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Hoosier United Methodist News Archives
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July/August 2004 |
Igniting congregations for the growth of the church
We've heard about the decline in membership across Indiana United Methodist churches for the past four decades. In numbers of members, we, in Indiana, are half the church we were when The United Methodist Church was formed in 1968. Again this year, both the Indiana North and Indiana South Conferences reported another decline in membership during 2003.
According to a recent survey published in The Indianapolis Star, 12 percent of Protestants in Indiana are "Methodists" including United Methodists and tied with "Baptists." We continue to be the largest Protestant denomination in Indiana, but we won't be for long unless each congregation shifts to a growth mode.
If we are to maintain our influence as a religious community in Hoosier society, we must take extra-ordinary efforts to grow.
August has become the opportune month for church grow and membership development. The Igniting Ministry media campaign has taught us that back-to-school is a great time to invite friends and neighbors to join us in The United Methodist Church. During August, families begin their fall routines and many are looking for a church to bring their children for Sunday school, scouts, day care, after school programs, music programs and other activities. Along with children's ministries, inviting churches need to offer ministries for the parents of children and youth, too.
Church growth and development experts inform us that only one out of four adults attends the denomination in which he or she grew up. That most likely means only one out of four United Methodists was probably confirmed a United Methodist. People choose churches by what they have to offer in the way of worship, Sunday school, youth groups, children's ministries and other opportunities. Whether we like it or not, most Protestants today are not loyal to a particular denomination.
So, United Methodists, soon it will be August, a time to grow. But growth doesn't just happen. Growth needs to be planned for and nurtured now. It's time to till the soil and plant the seeds for growth. Our mission as United Methodists is "make disciples for Jesus Christ."
In an increasingly secular society, that's not easy, but, according to United Methodist statistics in Indiana, most churches simply aren't growing. That doesn't mean our churches aren't receiving new members, but that the number of deaths and other departures is greater than the numbers of those who are becoming members. That means not every church is receiving members on profession for faith.
Now is the time for every congregation to plan on receiving new members and reaching out to their communities as a welcoming congregation. In Indiana most of our large membership churches in urban areas are growing, however in order for The United Methodist Church to be a growing church statewide, each congregation needs to plan to be a growing congregation.
One goal would be for each congregation to add five percent more new members than the number of members it lost last year. That would produce a modest gain, but a modest gain is a gain and our goal to make disciples for Jesus Christ would begin to be realized, not just to add numbers to our rolls but to add lives to God's reign in our world.
In order to aid each congregation in this quest, The United Methodist Church will begin running a new series of promotional TV spots. That schedule will be doubled on Indianapolis and other South Indiana television through matching grants from United Methodist Communication.
Let's grow, United Methodists! Let's make the extra effort to invite others to join us at church on Sunday. Pastors and lay leaders of congregations, let's make the extra effort to be a welcoming congregation. Let's turn the trend, not for The United Methodist Church but for the furtherance on the Gospel of Jesus Christ in Indiana.
Daniel R. Gangler
Last updated on July 09, 2004