Here are a few ideas on leading a local* congregation through a season of disaffiliation, inspired from Jim Collins’ leadership classic “Good to Great.”
Good to Great
How do we stay focused on the work of the church without the disaffiliation vote overshadowing every aspect of the church’s life, work, and ministry? The work of the church cannot come to a halt while disaffiliation is under consideration. How might churches remain in outwardly focused ministry despite the inherent tensions within disaffiliation the process?
First Who, Then What: Who, Us! What, Ministry!
Brutal Fact: Outreach ministries do not easily equate to participation in Sunday morning worship services. Simply offering “events” and hoping people return is one the most ineffective ways to evangelize in our local community. They are excellent fellowship opportunities for established congregations. However, consider what we’re doing: We are inviting total strangers to enter a room (participate in events) where they know no one, eat a meal, and hopefully, someone will be friendly enough to eat with them, get their information, and not be too overbearing to invite them back on a Sunday morning. Do we see the likelihood of success, the low probability individuals will return on Sunday morning after participating after a brief meal with closely knit strangers (to them)? These events are suitable for church fellowship and raising funds for a mission project. This is not a practical way to engage de-churched** persons or encourage those not attending church to return to post-COVID worship services.
People have a multitude of options on Sunday mornings; why choose us? What makes us unique? To make this exercise more challenging, groups cannot use anything they’ve been “known” for in the past. Think outside the box. We should not waste our time trying to be interesting. What emotional and spiritual value are we providing to those who attend worship? Listen to those in the pews to what they about how their needs are or are not being met in worship. (Small group discussion question)
How could we make ourselves more attractive to the de-churched** and nonchurch-goers in our community? Why would such persons want to worship with us? What do our services offer that can’t be found elsewhere? Where are we succeeding? What can we do better? How can we improve? Ultimately, when it comes to worship, focus on what we’re good at. (Small group discussion question)
Make a significant to-do list for the church (om areas such as worship an Christian Education) unrelated to buildings, maintenance, disaffiliation, budget, or money concerns.
What would we do if we had no problems, if we could dream big? (Small group discussion question)
Given the topics on our to-do list, can we create BHAG (BIG HAIRY AUDACIOUS GOALS) goals for the next five years that do not involve buildings, maintenance, trustee, finance, disaffiliation, or budget issues? Instead, we set goals focused on building the kingdom of God and partnering in mission with those who share a similar vision. BHAG (goals) are Kingdom, Community, and Mission-focused. (Discussion of BHAG Goals) How would we measure such goals?
Remember, despite everything, the church belongs to God, not us. We are stewards working on God’s behalf.
Work conscientiously to remove “they say…” and anonymity from our personal vocabulary and church. Instead, move to a collaborative environment that says, “We believe!” and promotes dialogue, discourse, and openness.
Let Go and Let God. Are we too invested in planning events beyond our control? We do not need to suffer in advance. There is so much joy to embrace today. Our community has so many needs that the church can help address now.
Acknowledge that ordinary things will feel awkward between now and the disaffiliation vote. It will become more uncomfortable for all of us as the day approaches. Let’s go out of our way to create a culture of kindness and love for everyone in our congregation.
Climb the prayer mountain. Gather with the pastor for weekly prayer to pray for the needs of the congregation, community, and the wider world.
If none exists, start a church group for young people, men, and women. These groups do not have to have a “traditional” denominational name or identity. Is it possible to find 5-10 men, women, and young people who can meet on a day or time other than Sunday morning for Bible study and fellowship? How can we empower lay leadership? (Discussion question)
Plan an elevator speech (short, two-three minute summary about your church) to share with a visitor that describes your church, ministry, and it’s activities without using the word disaffiliation. (Practice in pairs)
We are in a covenant relationship with God and each other. God will never abandon us. Let us model that Christ-like behavior in our lives. Trust is the foundation of the covenant.
Remember to love our neighbors as we love ourselves.
A church council may not want to tackle all these questions/points. One or two may resonate more than others. Some churches may already be doing some of these ideas. When brought up for discussion, others may lead the group to specific points and a clearer sense of direction. A facilitator, perhaps a lay leader (or pastor) from another congregation, may be helpful as a moderator during a retreat/meeting where these questions are raised.
–Richard Bryant
*For the purposes of this discussion, I’m defining “local” as a congregation with an average worship attendance of 100 or less. This is an “average” for many United Methodist Churches.
**I prefer the term “de/non-churched” to “unchurched.” It is rare to find someone who has not had some exposure to Christianity or the church, whether through popular culture or actual contact with the church itself.