Some considerations about this subject from a teenager, not living in the US, but in Norway.
In the OP is said "very little church", but the building on the web page seems some larger than the church I (and my parents and grandparents) belong to, and the choir also seems about the same size as our church's "main choir". We have never considered our church "very small", but that may be due to
- a district (three towns/villages + farm, lonely houses etc) with less than 10000 inhabitats and a village with less than 1000
- in addition to the precense of DNK (next bullet) and our church, also the Salvation Army, a small (Roman)-Catolic church or chapel and a "cool, modern Pentecostal-like" church are present in the district.
- most persons in Norway (in our district more than 80 %) are members in DNK ("The Norwegian Church", the former state church separated from the state 2016/2017. but still heavyly dependent on the state). BTW there is no DNK-church/chapel in our village any more, as it it less than 10 miles to the district's largest town with a DNK-church and there is also another DNK-church or chapel in the district.
- Norwegian churches have never been "social arenas" quite the same way as in the US.
Our church are non-denominational (often considered as "conservative pentecostal" from persons belonging to DNK - especially all those being there once a year - maybe ... - , as we practise baptism of belivers/adults, and talk about "charisms" and "the spirit" butthat isn't quite correct). The church doesn't have any member list, but based upon those regularly (=twice a month or more) gathering together in the church we have"members"/ users from toddlers to above 90.
Should the expression "younger persons" in OP also include teenagers, my personal recommandation is to first ask some - possible quite hard - questions:
- Why is it important for you having those teenagers in your church? Remember that some of the results of having those teenagers will become more work, more noise, more questions and more quarrel. Teenagers also have - for obvicious reasons - not very much ability to support your church economically, so also expect them to become a burden when talking about the church's economy. Seen from a human view, you already have a perfect membership list - homogeous and in the age with the best economy. Why is thus these teenagers important to your church?
- Why don't you have these teenagers in the church today? I suppose that the majority of the members being 70-80 haven't lived all their life in celibate and that most of them are parents/grandparents. Where are their children/grandchildren? Should all/most of these have left the area: Haven't other parents/grandparents children done equal. making it about impossible to find teenagers to include in the church? Should they live in the area and be true Christians, but have left their parent's church, why? Start asking them, as THEY have the key answer! Should they live in the area, but - with no or rare exeptions - not be true Christians, this church's main problem is NOT having members mainly being 70 or older, but the way those members are doing their work as steward's in God's family and as parents in their own families!
From your weekly schedule I first noticed that you have two sermons/worships Sunday, Sunday school and one worship Wednesday + one breakfast for men and one lunch for women each month. Then I compared to the schedule in our church, as mentioned expected to be some smaller than yours:
- Sunday: The Lord's table/praising the LORD 9.30 AM and Sunday School 11 AM-noon. In the afternoon - typical at 5 PM, may be changed for a couple of different circumstances - evanglical meeting (outreach meeting). sometimes continued open-air after marching to a suitable place outside the church (with few exeptions not planned, but decided on spot).
- Monday: 6-6.45 PM Bible lessons for "old children" (12 or below). 7-8.30 PM mission work group (10-14, more comment's later). 8.45 PM : The men's choir (15 to mid 80ies, most 15-early 50ies)
- Tuesday: 6-6.45 PM the young's choir (8-13/14) . 7 PM gathering together for praying (needs inside and outside the church). About 9 PM (after praying + a cup of coffee/tea) the common choir (13+).
- Wednesday: 6-7 PM mission work group (5-9, girls). 8-9.45/10 PM women's mission work group (15+)
- Thursday: 6-7 PM mission work group (5-9, boys). 8-9.45/10 PM men's mission work group (15+)
- Friday: 6-7 PM Bible lessons for the teens (read: less mature Christians). 7.15-8.30 PM Bible lessons for the adults (read: more mature Christians). 8.45 PM the women's choir (15-to late 70ies)
- Saturday: 2-4/5 PM "the mercy groups" (more later). 4-5.45/6 PM "the nature ("scout") group", (8-? - teoretical 25, but at present a couple is closer to 30 than 25.. .). 5-6 PM the children's choir (3-7). 6-7.30 PM the teen bible education (more later). 7.15 PM the Bible discussion/testimony gathering 8.30-10/10.30 PM the teen's outreach meeting (with one of the elders + 1-2 of the more mature present for overviewing/assisting (the elders responsibility), but the teens are responsible for everything - including preparing for the Lord's table Sunday morning when the ourreach meeting is ended.
[The purpose for some of the groups: The mission groups are for making handwork (think wide/broad!) suitable to sell on an yearly auction held in the (closed) public primary school in June and for shareing informations from the mission fields (especially our own missinarys). 100 % of the money for items sold (adults)/revenue after paying material bills (younger groups) are shared among our missionaries. The choirs are to assist in the work in our church, open air-meetings and when requested other suitable places. (In the last cases payment are never requested and also never accepted, except when petrol payment done to the car ovner for long-distance travels. Further the choir solemly make the final song decition, but will of course listen to what it wanted before doing that. In addition the choirs are social, not professional and thus no ordered traning at home or any requirements than beliving in Jesus (for those 8+) and able to sing in a manner that not scream people away. Neigher the choir's leaders are professinal, but able to read notes and play some kind of instrument. The "Mercy grops" are teenagers and adults (the teens got the idea) giving practial help to old/disabled/sick persons - preparing wood for the winter, house cleaning, laundry, food preparing difficult to do when sitting/requiring some arm force, painting etc - and also just talk together (most important for the old/sick as he/she can't just run whereever and whenever wanted, both also important for both when learning to understand that teens and "oldies" aren't at all diffenrent kinds of the human race
." The "teen bible education" are for students in the Norwegian grade 9 and was started due to the DNKs "confirmation" (Norwegian: konfirmasjon, diffrent from "bekreftelse", the ordinary Norwegin translation of "confirmation"): As DNK is - or at least was - a true Lutheran church, the baptizing as a chil and after having received education was confirmed by the teen at that age, by answering yes to three questions and then give the pastor his/her hand upon that. DNK still has a kind of education at that age, today based upon everything and nothing. with more entertainment than education. (and no questions and hands given - the largest lie in the DNK story and removed in the 1970s/early 1980s). Our church's teen bible school is for giving a kind of similar education , but based solemnly upon the Bible. However, as well as the Bible lessons for the young, this are not one-way education: First one-way education from the mature to the unmature, than a talk/discussion together. under the Spirit's guidance - and once in between accompanied with a cup of tea/coffee/limonade and a piece of "Vestlandslefse or "Mor Monsen" (different quite simple Norwegian cakes).]
"Teen bible education" is late August - mid-May. Sunday school (in our tradion 1:1 education (group divided in below 7, 7-12, 13+) and "children's sermon", (common and before education)) + Bible education have vacation break in July (=all weekends touching July). All choirs, mission groups and Saturday activies exept 7.30 PM have a vacation break from June 23rd/24th to mid August. Gatherings for the Lord's table, praying, Bible discussion/testimoney and Sunday afternoon evangelical meeting are held absolutely every week provided that the day isn't Christmas Eve/Christmas Day/National Day and two or more Christian persons are present in the building within five minutes past the time given. "For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them", Matthew 18,20.
Added to this we also quite often gather together Saturday at 8 AM or 8.30 AM for a simple sandwich breakfast (official named "planning"
), then practical work upon/in the building (cleaning, building maintainance, furniture repairs/re-painting, wood handling for the stoves, yard sweeping, caring for the flower beds outside etc) until 10.30 AM-noon before a cup of coffee/tea/limonade and a wheat bun. However, this is more "come and leave as your other duties that Saturday allows you" - and please remember to bring a handful of sandwiches to share if arriving before the "planning" is ended . We also have a special Bible education week (Tuesday afternoon-Sunday lunch) in July with 125-150 "adult" persons (12+) and lots of children below 12, not residental in the district present and with a "welcome meetiing" + a "farewell meeing/testimonies meeting" + 21-22 Bible lessons (held by our own "members" + 2-3 persons invited and given board/lodging (incl wife/possible children) but never any salary etc) + the LORD's table/praising the LORD, as well as a changed schedule in the lent (Saturday before Palm Sunday - Easter day, vacation time for most Norwegians).
Do you find any important differences in these churches' weekly schedule? Where are something similart to the mission groups, the Bible education, the gatherings together for praying, the outreach for your local society, the choir (noticed you have one), etc? Is this work just forgotten in your weekly schedule or is this non-existing work in your church? And just for mentioning it: We have no pastors or paid help - we consider that best for the church's body's well-being in the long run as well as the outreach work/missionary work/diaconal work done in countries where those money are more needed/useful than in a high-income, well-educated Norway. .
Are your church member prepared for the practial work a schedule like in our church implies? (I do NOT say "copy our schedule" as doing that will solve exactly nothing. My point is that having a WORKING church for all ages require way more practial works and more practial reponses than just a attending a couple of sermons a week managed by the pastor and a monthly breakfast "same procedure as EVERY month, James".) One can't source out a such work to a pastor - that simply doesn't work, as the church members have received diffent charisms from the LORD, they are NOT all given to one single person called "pastor". If your church doesn't have the wiling hands needed (note WILLING hands and not EDUCATED hands!), your first problem to solve is NOT getting younger menbers! Of course one should expect this younger hands to assist with the (physical) harder work that may a burden today, but do not imagine your member will get unemplyed in a such church . Serving the LORD has no retirement age and they will have more work to do than ever!. Are the members prepared and ready for that work?
And one thing to point out: Do not - NOT -
NOT -
N O T - even
try entering into the entertainment business and give young people "what they want" (or you belive they want)!! Absolutely
NO true church - and certainly not one with member's average age 70+ - have the
tiniest possibilties to compare to the world when talking about entertainment, so don't even waste time trying! However, no problem at all, as the LORD did never command His disiples to entertain the world! He commanded them go telling the world about His work and His grace - an area unknown to the enternaning world! Should this work and this grace also be practially unknown among the church members today, I'm sorry to say that your church isn't any church and you don't have any mssion to do. However, when this is known you have w
ay more essential things to give the world - and the teenagers - than your ability in entertainment! So "just" pray, read, prepare to sow and water in all fields and then wait for the LORD to open and close some doors. Never forget that growth isn't our task - "I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase. (1st Corinthians 3,6)" A true and living church will always have periods growing, but PLANNING for growth like in a business in taking the world into the church! The church's - a society of persons made holy by the LORD - work is sawing and watering, just like a Faroese hymn is saying it: "Souls are dying around you, and you know the LIFE./WORK, the time is (rapidly) running - SOW, SOW now at once!" In a such situation one don't plan for growth, neighter sow spacely and planned! One get all awailable seed in any soil available as quickly as possible, and then one will wait for the LORD until He shows this seed has LiFE that is able to rescue, just like before!
For the same reason, and if planning to get a new pastor: Do NOT plan for any young and "cool" pastor "attracting possible younger members" - the only thing he will do is frustrationg your menbers today. Get a MATURE pastor really
knowing his Bible and his Saviour the practial way and that fulfils the words in.2nd Timothy (especially 4, 11-16) - be the person young or old. A person at 16 have a lot to learn from a person at 60+,
provided that the person at 60+
still is able to remember something about how it is to be 16, not have "matured" so much that he totally have forgotten that cows once was calves (btw also possible at an age of 25!). Should this person at 60+ also have 40+ years of experience in the family of God, while the person at 16 have four years, the person at 60+ gets even more important, as he has loads of practial experiece from a life together with Lord to share with the teenager! (Just for mentioning it. The best Sunday School teacher the group "12+" our church had when I was 12-13-14 was a person 90+ and now home with the LORD! OK, educated "short line" as a teacher in the compulsory school just after World War 2, but a lot more important: Educated 75 years by the LORD!) However, as soon as that person at 60+ gets clearly more conserned about underlining Ephesians 6,1 than Ephesians 6,4. - or opposite for the person at 16 - watch up for the red light! Both of these behaviors are different yards of exactly the same poor cloth, giving the church's elders a piece of important work to do - immidiately.
Having web page(s) isn't - contrary to how someone thinks - any need to survive as a church, but is an excellent tool and and give excellent opportunities, especially when having younger members. Even better if the page is used for two-way communcation for asking questions, asking for prayers etc. with a log-on system, making not everything visible to everyone finding the web pages. (The most important reason for still having the gallery in our church building (and in use only at the outreach meetings) is that this gallery again and again has proved to be suitable for non-Christians wanting to listen to the Word of God, but not wanting to flag their "shameable" interest to everyone of those regularly gathering together in the church! Consider a log-in system for making questions etc invisible to everyone just like that gallery!) Also: Make all your Bible lessons etc available for listening to at the page (remember that especially when the language for those is English this can reach out to the ends of the world!). The picture (video) isn't that important, as men get saved by His WORD and not by His PICTURE, but a video do no harm when suitable and (really, not formally!) accepted by the church's users/members - and a video also give a lot more attention when talking about younger persons on first visit on your page. Further, make a kind of well prepared "first aid box for salvation" easy to find a link to on your page (you don't know when someone called by the Spirit "randomly" find your web page and need it!) and (orderly and with system!)) make available texts suitable for studying different aspects in the view of the Bible at your page - and grade the texts "easyness" as guidance, avoiding a young, spiritually unmatured to steep into the most difficult parts of the Bible and the most detailed Bible lessons! Don't be afraid of having "to much such stuff" as a part of your web pages, but like in all good libraries: Consider the quality and keep excellent order.
And beyond all: #1 Keep your web pages updated - no less than once a week, if possible every day (and no, NOT any list of Twitter postings, but something showing that your church is in active use with members actually gathering together there and really BEING there, not only duly and as their habit sleep off an hour there!). #2: DON'T try to use your web pages making the church appearing like something else than the church really IS!
