Dear Members and Friends of St. Paul’s,
In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus says, “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:19-20)
But, as Lutherans we often seem to struggle with this idea of going out and encouraging people to come to church. And, in the history of Lutheranism in America, we haven’t had to worry about church growth until recently.
In the 1700’s when Lutherans first started immigrating to the United States from Europe, they would often travel as a whole community, with their own pastor. Then, when they arrived, they could all settle together in one place, and they already had a pastor and congregation to establish a church. Churches grew as the community grew and as families passed on the faith to their children. These churches served to meet significant needs within their communities, providing for widows and orphans, granting shelter for new immigrants, and assisting the poor and hungry. They were also cultural centers, where people of similar backgrounds and similar life experiences gathered to support one another.
Up through the 1980s, there were cultural benefits for being a “faithful Christian” who attended church each week. It was beneficial to your reputation and was seen as a way of making business connections. People attended church because it was beneficial for them, and there was at least some cultural impetus to do so.
Within the same timeframe, the rise of the Industrial Revolution led to a stronger sense of individualism and less focus on community. This focus took hold in the United States and has run rampant in recent decades. The primary concern today is for the individual and personal needs and desires, rather than concern for our neighbor or what is best for the community at-large. Additionally, Christian Education and imparting the faith moved out of the household and became a job primarily of the church institution, leaving instruction and conversations about faith to the “experts”.
As culture shifted in the 1990’s and onward, people began leaving the church as there was less of a societal incentive to be part of a church and a perceived lesser need to be part of a community to support one another. With faith formation having left the household, there was no longer any conversation about faith in the home, and limited participation in church communities to pass on the faith to future generations. Lives got busier, and people began to use Sunday mornings for other activities because people had already vacated the church and were willing to offer that time as available for sports or other commitments. Political division heightened, and churches struggled to make any meaningful statements about justice because it was seen as “too political.” Outreach ministries to the poor, homeless, immigrants, veterans, disabled, and others who were struggling ended or were severely limited to only those individuals who churches deemed were worthy of the assistance. All of this led to a decline in church attendance and churches were viewed as less relevant in the public and personal spheres.
Over the last 30-40 years we have seen a slow decline in church attendance, which has been accelerated by COVID most recently. Because we have never had to worry about church growth before now, Lutherans never developed the skills to bring new people into the church. We preferred a “if we build it, they will come” strategy and assumed that as long as we had meaningful worship and good programs, people would attend our churches.
That is no longer the world in which we live.
And now, we’ve gone so long with church decline that we find ourselves in a more desperate situation. I have had several conversations in the last month or two with various leaders here at St. Paul’s about our need to grow the church. But how?
I am by no means an expert in church growth. However, there are a few things I do know.
1. Sending postcards or knocking on doors is not particularly effective. It takes a lot of time and resources, can be disappointing or even dangerous depending on the community, and only rarely does someone actually visit the church because of it.
2. A pastor inviting people to church isn’t particularly effective either. People hear me encourage them to come to church, and they just assume I’m saying that because I’m supposed to.
3. It usually takes a relationship to get someone to come to church. A personal invitation to attend church from a friend or a family member can go a long way.
4. With that personal invitation, people need to know why it’s worth attending your church. Why is St. Paul’s meaningful to you? What difference has the church made in your life? How have you made a difference in the community through the ministries of St. Paul’s? How could the person you’re inviting find more meaning in their lives by visiting St. Paul’s?
5. It can also be helpful to reach out to former members to let them know that they are missed and invite them to come back.
6. Church growth takes time. It often takes multiple invitations, and even then, we’re not going to have hundreds of people flooding our doors next week. Growth will happen slowly, one by one, as we are intentional about personal invitations and more public about what our faith means to us.
These are just a few tips I’ve learned through the years. In September, the Council will be having some conversations about forming a committee for church growth. If this is something you would like to be a part of, please let me or another of our Council members know.
In the meantime, consider inviting a friend to church! St. Paul’s is a great place to be, and together we can grow in faith.
Peace,
Rev. Jessica Hahn