A Church of Busy Believers
by Sandra Doran

Q: I am on the board of a 150-member church that seems to be in a Laodicean state. While we get a pretty decent attendance at church each week, when I ever we schedule mid-week meetings I and other activities, only the same small handful of people show up. How can we get the saints to realize that church membership should be more than just sitting in the pew each week?

A: I am wondering whether you are asking the right question. Rather than judging a group of people as Laodicean, perhaps those in leadership at your church should be asking, "How can we better meet the needs of our congregation?" If your programs aren't working, it may be that they are not a match for those whose lives demand a fresh new way of doing things.

Consider the diverse and complex lives of people living now. This letter from a single mother of three children may serve as an eye-opener: "I get up at 5:00 A.M., let the dog out, pick up any dishes, start the dishwasher, pick up a couple things around the house, let the dog in. Then I start the wash, fluff what's in the dryer, get on the treadmill, watch the news, read yesterday's mail, get off the treadmill, fold the laundry, move the washing into the dryer, put away a load of clothes. Attempt to wake the boys, read my devotional, try again to wake the boys, shower, finally shake the boys awake. Dress, fix my hair, check to see that the boys are dressed, fed, and lunches packed. Then I take them to school, work about 10 hours, and start the thing all over again."

Whew! Talk about making every moment count. This woman is but one of a growing number of individuals in our churches whose plate is very full. The profile of our congregations is changing. There was an era when people needed things to do to fill their time and add meaning to their lives, but those days are long past. Our challenge for this year is to find relevant ways to intersect with people who have no choice but to make every moment count.

Where do we start?

First, we need to deepen our awareness of the complexity of the lives of the people who occupy the pews beside us each week. While we may view an individual once a week in a church role, we may be totally unaware of the other facets of his or her life that whirl with motion once the new week begins.

Second, we need to rethink the ways we structure activities for our congregation. To expect the mother whose schedule we read above to dash home from work, microwave a meal, jump into the car, and rush the children to an activity at the church on Tuesday, attend prayer meeting on Wednesday, or practice with the choir on Friday evening is to add exhaustion rather than support to her life.

Some churches are finding that families prefer to stay at the church in the afternoon after the worship service. These congregations are holding children's meetings and relevant programs once a month, offering people the opportunity to connect with one another, delve into the Word, make practical applications for living, and gather strength for the coming week.

Third, we need to make our churches places where people come away feeling energized, not drained. People today are rushed and hassled.

Church shouldn't provide more of the same. Church should be the one place where people feel the pressures of the week begin to loosen. We need to understand one another. Cut one another some slack. Get into a relaxed rather than a business mode. Make the terms "church family" and "church home" more than just catchphrases.

Perhaps its time to take off your judgmental hat and begin listening to people. I suspect that once you really get to know those who occupy the pews and leave so quickly each week, you will have ideas on how to restructure your congregation's ministries in ways that fit the schedules and needs of the members.

Reprinted with permission from Signs of the Times, July 2004 (www.signstimes.com). Sandra Doran, Ed.D., is an associate superintendent of education for the Florida Conference of Seventh-day Adventists.

TSS

January - February 2005 The Sabbath Sentinel