Church. However, the 20th step makes it clear that it works for just about everybody.
Our parish is growing, but not with the people we'v been told we are to recruit. They're more of the grey heads that seem to populate the pews and it's a good thing; those who seem to come to be with us - those for whom youth, at least physical youth - is a memory. I can only speak for myself, but I have a tendency to see those who retur
n to the Church in their 40s and 50s as bright, energetic, intellectually astute, successful people. And usually I’m right. But my blind spot is that I forget that they’ve returned to the Church because their spirits are hungry. They’ve begun asking the questions of life that only come with years. The passion of human love affairs may be of the past, but the passion of God’s love affair with them is becoming clearer. And they wonder what to do next.
With these returning folks – of any age but our demographic in mind – we might want to think about offering a community gathering to talk about who we are, where we’re going and what we value. I find the steps below very hopeful.
the owls & the angels
silence and breath, we wing to the air, words split open to flight
http://owlrainfeathers.blogspot.com/2010/11/ah-church.html09 November 2010
ah, the church
When I was an Episcopal chaplain--for four years--all the time people in the church would ask me, "Why don't young people come to church?" or "How do we get young people to come to church?" I have some suggestions now, so listen up.
Here is a step-by-step plan for how to get more young people into the church:
1. Be genuine. Do not under any circumstances try to be trendy or hip, if you are not already intrinsically trendy or hip. If you are a 90-year-old woman who enjoys crocheting and listens to Beethoven, by God be proud of it.
2. Stop pretending you have a rock band. (Not sure this is pertinent to our situation)
3. Stop arguing about whether gay people are okay, fully human, or whatever else. Seriously. Stop it. (We have and need to be up front about it without being “in your face.”)
4. Stop arguing about whether women are okay, fully human, or are capable of being in a position of leadership. (Ditto to #3. We have a woman as a Presiding Bishop! Hello!)
5. Stop looking for the "objective truth" in Scripture. (We’re Anglicans. Need I say more?)
6. Start looking for the beautiful truth in Scripture.
7. Actually read the Scriptures. If you are an Episcopalian, go buy a Bible - preferably the New Revised Standard Version) or dust the one on the shelf off and read it. Start in Genesis, it's pretty cool. You can skip some of the other boring parts in the Bible (like Leviticus!). Remember though that almost every book of the Bible has some really funky stuff in it. Remember to keep #5 and #6 in mind though. If you come from an evangelical background, you may need to stop reading the Bible for about 10 years. Don't worry: during those ten years you can work on putting these other steps into practice.
8. Start worrying about extreme poverty, violence against women, racism, consumerism, homophobia and the rate at which children are dying worldwide of preventable, treatable diseases. Put all the energy you formerly spent worrying about the legitness of gay people and women into figuring out ways to do some good in these areas.
9. Do not shy away from lighting candles, silence, incense, laughter, really good food, really good movies and extraordinary music. By "extraordinary music" I mean genuine music. Soulful music. Well-written, well-composed music. Original music. Four-part harmony music. Funky retro organ music. Hymns. Taize chants. Bluegrass. Steel guitar. Humming. Gospel. We are the Church; we have an uber-rich history of amazing music. Remember Thomas Tallis, Wm Byrd, and the rest of the English Choral Music tradition. Remember this.
10. Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. (Hmmm. Who said that? I used to remember his/her name. Now let me see……..)
11. Learn how to sit with people who are dying.
12. Feast as much as possible. Cardboard communion wafers are a feast in symbol only (though actual bread may transcend the cosmos!) Humans can not live on symbols alone. Remember this.
13. Notice visitors, smile genuinely at them, invite them to the 8th Sacrament of Coffee Hour and include them in conversations, but do not overwhelm them (like vultures on fresh meat!)
14. Be vulnerable. Jesus was and expects no less from us. It’s hard, but we’re at least supposed to give it a try. This includes men, including straight men.
15. Stop worrying about getting young people into the church. Stop worrying about marketing strategies. Take a deep breath. If there is a God, that God isn't going to die even if there are no more Christians at all.
16. Figure out who is suffering in your community. Go be with them.
17. Remind yourself that you don't have to take God to anyone. God is already with everyone. So, rather than taking the approach that you need to take the truth out to people who need it, adopt the approach that you need to go find the truth that others have and you are missing. Go be evangelized.
18. Put some time and care and energy into creating a beautiful space for worship and being-together. (We have that already!) But shy away from building campaigns, parking lot expansions, and what-have-you.
19. Make some part of the church building accessible for people to pray in 24/7. Put some blankets there too, in case someone has nowhere else to go for the night. (Hmm. We may get flack from Church Insurance, but should that be an issue?)
20. Listen to God (to Wisdom, to Love) more than you speak your opinions.
21. (My own) Have a sense of humor. Don’t take life more seriously than it needs to be. Remember God has a sense of humor too – where do you think WE got it from???
This is a fool-proof plan. If you do it, I guarantee that you will attract young people (and the young at heart and older in body) to your church. And lots of other kinds of people too. But remember that growing the Church isn't about butts in pews, pledge cards and such things. It's all about being together in and sharing Christ. It's about living into the Gospel. It's about being a safe and challenging place to grow in love and life.
"Snickering Jesus" by the Blogmeister!
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