RETURNING TO CHURCH: WHAT HAVE PEOPLE MISSED?

We are one week removed from the celebration of Easter 2021.  Compared to last Easter, most churches were able to hold regular services in their normal fashion.  A new report from the Barna Group provided insight into how different this Easter was compared to last year.  The same study also provided insight into what people missed during the pandemic when most worship had to take place online.

In the fourth week of March 2020, Barna surveyed over two hundred pastors on their plans for Easter worship. Almost half (45%) were planning live online worship, and 10% were planning an outdoor service. Thirteen percent (13%) were planning on recording their Easter worship and then making it available to members. Since it was still early in the pandemic, one-in-five (20%) of the pastors polled still had no idea how they were going to celebrate Easter. Only 2% planned to still hold indoor worship.

In a similar poll of over 500 Protestant pastors done from March 16-22, 2021 found that four in five (80%) planned to hold regular indoor worship with COVID-19 precautions. An almost equal 71% still planned to offer online worship, a strong indication that hybrid church is here to stay. Additionally, over one-in-five (22%) planned to offer an outdoor service, encouraging social distancing. One-in-ten (11%) of the pastors polled reported they planned to hold worship indoors with no COVID-19 restrictions.

As people begin to return to regular church attendance, the team at Barna was also curious as to what people said they had missed during their time away. The top overall response was “receiving the sacrament/eucharist” (24%).  Other responses tended to indicate the importance of fellowship. Overall, 23% responded “socializing with other churchgoers before and after services” and 19% “the chance to connect with like-minded people.”

There was a huge difference when it came to generations and what they most missed during the time they could not gather in-person. “Receiving the sacrament/eucharist” was more important to Baby Boomers than to Millennials (16%) and Gen X (18%) church attenders. “Socializing with other churchgoers before and after services” (27%) was also a higher priority for Baby Boomers than it was for younger attenders (17% of Millennials and 21% of Gen X’ers). 

I see a couple of disturbing trends in the new report from Barna. From my perspective, they all impact our effort to reach the next generation.

A social gathering of like-minded people: Two of the top responses to what people missed from not attending in-person worship underscore the reality that church is viewed as a social gathering spot. When the primary reason for attending worship is to “socialize” and “gather with like-minded people,” I think we have a problem. 

Discipleship is not a high priority. According to the research from Barna, involvement in “Sunday school / Small groups / Bible study” was missed by only 8% of Baby Boomers and Gen X’ers and 13% of Millennials. Additionally, only one-in-five (23%) of those polled miss “listening to a live sermon or homily.” 

Little desire to meet new people: If the church is to grow, there must be a willingness to welcome new people in the community. Over all, only 9% of those polled indicated “the chance to meet new people” as something they missed over the last year. Millennials were more open to meeting new people with 17% reporting that was something they missed.

 

The bottom line is the church has a long way to go if it is to grow. The reality is the lost are not going to find their way to us. We are going to have to meet them where they are at. That requires equipping people to be the feet and hands of Jesus where they live, work and play. In the post-pandemic world, if our church buildings are going to be devalued and viewed only as a gathering place for believers that will be an obstacle.

 

Blessed Be Your Name... At all Times.

 

Singing praise has always been a big part of my life.  I am not particularly musical.  I cannot hold a candle to my wife and daughter, both of whom are trained church musicians.  My parents both sang in the church choir and I became part of the children’s choir as soon as I was eligible.  I graduated to the youth choir and eventually to the bass section of the senior choir.  I sang in the chorus all four years in high school.  As an adult I have sung in the church choir and been part of the contemporary worship team at church.

Some of my fondest memories growing up are being seated next to my grandmother in church singing the traditional hymns.  Many of those hymns still sustain me today.  I tend to lean on them during times of struggle.  If you were to ask my favor hymn, I would probably point to Abide with Me, but these days I find comfort in Jesus Savior, Pilot Me.  Both remind me that Jesus is my anchor in the midst of uncertain times.

One of the things I struggle with most during this time when I am forced to worship remotely, is singing.  The songs are the same but something is lacking in the impact when you sing a worship song in a room by yourself.  That struck me this morning as I found myself reflecting on Psalm 111:1 in my personal devotional time.  How I long for the time when I can again join the assembly in praising God. 

I guess there is a reason I found a special meaning this past Sunday when one of the songs we sang in worship was Blessed be Your Name.

 

“Blessed be your name when the sun’s shining down on me…

Blessed be your name.

Blessed be your name on the road marked with suffering…

Blessed be your name.”

 

May God strengthen me so I can find reasons to continually praise Him, even in the midst of isolation and uncertainty. 

 

Taking it to the Street

The Texas District of the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod (LCMS) recently announced an initiative to train 500 evangelist, church planters and missionaries.  It sounds like an ambitious effort but the Rev. Dr. Yohannes Mengsteab who is heading up the effort truly believes it is doable.  What makes this movement unique is that it will equip lay church members to do ministry where they are at.  The goal is that there be one trained evangelist in every congregation or mission station. 

During a time when they number of ordained pastors is declining, this is a step in the right direction.  In 2019 the LCMS had 6,077 ordained pastors serving 5,991 churches.  On paper that looks good but beneath the surface things are not healthy.  Over three hundred of those pastors are specific ministry pastors (SMP) who are serving under the supervision of an administrative pastor.  In addition, other ordained pastors are serving in administrative positions.  The situation is exacerbated by the reality that a good portion of the rostered pastors are over the age of sixty and will soon retire.  The outlook grows even worse when we look at the enrollment at the two LCMS seminaries.  In 2019 only 355 students were enrolled in the Master of Divinity program, which leads to ordination.  That equates to less than one hundred pastors graduating each year.  That will not keep pace with the number of pastors that are retiring. 

There is another reason I am encourage by my district’s new initiative.  It moves ministry outside the walls of a building to the places where people live.  Granted, many of those trained will minister to under-served churches in small towns and rural areas, but others will touch the lives of people within the communities around established urban and suburban worship communities.  This is crucial when you consider that most unchurched Millennials and Gen Z’s will never consider entering the doors of our church.  We need to touch their lives where they are at, a reach and them in their place of need. 

I am a fan of the Doobie Brothers.  One of my favorite hits by them is Taking it to the Streets.  In a sense, this is what the new project is trying to do.  Evangelist are people who take the Good News of Jesus to people where they are at.  They minister to people through mercy and compassion.  I truly believe the future church will look vastly different with fewer people gathering in a building and more people clustering in small groups where they live.  In the world of Millennials and Gen Z’s relationships, not buildings, are the important thing.  Our desire is that one of those relationships should be with their Lord and Savior, Jesus.

 

The Decline of Denominations: Blame it on the Boomers

 

It was during the mid-seventies and I was serving as DCE at a church in suburban Chicago.  It was a Saturday morning and I found myself in the office putting in some preparation for my Sunday morning Bible Class.  I knew there was a wedding at noon that day and I was in somewhat of a rush to get things done before the festivities started.  My teammate at the time was Pastor Bill Huener.  As I worked, I could hear Pastor Bill singing at the top of his lungs in his office.  I wondered why Bill was in such a good mood.  Bill typically was not excited about officiating a wedding.  He liked working with young couples, it was the family drama that irritated him.  Curiosity finally got the best of me so I asked, what was up.  “I have been on staff at this church for four years and this is the first time I have a Lutheran getting married to another Lutheran,” he replied.  I found that hard to believe and then reflected back on the three and half years we had worked together.  He was right. 

I bring this up because today’s young people get a lot of the blame when it comes to the decline in membership of not only the Lutheran Church but mainline denominations in general.  Across the board, mainline denominations from Baptist, to Methodist are losing members.  I am a member of the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod (LCMS).  Post World War II the LCMS was one of the fastest growing denominations in the country.  We were even featured on the Cover of Time Magazine in 1958.  Membership finally peaked at 2,8 million around 1970.  Today our church body is a little over half that size at 1,5 million.  We are also a “graying church,” with over 70% of the membership over the age of fifty.

The reality is mainline denominations are going away.  It is one of the topics in my soon to be released book Tear Down the Silos and Pitch a Tent.  In the book I survey the changes I see on the horizon for mainline denominations.  As I did my research, I discovered something interesting; we can blame the Baby Boomers, those born after WW II, for starting the decline. 

Prior to the 60’s young people tended to marry a partner who shared the same faith tradition.  In the case of the LCMS, the Walther League was an “in house” dating service.  If you couldn’t find a match in your church, there were almost endless possibilities at the zone rallies and national conventions.  The organization was basically dissolved in 1968, when the LCMS decided to go in a different direction in youth ministry.  It was at the Walther League national convention at Purdue University in 1968 that the Baby Boomers who made up the Walther League voted to disband. 

The generation born post W.W. II has always had a reputation for being rebellious.  Baby Boomers led the “peace movement” that called for an end to the War in Viet Nam.  We were also in the forefront when it came to the call for the end of racial injustice.  We were the first generation to question what our lifestyles were doing the environment.  I think we can add the challenge to the traditional denominational structure to that list.

We need to be mindful that denominations are “man-made” institutions.  The church is actuality are “the people of God.”  Our loyalty should never be toward a particular tradition.  We need to but rather toward the Savior who gave His life for us.  We are called to be His disciples.  That requires us to be people of grace, mercy and compassion in the communities and neighborhoods where we live. 

A Culture of Harassment

 

I spent most of my adult life working with teenagers, including eleven years as a high school counselor.  Harassment and bullying were one consistent reality.  The level of pain kids could inflict on each other never ceased to amaze me.  I know some students were scarred for life because of the words and actions of their peers.  I was aware that such behavior took place in the adult world as well.  I encountered more that enough parents who were capable of using words and threats to gain the upper hand on behalf of their children.  Reality is; the fruit does not fall far from the tree.

Now, a new report from Pew Research has revealed that harassment and bullying among adults is an increasing problem in America.  I guess I could have expected such in a volatile political and social climate.  Unfortunately, social media has made it much too convenient for people to say angry and hurtful things about each other.  According to the report, roughly four-in-ten Americans (41%) have personally experience online harassment.  Name calling, physical threats and stalking were the most common forms of online harassment and bullying.

Young adults, ages 18-29, are most impacted by this rising trend.  Almost two-thirds (64%) of young adults reported that they had been harassed online, with almost half (48%) saying the harassment was “severe.”  Almost half (49%) of those ages 30-49 had experienced online harassment.  Even older adults over 65 have experienced online harassment, with one-in-five (21%) having faced it in some form.  As we might anticipate, women and ethnic minorities as more frequently the victims.

The Church, as the Body of Christ, is called to play a role in the chaos.  This is a major challenge since the church has an image problem from the perspective of many young adults.  The church is not viewed as a safe place to express an opinion or even ask for help.  It must begin on a personal level in the way we interact with and treat those around us, especially those who might not agree with us.  It also might require us to be a little less quick to speak and to measure our words when we do. 

Moving on to 2021

The past has everything to do with where we are today, but absolutely nothing to do with where we will be in the future.  I think the first time I made this statement was during a strategic planning session with the lay leadership at one of the churches where I served.  As I recall, the process had gotten bogged down because some of those involved were stuck in the past.  As a congregation, we wanted to move forward.  We wanted to make major changes in the way members were equipped for ministry.  It was not the fear of the future that was paralyzing them, it was more a reluctance to give up what had been successful in the past.

I fear the same thing might be happening as we move into the year 2021.  I can think of no time in my life when I anticipate greater change.  The pandemic has impacted every part of my life.  I have come to realize that when we finally do emerge from this health crisis, I will be living in a world that looks and feels vastly different.  It is a real challenge for an old man.  I cherish the memories of the world, especially within my church community, as I knew it.  I had expected change, but COVID-19 has hastened them in a way I had never imagined.

Let me focus on three changes I view as being most challenging for older adults, like myself to adjust to:

Hybrid worship is here to stay.  The pandemic forced us to change the way we worship.  Most of us viewed it as a temporary inconvenience.  That is borne out in the large number of older Christians who have expressed their desire to get back to in-person worship ASAP.  The reality is that many young Christians like the option of worshipping at their convenience.  While they long for the fellowship and sense of community, they also like the idea of being able to participate in worship online. 

Ministry will happen outside the walls of the church.  Most of us are accustomed to being at church.  We not only went there for worship and Bible study, but found much of our fellowship there.  In the post-pandemic world, more ministry will happen away from the church building.  Not only will more church meetings take place via Zoom, but so will Bible studies and other discipling activities.  Those under the age of forty are accustomed to functioning this way and now expect the church to adapt to their lifestyle.

Fellowship will look different.  At least for the foreseeable future, masks are going to be a reality.  Experts tell us that even with a vaccine, we need to maintain caution to avoid spreading the virus.  That really changes the way we relate to each other.  Close contact, especially hugs, are not going to happen.  We are used to fellowship time between services but that is going to be different.  Many are also going to be reluctant to attend fellowship meals.  The church kitchen might be one of the least used areas of the building. 

The one thing that does remain constant is God’s grace and His love for us.  We need to be mindful of that.  While the church as we once knew it might cease to exist, God is faithful and He has some awesome things in store for us. 

Longing for Unmasked Sounds of Joy

 

I must admit I am struggling this Advent.  It is not the season itself.  I am enjoying the Advent devotions and am reading some of my favorite seasonal books.  One tradition I have is reading again Walter Wangerin’s account of Christ’s birth in The Book of God.  He is a gifted writer and I so much appreciate the “human” aspects of his account.  I am also enjoying for the first time Gordon Giles O Come Emmanuel devotional book that focuses on the hymns and carols of the season.

Our tree is up and the magi have begun their annual trek through the house.  Our tradition is they do not arrive in the manger until Epiphany.  We have even attempted to make this year special by breaking out some of the decorations we have not used in years.  Outside the lights are up and the luminaria are lit each night making a path for the Christ Child to come to our home and hearts.  My favorite Christmas CD’s are playing while I write and I have Pandora playing the Michael W. Smith Christmas station when I am in my car.

I guess the reality of this Christmas season hit home last Monday.  I met with our daughter, Katie Seale, to record my part for the virtual choir for Christmas Eve.  Katie serves as music director at our church, Prince of Peace Lutheran Church in Carrollton, TX.  Usually, I am surrounded by friends and we prepare for the Christmas Eve service.  This time it was just me, a microphone, computer screen and a virtual conductor.  I left realizing how much I miss the lack of fellowship this Christmas season.

This year Barb and I will attend the 4:30 outdoor Christmas Eve service.  We will sit in our car and listen on the car radio.  I am sure we will wave at a few familiar faces.  Somehow singing Joy to the World and Silent Night in that setting comes up a little lacking.  The gift of the Christ Child still has the same impact on my faith.  It is just hard to sing shouts of praise when you are wearing a mask.

I guess the secondary ‘good news” is that there is hope on the horizon.  Hopefully with a vaccine, we are able to get the pandemic under control.  Perhaps next Christmas we will at least be able to safely gather again.  Maybe even the choir might return in person instead of appearing on a screen looking a little like the opening to The Brady Bunch.  At least I have singing in the heavenly choir to look forward to.  There will be no mask in heaven, only eternal praise.