We've got a small group in the church doing a book study of "In Search of the Unchurched" by Alan C. Klass. It's a deceptively simple little book, based on the findings of a major study by US Lutherans some years ago. I'm going to post my summary notes so that we can share the discussion more widely. If it's easier, just email me directly and I'll share your comments with the group.
IN SEARCH OF THE UNCHURCHED
Introduction
Two theses:
(i) The most important factor in declining membership is the change from a churched to an unchurched society.
(ii) The best hope for dealing with a changed society lies in the individual congregation.
Things have changed!
What were gas stations like thirty years ago?
What are they like now?
Same question for – grocery stores; hardware stores; transportation; communication; leisure time.
Is the church affected by similar changes?
Is the church a place of refuge from comfortable change?
Chapter 1 Things Were Going So Well
Seven Transitions
1. We have shifted from a churched to an unchurched society.
Which is the one most significant way your work with the church is affected by the transition from a churched society to an unchurched society?
2. People participate in congregations for different reasons.
People have separated the miracle of faith from the concept of congregational participation. What is the most powerful impact the separation has had on your current ministry activity?
3. People have less loyalty to denominations.
What is the most powerful implication this loss of denominational loyalty has for your current ministry activity?
4. Congregations have different purposes.
Is the focus of your ministry on current members, or on reaching out with a healing Jesus to broken and hurting people, especially to non-members?
5. The mission field has moved.
List two or three things you would do differently in your current ministry if that ministry were located in another country.
6. Different people do the mission work.
How would your work in your current ministry be different if the people saw themselves as personally involved in the mission of spreading the Gospel?
7. Different denominational communications systems are developing.
What has changed about the way people communicate with you now, compared with methods of getting your attention twenty to forty years ago?
Chapter 2 The Problem
Examples of the effect on organized religion of sociological change.
1. Of 500 Presbyterians confirmed 25 years ago, 48% are no longer members of any congregation; only 29% are still Presbyterians.
2. In 1990 there were 12 million Lutherans, but only 8 million were members of local congregations.
3. 15 congregational activities were ranked by Lutheran members and clergy. Evangelism was not selected as one of the top six purposes of the congregation by 99% of laity, and 94% of clergy.
4. One mainline denomination of 5 million has lost 200,000 people annually over the last ten years, through ‘the back door.’
Membership losses were not taken particularly seriously by denominational leadership, until those losses started having financial implications.
Introduction
Two theses:
(i) The most important factor in declining membership is the change from a churched to an unchurched society.
(ii) The best hope for dealing with a changed society lies in the individual congregation.
Things have changed!
What were gas stations like thirty years ago?
What are they like now?
Same question for – grocery stores; hardware stores; transportation; communication; leisure time.
Is the church affected by similar changes?
Is the church a place of refuge from comfortable change?
Chapter 1 Things Were Going So Well
Seven Transitions
1. We have shifted from a churched to an unchurched society.
Which is the one most significant way your work with the church is affected by the transition from a churched society to an unchurched society?
2. People participate in congregations for different reasons.
People have separated the miracle of faith from the concept of congregational participation. What is the most powerful impact the separation has had on your current ministry activity?
3. People have less loyalty to denominations.
What is the most powerful implication this loss of denominational loyalty has for your current ministry activity?
4. Congregations have different purposes.
Is the focus of your ministry on current members, or on reaching out with a healing Jesus to broken and hurting people, especially to non-members?
5. The mission field has moved.
List two or three things you would do differently in your current ministry if that ministry were located in another country.
6. Different people do the mission work.
How would your work in your current ministry be different if the people saw themselves as personally involved in the mission of spreading the Gospel?
7. Different denominational communications systems are developing.
What has changed about the way people communicate with you now, compared with methods of getting your attention twenty to forty years ago?
Chapter 2 The Problem
Examples of the effect on organized religion of sociological change.
1. Of 500 Presbyterians confirmed 25 years ago, 48% are no longer members of any congregation; only 29% are still Presbyterians.
2. In 1990 there were 12 million Lutherans, but only 8 million were members of local congregations.
3. 15 congregational activities were ranked by Lutheran members and clergy. Evangelism was not selected as one of the top six purposes of the congregation by 99% of laity, and 94% of clergy.
4. One mainline denomination of 5 million has lost 200,000 people annually over the last ten years, through ‘the back door.’
Membership losses were not taken particularly seriously by denominational leadership, until those losses started having financial implications.
When did we start to see the effects of societal change?
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