Will the Circle Be Broken?
July 1, 1998
We have a wonderful preacher," reflected a long-time member of First Church. "We enjoy a superb choir, we have a good Sunday school, and our people really love one another. How come our church isn't attracting those baby boomers who are supposedly returning to the church? "I've always been told the four keys to church growth are superb preaching, inspiring music, an excellent Sunday school, and friendly people. We have all four, plus an excellent building that we remodeled six years ago, and nearly a hundred spaces of off-street parking. Why don't we grow?" Fair questions. Why does this congregation with its many assets not attract new members? A central reason may be a shortage of entry points for new people. Opening the closed circle
Most long-established churches resemble a large closed circle. Most of the resources are allocated to meeting the needs of the members already within that circle. This includes the priorities on the pastor's time and energy, the use of the building, the ministry of music, the priorities in the spending of money, and the use of the time contributed by volunteers. If that congregation is to grow, it probably will have to change the nature of that closed circle. One way to do that is to bring in a new pastor who will introduce a different approach to ministry, transform the culture of that congregation, and attract new people. Pastors who can accomplish that are rare! Far more often the culture of that congregation turns out to be more powerful and molds the new minister into the tradition of that congregation. A more productive alternative may be to open up the closed circle by creating new and attractive entry points for newcomers. Rarely is this easy. Powerful pressures exist to make the number-one ...
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