Interesting, many of the struggling congregations I see are the ones that have become so obsessed with bringing new people in and appealing to the stranger, that they forgot to keep the home fires burning and when they do drag some warm body in off the street, there's nothing to really welcome them into. Of course these congregations will also tell you that they are family, but it seems to be the echo of a family rather than the real thing.
they may be obsessed with bringing in new people, but are they actually doing that?
in my experience, that obsession can really be a fear that they are dying as is. Not really a welcoming of new members into a ‘family’ that is already a warm and thriving place to be.
Oh no, that's exactly the problem, it's a vicious cycle that causes them to become more and more obsessed with the outsider and less loving of the actual congregation in front of them, and instead of growing a church through living community, they just keep trying to invite people to the wake
Hahah yes I'm you in reverse, solopreneur techie turned... Evangelist?Contemplative? Pain in the Bishops ass?
I just spent the whole hour of my drive to work ruminating in your post - I feel like the whole issue of church growth just exploded in my head. I gave a talk at our diocesan convention last year that just asked parish members to start inviting their friends and family to church - but that means that our churches will grow with more people like us, and many priests don't want that, they have a vision of an exotic congregation filled with people that don't look or think like the friends and family of the people already in the congregation...I'm not sure where that thought is going yet though.
Your posting struck a number of chords with me. The family metaphor does seem to be universal, at least among Protestant congregations. I guess that's why Edwin Friedman's Family Systems approach gained such popularity in the 1980s and 90s. But your reflections called to mind a more recent assessment of the family metaphor I found in "Called to Community," a selection of writings from Plough Books. The book is designed for small group study with 52 topics for a year's curriculum. In the fifth week ("Brothers, Sisters") an excerpt from Hal Miller compares and contrasts the metaphors of Body and Family in ways you might find interesting!
Interesting, many of the struggling congregations I see are the ones that have become so obsessed with bringing new people in and appealing to the stranger, that they forgot to keep the home fires burning and when they do drag some warm body in off the street, there's nothing to really welcome them into. Of course these congregations will also tell you that they are family, but it seems to be the echo of a family rather than the real thing.
they may be obsessed with bringing in new people, but are they actually doing that?
in my experience, that obsession can really be a fear that they are dying as is. Not really a welcoming of new members into a ‘family’ that is already a warm and thriving place to be.
Oh no, that's exactly the problem, it's a vicious cycle that causes them to become more and more obsessed with the outsider and less loving of the actual congregation in front of them, and instead of growing a church through living community, they just keep trying to invite people to the wake
yes. this is why I added this blog to my 'future of church' series.
What would it look like to move beyond the fear and grow in faith and love as we are?
I think this is possible. I think it's necessary.
I love what you're doing, by the way.
I feel like we are kindred spirits, coming from different directions.
I'm a priest turned solopreneur turned techie, trying to use all those skills to help the church reform - and thrive.
Hahah yes I'm you in reverse, solopreneur techie turned... Evangelist?Contemplative? Pain in the Bishops ass?
I just spent the whole hour of my drive to work ruminating in your post - I feel like the whole issue of church growth just exploded in my head. I gave a talk at our diocesan convention last year that just asked parish members to start inviting their friends and family to church - but that means that our churches will grow with more people like us, and many priests don't want that, they have a vision of an exotic congregation filled with people that don't look or think like the friends and family of the people already in the congregation...I'm not sure where that thought is going yet though.
I'd love to chat with you sometime.
definitely email me if you feel the same: frcathie@freerangepriest.org
Your posting struck a number of chords with me. The family metaphor does seem to be universal, at least among Protestant congregations. I guess that's why Edwin Friedman's Family Systems approach gained such popularity in the 1980s and 90s. But your reflections called to mind a more recent assessment of the family metaphor I found in "Called to Community," a selection of writings from Plough Books. The book is designed for small group study with 52 topics for a year's curriculum. In the fifth week ("Brothers, Sisters") an excerpt from Hal Miller compares and contrasts the metaphors of Body and Family in ways you might find interesting!
that does sound interesting!
thank you!