Over the
years I have attended worship in many congregations. As I observe the people
in attendance, one thing is really clear. The average age in the vast majority
of congregations is definitely over 60. Many congregations have a majority who
appear to be well into the 70's and 80's. While it is encouraging to think that
we have the health today to continue to contribute when we are in our 80's,
it does raise a concern about where the young people are.
Research, surveys, and polls tell us that in Canada today more than 83% of the population believe in God. At the same time, less than 29% of the population attends a church. In 1940 church attendance was 60%. In 1960 it had declined to 30%, and by 1998 was 29%.
These numbers, which are not very encouraging, depict overall attendance. When we look at the numbers by specific age group, the picture is even gloomier. Attendance for 15 to 24 year olds declined from 34% in 1986 to 24% by 1998.
Let's see if we can understand what the impact of this might be on the future of Christian churches in Canada. If 15 - 24 year old attendance declines over the next 12 years by the same 10%, there will only be 14% attending church. Those who are now 15-24 will be 27-36 years old, and past experience indicates their attendance will have declined further.
If more than 76% of the parents who are raising children have no experience of church, we start to get a picture of numbers continuing to spiral downward. All of this while those who have had a life-long connection to the church are aging and dying.
How do we reverse this trend? One thing we know for sure. If we continue to do what we have always done, we will continue to get the same results.
Do We Care?
The first question we have to ask ourselves is do we care? Jesus challenged his followers to share the love of God with their neighbour. All four gospels suggest that we have a responsibility to share the good news that God loves them. The question is, do we have the passion to really do it?
Where is the passion that Jesus displayed, where is the passion that the missionaries brought to this country, where is the passion that saw churches, schools, and hospitals built in every Canadian community? Transformation of the church today has to begin with a recovery of the passion to share the message of God's grace with everyone.
Sharing the Story
What do we need to do to include the rest of the population in our faith communities?
We have to begin by understanding as much as we can about the people who are under 50 years of age. They have never lived without TV and personal computers. They have more choices, more freedom, and there is more knowledge available to them. The result, they have different values and interests than those over 50.
There are many books and articles today that identify the priorities and concerns of people by their age categories. While we believe generalizations can be dangerous if they are the only foundation for decision making, we also understand that the more we know, the better prepared we are to begin asking the right questions so we can create an effective plan for the future.
What do we know about the two main generations that the main-line church needs to reach - the Baby Boomers and the Generation Xers?
Early Baby Boomers are turning 50, and the young ones are in there 40's. Some of the dynamics we know about them are:
They reject authority
They want to be in control of their destiny
They believe in the equality of the sexes
They are in pursuit of happiness
They are not interested in supporting institutions
Generation X consists of those born in the mid-60's and who are now 30-40 years old:
They are in pursuit of happiness
They have abandoned, guilt, fear, and duty as motivators
They reject traditional hierarchical systems
They are accustomed to immediate gratification.
Issuing the Invitation
How do we invite these people to join us? The first thing we are clear about is that there has to be something in it for them-it has to be relevant to needs they have in their lives. This means we have to explore from two perspectives; what do they need, and what will it take for the church today to meet those needs. An additional question-what barriers have we created that prevent them from thinking the church is ready and willing to meet their needs?
Working from the understanding that 83% of people today believe in God, we can assume that those under 50 understand they have a spiritual dimension. How can we help them explore that dimension from a Christian perspective?
First, we have to accept that it is going to require significant change if we are going to meet the needs of a new generation. Jesus bypassed the four groups who had a monopoly on religion in his day-the Scribes, Pharisees, Sadducees, and Priests. Luther said it was scripture we had to look to for spiritual insights, not necessarily the established church with its own agenda. As a result, the new form of the church was quite different from the old. The same is true today.
There will be costs associated with making this decision. Old ways will be challenged, some people will leave, some programs will cease, and new leadership will be required. None of this is comfortable. What change is up against is that many in the church would like to have a place of tradition and comfort, a place of sanctuary. The answer-an attitude of "both/and" rather than "either/or". It is a matter of preserving the best of the old while making room for the new. Not everything has to change, but everything does have to be challenged to ensure that what is being done is meaningful.
When the decision to explore new opportunities has been made, then the next step is to have a plan to guide the journey. A plan that will
provide focus and balance,
be a learning experience,
be fun,
be challenging,
provide support for those involved,
be spiritual and worshipful,
result in deepened relationships,
provide energy,
encourage involvement,
build confidence.
A number of congregations are making this change. At the Congregational Life Centre we do want to help. Our transformation process helps you develop a plan that will both energize and guide. Then we stay with the congregation as it implements its dream.
We live in the most challenging, most innovative, and most creative time in human history. That may sound overwhelming, but it is an understatement. What we know is that the early church spoke to a changing world 2000 years ago, and changed that world. That is the task that awaits the church today.
Congregational LIfe Centre Newsletter. Sept. 2004. Vol. 11 No. 1