A Heart for the De-Churched

Yesterday, I attended a seminar in Columbus on helping the church to have a heart for the de-churched, a term that describes people who for whatever reason(s) have become disenfranchised with the church. Many of these folks are open to reconnecting with a church that is clear about its mission and speaks to their needs.

Jim Griffith, a church consultant was the presenter (see picture of Jim leading us yesterday.) Here are some of the gems of his presentation:

• For churches that are 10 or more years old, it takes 72 members to help one person with no church affiliation to become a member. For churches that are 5 years old, it takes 17 members. And for churches that are 3 or less years old, it only takes two members to reach one person. The point that he was making is that the younger the church or the newer the worship service is, the more people are willing to invite unchurched friends to worship and church events.
• Even for people who have had a negative experience with the church, our United Methodist brand name is pretty positive in our society thanks to UMCOR (United Methodist Committee on Relief) which responds to natural disasters and often makes the news. Plus, our "Open Hearts, Open Minds, Open Doors" media campaign has been helpful to promote our image.
• It's important for the Senior Pastor to spend at least 20% of his/her time out in the community, rather than in the church office.

Actually, regarding the last point about the Senior Pastor spending time in the community, I have dedicated time each week to get to know the local businesses. This seminar is prompting me to think of additional ways I can connect with our community.

The other lingering thought from the seminar is how to help the church to always have a heart for the de-churched, especially since statistics tell us that the older the church, the less likely we will invite people to attend church.

This is a lot to think about and all of this from one seminar!