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I believe there is an epidemic of sorts running through the Church in North America. And this time, I am not talking about one that involves social distancing or masks. It does, however, involve some very specific symptoms. It is increasingly common for a pastor or elder to ask me: “How do we increase volunteerism?” or “What can we do to fill open leadership positions?” or “Why aren’t more attendees becoming members?” It appears that we have a problem. You could call it apathy, or disconnectedness, or any number of things. Whatever you call it, it is a struggle for local churches everywhere. I believe there are many factors contributing to this sense of apathy within our churches. For instance, folks have way more competing for their attention than they used to – with tons of events to attend and social media screaming for their time. In short, folks are worn out. Too many commitments, too many pressures – and we cannot commit to one more thing. As volunteerism has waned, the Church has responded in the most logical way: If we cannot secure adequate help from members, we hire more staff to tend to our needs. This is reasonable and generally healthy, but I believe we may unintentionally develop the mindset that it is the job of some paid person to handle ministry, and others are there to partake in or receive that ministry. I think volunteerism is also hampered by what I would call the “pressure of comparison.” We have broad access to recordings and live streams of the best preachers in the world, the best musicians in the world, etc. It is easy to feel our meager gifting is not enough. Feelings of inadequacy are deadly to volunteerism. While this may seem like an insurmountable cultural trend, I would propose a few areas in which we can proactively work to stem the tide:
Church Leaders - let’s be intentional about developing and recruiting volunteers. Church Members - God has given you gifts that he wants you to use at your church! Please look for ways to serve. Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love. Ephesians 4:15-16 (NIV) The Blog Tags Widget will appear here on the published site.
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Connecting & Changing8/1/2023 There is so much to report that I am not sure we can fit it all into this issue! We recently met together at Connect23, and there are many things that will look different as we move forward. I need to decide where to start.
First, Connect23: We had an amazing time together. Our hosts in Grunthal, MB, were well-prepared and very gracious, and our keynote speaker, Dr. Paul Nyquist, challenged us. The outings, meals, breakout sessions, and so much more were thoroughly enjoyable and deeply meaningful. We connected. But I entered the event with a mixture of excitement and sadness. To make a long story as short as I can, our financial plan that began in 2019 has suffered setbacks recently due to several factors, including COVID and the recent economic downturn. Our funds have been depleted more quickly than anticipated. The Blog Tags Widget will appear here on the published site.
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