Saturday, February 7, 1998

For churches to thrive, they must adjust to change

By Tom Schaefer / Knight Ridder Newspapers

People are searching for direction in a world that has too many confusing intersections and off-ramps to nowhere.

In the past, they turned to organized religion, finding meaning and comfort in congregations of like-minded seekers.

Together they built edifices to the praise of God and to the well-being of themselves and their families.

With church doors opened, others then were attracted to promises of a heavenly destination that preachers mapped out in resplendent detail.

But that was in an age of black and white. Today, the search for meaning -- and the answers proffered -- has a spectrum of colors to choose from far more complicated than was true for our ancestors.

For churches to compete, they must listen to the questions people are asking and find ways to serve those who otherwise might never find their way to those open doors. And they must do that even as their own members are less and less supportive of their own congregations.

Wait a minute. Isn't it true that membership in some churches is increasing, especially among evangelical congregations? How can support be waning? To echo the adage used in political analysis: Follow the money.

According to a recent study by Empty Tomb, a research group in Champaign, Ill., "church member giving to benevolences declined as a portion of income for an unprecedented 10th year in a row." Benevolence is defined as gifts to and through denominations and local and worldwide agencies.

And, for the first time since 1992, giving as a percentage of income decreased not only to benevolences but to everything, including keeping the heat and lights on in churches.

A surprising finding was that evangelical churches also are feeling the financial squeeze. In 1968, evangelical congregations gave 6.14 percent of their income to religious purposes and causes; in 1995, the most recent year surveyed, that percentage dropped by a third to 4.08.

Three years ago, Sylvia Ronsvalle, co-founder of Empty Tomb, made the following observation about giving patterns: "First, congregations pull away from the national headquarters, then individuals pull away from their congregations." The former has been true for several years; the latter seems to be on the rise.

The formula for rekindling the fervor and benevolence of any church is unique to each congregation. But there are some universal themes to note.

In her book "Congregations and Community," sociologist Nancy Ammerman contends that churches endure and grow when they adapt to change.

"Congregations that do not try new programs and new forms of outreach when they are faced with environmental change," she writes, "are not likely to survive past the life spans of their current members."

An energetic laity, partnerships with other congregations, new programs and strong leadership are the ingredients that create a lively and healthy church, she notes.

In Wichita, Kan., several churches, it seems to me, have seen the adapting-to-change light:

St. Mark United Methodist Church has expanded its facilities to serve the people in north Wichita. A free health clinic along with space for community groups keeps the church connected to its neighbors.

Immanuel Baptist Church decided to remain in south Wichita and reach out to area residents. It also has set up a partnership with nearby Hamilton Middle School that allows students to use the church's 4-year-old Christian Life Center.

Hilltop Evangelical Free Church is planning to build a multipurpose center for youth activities, meetings and a thrift shop for economically depressed residents of southeast Wichita.

And the list could go on.

These churches have learned a valuable lesson: For a church to survive and thrive, it cannot run away from problems or insulate itself from them. Rather, it must listen to the needs of those around it and creatively show that it cares.

Churches that take up similar challenges will encounter bumps along the way. But that's a necessary part of the journey, if we're to reach an eternal destination.

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(Tom Schaefer writes about religion and ethics for the Wichita (Kan.) Eagle. Write to him at the Wichita Eagle, P.O. Box 820, Wichita, KS 67201, or send e-mail to tschaefer(at)wichitaeagle.com )

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(c) 1998, The Wichita Eagle (Wichita, Kan.).

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