or another been harmed by the church or some doctrine or orthodoxy espoused by the church or a particular pastor.

According to a recent Pew Center study, the “nones” comprise approximately 30% of adults. (Pew Center and churches report that post-Covid attendance is about 40% of pre-Covid attendance. So, there appears to be plenty of folk who are available to fill the empty pews.)

Launching a campaign to attract members for the sake of filling the pews is wrought with problems. The church’s mission is not to attract people to a building but rather to proclaim the salvation of Jesus Christ and to teach and model the way of Jesus in every space and place. Trying to get the unchurched or those who have been disaffected by the church to suddenly come and join in saying the Apostles Creed when they have no understanding of what or why that is done does nothing to ensure that they will decide to become actively involved in the ministries of the church. New and catchy signs or videos or skits or gatherings with food and drink are wonderful but do little to encourage people to commit to developing a life long relationship with Jesus Christ.

In order to develop meaningful relationships with those who are not currently participating in the church, those who are inside the church must first go deeper inside.

Going deeper inside involves taking an honest and sober assessment of the values and beliefs of the congregation. Who are we and how do we live and serve the living God in our daily lives? How can we grow stronger in our own faith and in our witness to the wonder and astonishing grace of Jesus Christ? Are we equipping ourselves and are we prepared to equip others with a loving and nurturing spiritual environment? Do we have the spiritual energy to go outside the walls and confront the challenges of poverty, injustice, violence, apathy, racism, and a host of other real world problems?

It is only after we dig deep within ourselves that we are able to go out and engage our brothers and sisters who need to hear the truth of the gospel. It is not a seasonal undertaking, but rather through the gift of the Holy Spirit. It is a pursuit that never ends.

We are called to be repairers of the breach, but we must first prepare ourselves for the journey.

Dot Killian — written April 21, 2021