What You See is What You Get

Keeping current...what a challenge! One way that I try to keep current with the churches in the region of the New York Conference that I serve is to read newsletters. Every month I receive a couple dozen newsletters from across the Upstate Region. I'd like to receive more (especially when you figure there are 100 churches in the region!), but 2 dozen is enough to manage.


In reading through the latest batch I was reminded of a notion of successful pastoral ministry in local churches that has made sense to me over the years. Simply put: What You See is What You Get or wysiwyg. (Forgive the reference to computer-speak.) That is, just look at how the pastor and the congregation exert their greatest energies and expend their time and their treasure and you'll know how they view their mission. No matter what the church's vision statement says, look at what the active committees are doing.


One of the newsletters I read recently had a full page of all the fundraisers they were conducting. I'm only slightly exagerating when I say a full page. There was an item tucked in the middle of all the fundraising announcements that reported, "We do not have enough income to meet expenses." There are no other programs or ministries listed in the newsletter. They do mention their worship schedule and sermon titles. Month after month they go on at length about their fundraising activities and needs.


On the other hand there are those congregations that provide quite a different picture of church life.


On Sundays after worship a group from Friedens Church, Syracuse, gathers together in the sanctuary after the coffee hour to discuss, dream and pray for the future ministry of the congregation. Pastor Virginia Anderson also holds a Bible study for youth.


At First Congregational, Albany, pastor Randy Hammer initiated a church growth committee to study the relevant literature about church growth. Every edition of the newsletter begins with his column that is usually devoted to a different aspect of church growth. As a result, over the five years or so of his pastorate worship attendance has increased dramatically.


The Metropolitan Association of the Conference has a Church Development Committee. I know of no other association in the Conference that has such a committee specifically devoted to working to encourage new church starts, congregational revitalization and welcoming existing congregations as they join the UCC. This is one reason why the vast majority of church growth in the Conference is in the Metro Association.

The Susquehanna and Oneida Associations have Family Counseling Ministries. When the idea for an association wide Family Counseling Ministry came to Pat Cavanaugh in the early 1980's, the concern was to help local church minister to the needs of families under stress. Families are still under stress and the work of these FCMs are even more vital. The churches of these associations recognize this fact.

The point is that if we are wondering why some of our churches are struggling financially, why some of our congregations have lost touch with the community, why many of our congregations experience dwindling memberships, all we have to do is to look how we spend our time and money and over what in our congregational life are we most passionate.

Those congregations that are in touch with their realities and that are succeeding in ministry are those that intentionally, directly and consciously (the redundancy of these words is for emphasis!) commit themselves through prayer, study, worship, action and structure to address them.

Does your congregation need to learn more about the wider mission of the church? Establish a Mission Education Committee with the mandate to research, share and promote the wider mission in the community and through the UCC and ecumenical organizations through newsletter articles, mission moments in worship and Sunday School, and fellowship events.

Are there members of the community that need the help and ministry of your congregation? Establish a Community Ministry Mission Group to identify the need and the population that needs your help, research what needs doing as well as the available resources to accomplish the task. Gather a group to carry out the planning and start the program.

UCC Bayberry, under the leadership of super volunteer Bob Welcher, began a weekly luncheon for senior citizens under the auspices of the Onondaga County senior citizens agency. The church provides the location and the volunteers to put on the dinner. The agency provides the food.

Several years ago the Board of Deacons of the Homer Congregational Church conducted a community survey at the annual, summer craft fair, "A Holiday in Homer," to asking what community challenge the church should address. Overwhelmingly, the problem identified was that of the youth of middle school age that were hanging around the center of the village with nothing to do.

Immediately, the Deacons formed a group that developed the plan to start an after school Youth Center in the basement of the Sunday School wing of the church. With many volunteers, and the commitment of the Deacons to financially support the center, as well as some government grants, the Center has grown to a year round program serving hundreds of youth.

Well, this is all good, you might be thinking, but how can we do these things in our churches?

Here are some of my thoughts.

1. Administrative Boards need to have the courage and wisdom to establish task groups to accomplish specific goals. They need the courage because it's not easy to do things differently nor is it easy to give up "control" of what might result. They need the wisdom that recognizes that the job of administration is separate from the job of mission. Both need to work together, but administrative boards invariably find it impossible to mix issues of who will clean the sanctuary with how will we reach out to the youth of our community in the same meeting.
2. Times Change. Needs Change. Nothing Lasts Forever. This is the case for even our most cherished programs and committees. You have a Sunday School, Ministry to Youth, Women's Fellowships: wonderful! You have committees and leaders that coordinate these ministries: great! But, the numbers of people attending these groups has diminished over the years and the tried and true program ideas, no matter how good or creative, seem tired and just aren't working any more. So, figure out how ministry with and for today's women can work and change your programs, the times you meet, the format of the meetings to make it work. I read a little booklet once on youth ministry with the central thesis that every contact with youth is youth ministry. Large groups, youth mission trips, huge retreats are wonderful; but so is the one on one visit after school at the local Starbuck's. You don't have to do big and grand things to do successful ministry, you just need to be faithful.
3. Figure out who you are as a church. Figure out what you can do. Then be authentic in doing the best you can do. If you try new worship styles and new music, detailed planning, promotion, rehearsal and teaching are very important. The best, most inspirational praise song falls flat if the worship leaders don't know what they're doing, or if the congregation sits there stone-faced because no one has taken the time to teach them the music.

Our calling to be the Church is simple. We are to love God, love each other and the world that God loves. Living out the calling is more difficult and complicated. During Advent, as we approach the celebration of the Incarnation of God's love at Christmastime, it is a very good time to take stock of ourselves. What is the Gospel that we embody? What does our church life and structure tell us about what we hold most dear? How can we become more faithful in promoting the message of God's love for all God's children?

Blessings,

Rick Cowles