Following trends in the U.S. census, worship attendance at Iglesia Luterana Santa Maria de Guadalupe in Irving, Texas, has grown 75 percent to 2,100 in the past year.
trends to watch W
Churchgoers will want to take note and keep up By Kathryn Sime
10
alking into Come2Go, you might notice the hip vibe of this 400-seat music venue.
You might notice people socializing, food and drink in hand, waiting for the show to start. During the concert, you might notice the high-quality sound and lighting system. You probably wouldn’t notice
that it is also an ELCA worshiping community. This ELCA ministry in Fort
Wayne, Ind., was the idea of pas- tor developer Mark Minnick, who intended to reach people with little religious background. “Music is a universal approach,” he said. Come2Go’s original design was to “create community and get people into the building,” he added. Come2Go’s approach responds to several trends affecting American religious life and congregational work in faith formation, said John Roberto, author and speaker on Christian faith formation. After compiling current research
on American religious life and social and cultural trends, Roberto, presi-
Sime, a freelance writer and nonprofit con- sultant, attends Epiphany Lutheran Church in Carbondale, Ill.
dent of LifelongFaith Associates, Naugatuck, Conn., identified trends to which he believes congregations need to pay attention. “We asked ourselves, ‘What are the greatest uncertainties? Will people over the next decade be more receptive or less to organized reli- gion? Will people be more or less open to God?’ ” he said.
As Roberto examined this research, his concern grew to a point of urgency. “We need to do something now and not wait around,” he said. ELCA congregational leaders,
teachers and theologians offered their perspectives on these 10 intercon- nected trends as they relate to faith formation in ELCA congregations. To be clear, not all these trends are negative. Many present significant opportunities for ministry. Regard- less, the message is clear: the world is changing; we need to take note and keep up.
1. Declining church participa- tion.
Who comes to church? According to the General Social Survey, the flag-
For a study guide, see page 26. June 2011 21
BRANDON WADE
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