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about their Christian walk with the Lord. Even most of their close friends come from the church. About 15 per cent of attendees fall into this group. Together, the core group and the committed group illustrate the oft-repeated truism that “20 percent of the people do 80 percent of the work” in any church.


Moderate members would be considered desirable members by most congregations. They are active and supportive but less so than they might be. Moderate members attend regularly. Occasionally they volunteer for leadership roles but most of the time they prefer to participate without responsibilities. They contribute financially but less than a tithe of their income, usually between five and 10 per cent. Some of their best friends are from church.


Moderate members make up about 40 percent of those present at worship on any given Sunday. The marginal persons category is the largest group related to the church numerically. But the attendance patterns for members of this group keep them from being the largest group attending worship on a given Sunday. Marginal persons attend church once or twice a month. Still, they make up 30 per cent of a typical congregation, the researchers found. Marginal persons are seldom involved in church ministries.


They contribute little financially and, interestingly, almost always give cash. They may know people at church but have few good friends there. This group does little to support the church but they freely partake of the benefits provided by the church. The final 10 per cent of a given congregation is composed of


infrequent attenders. Lumped into this group are those who show up a few times a year, tourists and visitors. Thumma and Davis point out that it is important to remember that some in this group are moving away from the church for whatever reason while some are making the first steps toward eventually becoming solid participants in the church. Obviously, these descriptions indicate that people with a wide range of commitment to Christ and to the church are present on any given Sunday. Unfortunately pastors seem to preach to only one group. Thumma and Davis said most pastors either speak primarily to


the unbelievers whom they hope are present or they speak to the core group. One approach results in a series of calls for first-time commitments to Christ, the other in a “club of the saved” with the language best suited for longtime believers. In some places a new approach is emerging. Some churches


are beginning to recognize that the infrequent attenders and the marginal persons group provide an internal missions field that can result in moving members from spectators to participants and from nominal commitment to Christ to a devoted lifestyle. Instead of condemning


members of these groups as


“freeloaders,” some churches are aiming their ministries, fellowship building activities and even sermons directly at them. Already, members of these groups have openness to the gospel evidenced by their occasional participation. This approach is, in part, recognition that Jesus commanded His followers to “make disciples” (Matt. 28:19). Discipleship begins with a commitment to Jesus Christ as personal Lord and Savior. But that is the starting point, not the finish line. A growing number of churches intentionally try to move attendees along the commitment scale from infrequent attendee to committed member or even into the core category. Christian believers can increase their commitment to Christ and to the church as they grow in their understanding of the Christian life but this seldom happens in isolation. It takes the intentional encouragement, support and guidance of a church as well as the work of the Holy Spirit in one’s life. For a church, the question becomes whether to recognize the


mission field already inside the influence of the congregation and respond with a program to help people become Christian disciples, or to concentrate primarily on one aspect of the Christian message. For the individual the first question may be, “What kind of


member am I today?” However, a more important question is, “What kind of member do I want to be tomorrow?”


Bob Terry is editor of The Alabama Baptist and is a member and former chair of the BWA Communications Committee. This article originally appeared in the January 10 edition of The Alabama Baptist and is reprinted by permission.


22 BAPTIST WORLD MAGAZINE


What kind of member do I want to be tomorrow?

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