2004.07.27

Building for Tomorrow
For consideration by Parish Council
Saint James’ Church, Manotick 

Spruce Riordon   

1. Current Situation

Saint James' Church is situated in one of the fastest growing areas of Ottawa.  The parish has a strong core of dedicated parishioners, committed Christians who give their time, talent and treasure in a variety of ministries.  These include worship, teaching, outreach, preparation for services, physical upkeep, music, fundraising, and social activities. 

Despite these strengths, we are faced with significant problems:

a)      we are not attracting and retaining newcomers; for some years, our numbers have been shrinking relative to the local population;

b)      by and large, teenagers and young adults do not attend Saint James';

c)      our financial situation is weakening; current income, even seasonally adjusted, does not meet current expenses.

2. Possible responses

We may choose to respond in various ways, including one or more of:

a)      continue as in the past;

b)      exhort parishioners to be more generous financially;

c)      examine our current situation in a fundamental fashion, with a view to a comprehensive program of improvement and renewal.

d)      conduct a stewardship campaign;

3. Analysis

Action a) has the attraction of being simple, and perhaps of minimizing immediate controversy.  In the context of the problems in item 1, though, it is a proven failure.

Action b), to increase donations from current parishioners, is a sound short term approach to alleviating (but not solving) our immediate financial problem.  It leaves other problems untouched.

A renewal program, action c), can succeed only if we are committed to it, and are prepared to make the necessary effort.

In contrast to action b), a stewardship campaign is a somewhat longer term approach.  The question arises as to whether we are now ready to conduct such a campaign.
 

4. Recommendation

Our mid-term goal should be a stewardship campaign – based on time, talent and treasure, not the latter alone.  Before that occurs (or as a front end to it) it is necessary to set our house in order, so to speak. 

a)      It is recommended that we undertake a concerted effort at parish renewal, including an examination of the strengths and weaknesses now existing, with a view to bolstering the former and repairing the latter.  The renewal program should be followed in due course by a stewardship campaign, to include an all-member visitation.

b)      It is recommended that Parish Council establish a small working group to examine and implement recommendation a).

Appendix A

Framework for Renewal 

One approach to the area of renewal is to look at our parish from two points of view: 

a)      the face we present to newcomers;

b)      the range of activities we have for the parish family.

1. Welcoming Visitors and Newcomers

It has been said that Saint James' has a ‘revolving door’ for newcomers.  They arrive, we welcome them as best we can, and shortly thereafter they leave, never to return.  This most unfortunate situation must be remedied.

Providing a welcoming atmosphere for newcomers is a problem faced by almost every church.  First impressions are important.  When a visitor enters a church for the first time, what will he/she find?  Appendix B lists some relevant points to be addressed.

Once the visitor has attended Saint James’ for the first time, how can we follow up? There is a substantial body of information in print and on the Internet relating to this topic.  Some ideas put suggested by other congregations are summarized in Appendix C.

2. Parish Groups and Activities

The parish of Saint James' should welcome and encompass Christians at all stages of life, including (with age groups only approximate): 

·        infants and toddlers;

·        children (4 – 12 years old);

·        teenagers (13 – 17);

·        young adults, single and married (18 – 30);

·        adults in middle years, single and married (30 – 64);

·        senior adults (65+), single and married.

The list is incomplete, as age is only one criterion.  Nonetheless, if we are to attract and retain this spectrum as faithful and active members, we must bear in mind that, while all of us take part in a range of activities as a unified parish family, the needs of each group do vary.  Each must have a valid and compelling part to play in parish life.  Thus, when we examine our present programs it is necessary to ask whether they do indeed cover the spectrum.

Shown below is an example of a grid linking a few parish functions with the various groups (of course, not every intersection is appropriate – finance for infants?).  Do we at Saint James’ have programs meeting the relevant needs?

Appendix B

The Church as Seen by a Visitor

First impressions are important.  When a visitor enters a church for the first time, what will he/she find?

• Church entrance:
• Neat, tidy
• Guest book available
• Parish brochure available
• Friendly greeting from sidesperson
• Offer of distinctive name tag indicating visitor
• Offer of help re seating, service book, etc.

• Service bulletin
• Service clearly outlined
• Welcome and advice to newcomers (e.g., asking them to identify themselves)

• In the pew
• Sightlines allow view of sanctuary
• Good acoustics
• BAS, hymn books available
• Provision for hearing disabled, physically disabled
• Comfortable temperature

• Church service
• Priest welcomes newcomers
• Music: suitable prelude, postlude; hymns ‘singable’, not unduly long; choir clearly heard; music related to the type of service (traditional, contemporary)
• Prayers and readings: clear, meaningful, well related to weekly theme
• Sermon: expresses one clear concept in a concise and memorable fashion
• Holy Communion: conducted in a reverent and orderly fashion
• Invitation to join for coffee, etc. after service
• Closing: blessing and recessional hymn
• Length of service: normally about one hour for Eucharist

• After the service
• Newcomer is again invited individually by priest to join congregation for coffee
• Visitor with own name tag joins parishioners, who also wear name tags
• Visitor is greeted by members of congregation
• Visitor follow-up

Appendix C

Welcoming Newcomers:
Ideas from other churches

a)            Get visitors involved; suggest a series of ‘small bites’, small commitments easily carried out, introducing the newcomer to the life of the parish;

b)            Introduce Supper Clubs, sometimes known in the Episcopal Church as Foyer Groups. These allow you to meet a group of 12-16 parishioners for fellowship approximately every 4 - 6 weeks, from September to May.

c)            Candidly interview new people in your congregation.  Ask them to express some honest first impressions of your church. Ask them for suggestions of how you could improve - or begin - your greeting program so that visiting your church would be a pleasant experience.

d)            Deliver home baked goods to newcomers.

e)            Provide baptismal candidates with invitation cards. Encourage them to use the cards to invite friends, relatives and loved ones to the baptismal service. Ask them in particular to invite others without a church home, so they might come and see for themselves the joy of entering the family of God. 

f)             Use Christmas, Easter, baptism services, and other special occasions to involve your congregation in giving personal invitations to persons who are not Christians or not actively involved in a church. Printed invitations provide an excellent means to encourage participation.

g)            Print business card size cards that include a brief invitation to the services of your congregation and a map to the location of your church building. Provide a dozen or so of these for each adult of your congregation, encouraging them to carry them in their wallets and purses for distribution to co-workers, neighbours, friends, etc.

h)            ‘Cross-Connections’ is a program for those 11-15 in age who come to church through recreational activities and talk times, building meaningful relationships with Christian staff and a relationship with Jesus Christ.

i)              Organize a Friendship Team. Ask this group to invite visitors to dinner at their home after Sunday services.

j)              Encourage youth in your church to bring their friends to youth meetings and church events. Find ways to develop an outreach mentality among your youth so that they will be motivated to invite their school or community friends to youth events in their church. Assist the entire youth group to make the newcomers feel welcome and included.

k)            Print in your worship bulletin every Sunday an inviting statement explaining to newcomers how they might become members of your congregation.

l)              Add a new worship service on either Saturday night, another weekday night, or Sunday. This will provide room for more worshipers, fit into people's varied schedules, and allow different styles of worship.

m)          Use name tags for your existing members and for all guests. Help your newcomers feel at home as they are able to immediately put faces with names. Give a signal through your name tags that you're expecting guests. 

n)            Offer training on worship that attracts and holds the unchurched.  Using a seminar or a special video resource, offer your Nurture Commission or Worship Committee training on worship that attracts secular people.

o)            Organize a team of persons to follow-up first time guests. Through special training materials, equip them to make short, friendly "hello, we're glad you visited us" calls. Demonstrate the welcome and warmth of your congregation. 

p)            Develop an outreach program for senior adults over 60.  As well, provide older, less mobile members with an opportunity to partake in our common life and give them a sense of belonging. The program involves linking more active, mobile members with this targeted population. 

q)            Over a period of thirteen Sundays, send four teams of three people each from your congregation to visit the worship services of effective and growing churches in your area. Sense what it's like to be a guest (an outsider). Pick up helpful ideas and evaluate how you might improve your own welcoming and including system.

r)             Strengthen the welcoming ministry of your congregation by providing an annual training and enrichment session for your ushers and greeters.

s)             Ask members to watch for moving vans in their neighbourhoods, which often signal the arrival of new people.

t)              Plan a series of steps that your congregation can follow with each first-time guest, progressing from their first visit through the third month of their participation. 

u)            Introduce your church to visitors using an attractive visitor's packet containing a personal message from the pastor, a brochure about the church, and other relevant information.

v)            Develop a greeting ministry with the visitor, not the greeter, in mind. One growing church has such a greeting program. This is not simply shaking hands and handing out programs. Members are expected to seek out and speak to specific visitors for at least three consecutive weeks.

w)          Recognize Sunday school as an initial contact point. Often a visitor's first experience with a new church is dropping a child off at Sunday school. Greeting new students and their parents warmly, with interest, is encouraging.