“We will be a growing Church with an increasing membership.”

This was the topic of conversation for a self-selecting group of URC Ministers in which I participated recently.  Led by the United Reformed Church’s Secretary for Mission, Ministers  were confronted with ten headings about the shape of our denomination in a decade’s time; part of the initiative that goes by the name, Vision2020.*

Given a free choice, we divided into five groups, each tackling one of headings and I went for ‘Church growth’.  I wonder which you would have chosen as the topic you most wanted to discuss concerning the life of our Church.  Perhaps it might even be one of the five that in this group of Ministers did not even get a vote this time around!

In the group we shared stories of growth in Church membership numbers as we had experienced them.  We all agreed that getting the URC to increase membership numbers is a BIG challenge, even if we are talking only about numbers of participants rather than those who officially ‘come into membership’.

As a denomination we have been gaining members over the past forty years but we have been losing even more at the same time: you have to run even just to keep up.  Also, with increasing geographical mobility, bringing wider commitments and options, the patterns of attendance and participation in Church life is less consistent.  Worship leaders, for example, face a congregation this Sunday that differs in composition from last week.  Junior Church leaders in many Churches do not know whether they will be working with ten, one or no children as Sunday approaches.

This is not a criticism of those with work, family and other significant commitments or health concerns that prevent them from always turning up for a regular Church activity, though if you are in a position to nurture your faith and encourage others by adding your presence to the congregation I encourage you to do so.  Nor am I suggesting that belonging to a Church is only about turning up on Sundays, though if a group does not have worship as part of its life I would argue that whatever else it might be and even though it might be a good thing, it is not a Church.

What was clear from the conversation that I had was that if we convince ourselves that our Church will not grow numerically then this will function as a self-fulfilling prophecy.  Most people who come into the life of a Church do so through a personal invitation that they have received from someone that they know.  Lack of confidence prevents us from issuing such invitations, even when recent surveys of the British public reveal a large number of people (possibly as many as three million) who are simply waiting to receive a suitable invitation.

All three congregations in this pastorate have aspects to and activities in their life that I am confident would appeal to “outsiders” when we pluck up the courage to ask them along.  Don’t worry, if we crack that one, then there are always nine other mission headings to spend some time on after that!

Trevor

*The ten headings are: 1. Spirituality and prayer, 2. Identity, 3. Christian ecumenical partnership, 4. Community partnerships, 5. Hospitality and diversity, 6. Evangelism, 7. Church growth, 8. Global partnerships, 9. Justice and peace, 10. The integrity of creation

(Given the choice, this group of Ministers from URC Eastern Synod chose to explore headings 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7)

Further information at: [1] http://www.urc.org.uk/what_we_do/mission/vision2020