Editor
By Daniel J. Lehmann
Facing future with resolve
Mission assessments critical O
ver the past seven springs I’ve attended 44 ELCA synod assemblies. This season totaled eight, but that included the two
synods of lower Michigan that met at the same venue. It still counts in having a firsthand expo-
sure to two-thirds of the 65 synods of this church. From collective worship to debate over issues of the moment, there’s much to be learned at these gatherings. The most enduring insight has been how these meetings serve as simultaneous get acquainted/reunion sessions. It can be a bit tough to break in as old friends cluster to catch up and relationships are born with new attendees. The dynamic is similar to that of life in a congregation. Another striking feature is participants’ age. Frequently I’m among the “less old” present (at 61, I can’t say “younger”). While the ELCA hasn’t done survey work on this in some time, in 2008 the median age of those attending worship was 58. In contrast, the median age in the U.S. at the beginning of 2012 was 37.
Throw in the hot topic of congregational decline discussed at every synod
assembly and it’s clear our church has a challenge. ELCA statistics indicate it takes an average weekly worship attendance of 125 for a church to offer all the programs associated with a viable congregation. In the ELCA, however, about 30 percent of our congregations worship 50 or fewer on Sunday and about 60 percent of them worship 100 or fewer. Some of our congregations are tackling this issue head on. One is Calvary Lutheran Church in Angola, Ind., a small town a few miles from my family’s lake cottage. Membership and worship attendance there declined over the past decade like so many ELCA and mainline congregations. Yet with 75 now in the pews on Sunday, it’s not conceding anything. For the first time in years it hosted a vacation Bible school this summer that brought renewed exposure to the community. It’s rebuilding its website to more easily tell its story and extend an invitation. Small classes are under way to help members invite others to attend, with a specific goal of 100 such attendees in September. “I am amazed at how God has turned the people’s hearts toward each other
and the community,” said Angela L. Shannon, interim pastor. “The image that comes up for me is of them holding hands in a circle but looking out- ward. They’re becoming.”
Calvary is trying to build member relationships with Christ while serving the other. It is seeking to make a difference today and not yearn for some ide- alized past. This is critically important for a huge number of ELCA congregations. Perhaps this simple example from the rural Indiana border with Michi- gan and Ohio can spark others to give it a shot.
4 The Lutheran •
www.thelutheran.org
‘The image that comes up for me is of them holding hands in a circle but looking outward.’
MICHAEL D. WATSON
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