New here, concerned with decline in attendance

[Ole Anderson]

I have been a member of my local ELCA church for over 65 years. We have seen many smaller ELCA congregations in the area close and I see our congregation headed that way too. I am trying to start a round table discussion with our members to recognize the issue and to discuss how to proceed. In the 1960's we had 400 attending Sunday school, now we are lucky if we get a half dozen. Older graying congregation, current attendance about 100, down from 140 five years ago. I have spearheaded our technology and we have an up to date sound system, we project our entire service on a front and rear screen, we have updated our video ministry to HD and we currently livestream our services. We even have a touch of colored lighting. But we have no band, and our choir is shrinking. I don't feel that the ELCA even recognizes the issue, let alone give us support on how to grow our church, or others in the ELCA. Studies have shown that those with a liberal teaching of the bible vs a more conservative teaching are loosing members at a rate of a million per year. I am not a quitter, but I suddenly realized I am a conservative stuck in a liberal church. We recently become a "Reconciled in Christ" (Rainbow) congregation as have many ELCA churches. But that is not the point of this post.

What have any of your congregations done to turn around the trend of declining attendance?

Here are two disconcerting articles I got with a Google search of "declining church attendance".
Perspective | If it doesn’t stem its decline, mainline Protestantism has just 23 Easters left

Liberal churches are dying. But conservative churches are thriving.

 

[tampasteve]

I have been a member of my local ELCA church for over 65 years. We have seen many smaller ELCA congregations in the area close and I see our congregation headed that way too. I am trying to start a round table discussion with our members to recognize the issue and to discuss how to proceed. In the 1960's we had 400 attending Sunday school, now we are lucky if we get a half dozen. Older graying congregation, current attendance about 100, down from 140 five years ago. I have spearheaded our technology and we have an up to date sound system, we project our entire service on a front and rear screen, we have updated our video ministry to HD and we currently livestream our services. We even have a touch of colored lighting. But we have no band, and our choir is shrinking. I don't feel that the ELCA even recognizes the issue, let alone give us support on how to grow our church, or others in the ELCA. Studies have shown that those with a liberal teaching of the bible vs a more conservative teaching are loosing members at a rate of a million per year. I am not a quitter, but I suddenly realized I am a conservative stuck in a liberal church. We recently become a "Reconciled in Christ" (Rainbow) congregation as have many ELCA churches. But that is not the point of this post.

What have any of your congregations done to turn around the trend of declining attendance?

Here are two disconcerting articles I got with a Google search of "declining church attendance".
Perspective | If it doesn’t stem its decline, mainline Protestantism has just 23 Easters left

Liberal churches are dying. But conservative churches are thriving.

As far as I am aware, all of the ELCA churches in my area are also declining. Some have combined congregations to help stem the flow, sharing a pastor and joining under one name while keeping both buildings open (they are fairly far apart). Some have closed, some are shrinking more slowly than others.

Honestly, the parishes that are not "Reconciled in Christ" are shrinking at a slower rate, but for various reasons. One that is shrinking slowly, and could turn around, has two services on Sunday one of which is "traditional" and one "contemporary" service. But as far as I am aware that is the only ELCA church not shrinking quickly.

Now, on the other hand there are several local LCMS churches that seem to be growing, albeit slowly. But they have made changes that the ELCA has not. The pastor is younger (30s), they have an active VPK (voluntary Pre-K) program (it is a part time daycare paid for by the state), they have monthly "parents night" where one can leave 3-10 year olds for a few hours by donation only. My wife and I occasionally attend an ELCA church (we were married there and my son was Baptized there) but it is tiny now, around 40 people on Sunday....down from around 50 10 years ago, so slowly shrinking. Recently we have been attending the LCMS parish mentioned above. I like the LCMS parish very much as it is more traditional in worship and conservative in beliefs. However, I dislike the congregational structure and wish it were episcopal like the ELCA. We will have to make some decisions soon on where we are to attend and become members, the LCMS church is very close and has three Sunday services, which is a plus for sure. However, I like the ELCA minister a lot and the church has always been very welcoming.

All that is to say.....I am not sure how to turn it around. It seems like sometimes the church management does not understand the local area, or is pushing an agenda that the parishioners may not agree with. Outreach is not enough in many cases, stagnation will kill the denomination.

It looks increasingly likely that the ELCA and TEC will merge eventually, but who knows how long that might be; and with both shrinking....would it help?

 

[Halbhh]

I have been a member of my local ELCA church for over 65 years. We have seen many smaller ELCA congregations in the area close and I see our congregation headed that way too. I am trying to start a round table discussion with our members to recognize the issue and to discuss how to proceed. In the 1960's we had 400 attending Sunday school, now we are lucky if we get a half dozen. Older graying congregation, current attendance about 100, down from 140 five years ago. I have spearheaded our technology and we have an up to date sound system, we project our entire service on a front and rear screen, we have updated our video ministry to HD and we currently livestream our services. We even have a touch of colored lighting. But we have no band, and our choir is shrinking. I don't feel that the ELCA even recognizes the issue, let alone give us support on how to grow our church, or others in the ELCA. Studies have shown that those with a liberal teaching of the bible vs a more conservative teaching are loosing members at a rate of a million per year. I am not a quitter, but I suddenly realized I am a conservative stuck in a liberal church. We recently become a "Reconciled in Christ" (Rainbow) congregation as have many ELCA churches. But that is not the point of this post.

What have any of your congregations done to turn around the trend of declining attendance?

Here are two disconcerting articles I got with a Google search of "declining church attendance".
Perspective | If it doesn’t stem its decline, mainline Protestantism has just 23 Easters left

Liberal churches are dying. But conservative churches are thriving.

I didn't grow up Lutheran, and we joined one almost by chance after we moved, because we tried it and liked it. I had no idea it was ELCA.

While the ELCA adopting certain new stuff likely drove some members over to the more conservative Lutheran like LCMS, that likely has played out. If it has, then we should be able to see what happens after that transfer....

By looking at the LCMS more recently, on a shorter time scale:

LCMS: Down are membership (by 2.1 percent) and weekly worship attendance (by almost 3 percent)...
LCMS statistics for 2016: membership down, contributions up

And there it is, the same trend, only temporarily masked by having ELCA members come over for a while.

See? And it's not just Lutheran.

Baptist, decline.

Evangelical? Amid Evangelical decline, growing split between young Christians and church elders

Catholic?
Pew survey: Percentage of US Catholics drops and Catholicism is losing members faster than any denomination

For all churches, well evangelized areas, like South America, North America, Europe have broad declines in Christian attendance. (But the much less Christian areas like Africa and Asia have gains from evangelism, since they are rising from a much lower level of Christianity).

It's not about 'liberal' or 'conservative'. Not at all.

Though it's 100% correct that not even believing Christ rose (*), people like that don't have a compelling reason to continue in a church other than only social and doing some good works.

Nonbelief is not really about 'liberal' or 'conservative'.

Simply, non believers that were liberal simply tended to leave sooner, while non believers that are conservative seem likely to follow, but being conservative cling to tradition even if without faith.

(* -- The idea liberals don't believe is simply false as best I can tell. In our church 2 of the most liberal are also 2 I've found to have the strongest faith! See? It's the opposite reality to the idea that 'liberal' means non belief. (I count myself apolitical, not believing in 'liberal' or 'conservative' at all) On the whole, getting to know many members really well, I cannot find any correlation to being liberal or conservative with having or not having faith. We have all 4 types, plenty.)

So, what is happening? I start to wonder if we are seeing this beginning, as Christ foretold (of course what He foretold will certainly happen, but when; could this be the beginning of that when?) --

12 "And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold."
(and the even more frightening verse 10, isn't that happening some?)
And verse 11....indeed has happened and is happening.

I feel "lawlessness" here refers to many not following the commands of Christ, "love one another" and also the "greatest commandment" as Christ named it, to specifically love God with all our hearts, and souls, and minds. Without those, individuals fail as He said in Matthew 7:24-27.

 

[Ole Anderson]

Thanks for your response. I am familiar with the LCMS as my godson and granddaughter attended school there and I frequently attended their services and my good friends who were ELCA at our church are now staunch LCMS members. Our common best friend was a PK, later organist for 42 years at our home ELCA church. An advantage LCMS has is not only are they conservative, they usually have a school so they have a built in younger congregation with families. Yet still they are loosing members, just not as fast as the ELCA.

We have for a long time been the second largest congregation in our area. The largest is our daughter congregation located probably 5 miles distant. They have had a steady attendance of around 400 for the past ten years. Nine years ago they needed a new organist and opted to hire someone with great guitar/vocal/worship leader skills. The still have a small 8:00 service with keyboard only. The organ sits unused I believe. They call their two other services on Sunday morning "modern" not contemporary as the Lutherans often say. Now they are on a major building program.

The pastor and worship director have offered to sit down with us regarding possibly going with a more modern service. I do not know how far right or left within the ELCA belief system they fall.

My recommendations so far are:
I tend to key on our worship experience as that is often the one chance we get to "hook" new members as they visit us. If we don't make an impression there, we may not see them again.

1. I believe we need to work quickly toward having two different services, our primary service being a contemporary service similar to what Calvary is doing, and a secondary, traditional service with organ and hymns. Both on Sunday mornings. Having two services will allow us to continue to meet the needs of traditional Lutherans with liturgy and piano/organ hymns with robes.
2. To attract new younger members (via a contemporary service) we need to drop some of our more formal things that make us "look" Lutheran, we would likely not have a choir at that service. The pastor should not wear robes. No processional/recessional. Opening and closing songs, yes. Communion at that service should always be by intinction. Music would be with a band (lead vocalist, guitar, bass, piano/keyboard, drums if possible). Largely contemporary music picked by the worship leader familiar with new Christian music mixed up with contemporary versions of old familiar songs. We will need a lot of discussion and planning to get there.
3. I am thinking a 9:15 traditional service and an 11:00 contemporary service.
4. Services should start on time and generally be done within an hour.
5. I believe we need to evaluate where we fall within the conservative/liberal theology span within the ELCA and discuss how that may impact our growth.

 

[tampasteve]

I didn't grow up Lutheran, and we joined one almost by chance after we moved, because we tried it and liked it. I had no idea it was ELCA.

While the ELCA adopting certain new stuff likely drove some members over to the more conservative Lutheran like LCMS, that likely has played out. If it has, then we should be able to see what happens after that transfer....

By looking at the LCMS more recently, on a shorter time scale:

Down are membership (by 2.1 percent) and weekly worship attendance (by almost 3 percent)...
LCMS statistics for 2016: membership down, contributions up

And there it is, the same trend, only temporarily masked by having ELCA members come over for a while.

Interesting observation, I had not thought about it the way you put it. Thank you for the information!

 

[tampasteve]

My recommendations so far are:
I tend to key on our worship experience as that is often the one chance we get to "hook" new members as they visit us. If we don't make an impression there, we may not see them again.

1. I believe we need to work quickly toward having two different services, our primary service being a contemporary service similar to what Calvary is doing, and a secondary, traditional service with organ and hymns. Both on Sunday mornings. Having two services will allow us to continue to meet the needs of traditional Lutherans with liturgy and piano/organ hymns with robes.
2. To attract new younger members (via a contemporary service) we need to drop some of our more formal things that make us "look" Lutheran, we would likely not have a choir at that service. The pastor should not wear robes. No processional/recessional. Opening and closing songs, yes. Communion at that service should always be by intinction. Music would be with a band (lead vocalist, guitar, bass, piano/keyboard, drums if possible). Largely contemporary music picked by the worship leader familiar with new Christian music mixed up with contemporary versions of old familiar songs. We will need a lot of discussion and planning to get there.
3. I am thinking a 9:15 traditional service and an 11:00 contemporary service.
4. Services should start on time and generally be done within an hour.
5. I believe we need to evaluate where we fall within the conservative/liberal theology span within the ELCA and discuss how that may impact our growth.

I think that these are great ideas. I would also say that perhaps make the "traditional service" even more traditional. It has been seen that the more traditional High-Church services (particularly Catholic) have been seeing growth among younger believers in their 20s and 30s as they seem to desire a traditional worship service. There are many aspects of Lutheran Liturgy and service that have been dropped but could be added back to the worship experience. Overall the ELCA has been better at keeping these things than the LCMS, I think.

 

[Mr Darcy]

Might have something to do with this sort of thing:
Stances on LGBTQ Issues: Evangelical Lutheran Church in Ameri | Human Rights Campaign

 

[Halbhh]

Thanks for your response. I am familiar with the LCMS as my godson and granddaughter attended school there and I frequently attended their services and my good friends who were ELCA at our church are now staunch LCMS members. Our common best friend was a PK, later organist for 42 years at our home ELCA church. An advantage LCMS has is not only are they conservative, they usually have a school so they have a built in younger congregation with families. Yet still they are loosing members, just not as fast as the ELCA.

We have for a long time been the second largest congregation in our area. The largest is our daughter congregation located probably 5 miles distant. They have had a steady attendance of around 400 for the past ten years. Nine years ago they needed a new organist and opted to hire someone with great guitar/vocal/worship leader skills. The still have a small 8:00 service with keyboard only. The organ sits unused I believe. They call their two other services on Sunday morning "modern" not contemporary as the Lutherans often say. Now they are on a major building program.

The pastor and worship director have offered to sit down with us regarding possibly going with a more modern service. I do not know how far right or left within the ELCA belief system they fall.

My recommendations so far are:
I tend to key on our worship experience as that is often the one chance we get to "hook" new members as they visit us. If we don't make an impression there, we may not see them again.

1. I believe we need to work quickly toward having two different services, our primary service being a contemporary service similar to what Calvary is doing, and a secondary, traditional service with organ and hymns. Both on Sunday mornings. Having two services will allow us to continue to meet the needs of traditional Lutherans with liturgy and piano/organ hymns with robes.
2. To attract new younger members (via a contemporary service) we need to drop some of our more formal things that make us "look" Lutheran, we would likely not have a choir at that service. The pastor should not wear robes. No processional/recessional. Opening and closing songs, yes. Communion at that service should always be by intinction. Music would be with a band (lead vocalist, guitar, bass, piano/keyboard, drums if possible). Largely contemporary music picked by the worship leader familiar with new Christian music mixed up with contemporary versions of old familiar songs. We will need a lot of discussion and planning to get there.
3. I am thinking a 9:15 traditional service and an 11:00 contemporary service.
4. Services should start on time and generally be done within an hour.
5. I believe we need to evaluate where we fall within the conservative/liberal theology span within the ELCA and discuss how that may impact our growth.

Well, many churches have found that merely adding different types of services can help modestly. But faith itself is so much more key.

People can do without all sort of things if they have faith and the pastor has strong faith. But it helps if the music leaders have faith of course.

If people themselves don't have faith, it's hard to hold them long with extra stuff, like extra music options.

And another important thing to find out -- Nonbelief is not about being 'liberal' or 'conservative'. Not much correlation except whether non believers stay in a church after having lost faith.

Simply, non believers that are liberal simply tend to leave sooner, while non believers that are conservative seem likely to follow only slowly, since being conservative they will cling to habit and tradition even if without faith.

The idea liberals don't believe is simply false as best I can tell. In our church 2 of the most liberal are also 2 I've found to have the strongest faith! See? It's the opposite reality to the idea that 'liberal' means non belief. It's more difficult to be certain conservatives have faith because they can act like they do without themselves even seeming to be fully aware of any difference. But I found at least two quite conservative people I feel finally I know do have real faith under all the extraneous viewpoints. (I count myself apolitical, not believing in 'liberal' or 'conservative' at all) On the whole, getting to know many members really well, I cannot find any correlation to being liberal or conservative with having or not having faith. We have all 4 types, plenty.

Here's something to encourage -- in our church we have a real friendship ongoing between several liberal people and several various conservative people, and so the politics is not being a problem for us, and we are doing "love one another" without politics interfering. Praise the Lord.

 

[Ole Anderson]

Laying in bed this morning and thinking about the whole issue, I believe to some degree it is about conservative vs liberal. Churches that espouse liberal views of the bible tend to have clergy that are liberal in their thinking regard social policies, and to me that somewhat defines a liberal. Thinking that was directed by their liberal seminary professors. Social policies that believe the government should take care of everybody regardless of self determination. That is the ELCA and probably most mainline protestants. But likely clergy more so than their congregants. On the other hand non-denominationals and evangelicals, who find themselves in a growth curve, typically take a more conservative view of the bible and tend to believe in a more minimalist form government where self determination is encouraged and government is there to, among other things, take care of the weak. Almost by definition conservative means to conservative the status quo, and that includes the time honored tradition of attending church.

I didn't choose what church to attend, I was baptized at a young age and grew up in an ELCA church, and took any liberal thinking clergy we had as a passing trend. Turns out I hitched my wagon to a horse that took a path I wasn't fully aware of. For 16 years we had a very likable pastor that followed Bishop Spong and ended up virtually a Unitarian, preaching that from the pulpit. That being said, I still like being a Lutheran and believe Martin Luther did the right thing by calling out Catholicism. I believe in his basic tenants of faith. But being Lutheran, I am no bible thumper, so I feel ill prepared to have a full discussion regarding theology.

I fully agree that a strong congregation is about much more than just Sunday worship and music. I tend to key on that as it is my area of familiarity, I have been involved in our Worship and Music committee as long as I can remember. Also I have served on three call committees.

 

[Halbhh]

Laying in bed this morning and thinking about the whole issue, I believe to some degree it is about conservative vs liberal. Churches that espouse liberal views of the bible tend to have clergy that are liberal in their thinking regard social policies, and to me that somewhat defines a liberal. Thinking that was directed by their liberal seminary professors. Social policies that believe the government should take care of everybody regardless of self determination. That is the ELCA and probably most mainline protestants. But likely clergy more so than their congregants. On the other hand non-denominationals and evangelicals, who find themselves in a growth curve, typically take a more conservative view of the bible and tend to believe in a more minimalist form government where self determination is encouraged and government is there to, among other things, take care of the weak. Almost by definition conservative means to conservative the status quo, and that includes the time honored tradition of attending church.

I didn't choose what church to attend, I was baptized at a young age and grew up in an ELCA church, and took any liberal thinking clergy we had as a passing trend. Turns out I hitched my wagon to a horse that took a path I wasn't fully aware of. For 16 years we had a very likable pastor that followed Bishop Spong and ended up virtually a Unitarian, preaching that from the pulpit. That being said, I still like being a Lutheran and believe Martin Luther did the right thing by calling out Catholicism. I believe in his basic tenants of faith. But being Lutheran, I am no bible thumper, so I feel ill prepared to have a full discussion regarding theology.

It's easy to imagine a non believing pastor or bishop doing his own thing, and being liberal at the same time. Seen that. (And seen it in various other churches with conservative pastors, so it's either/or)

I had no idea when we joined this church how many really believed, though it seemed likely some would and some would not. I posted just a couple of minutes ago just before you above in post #9 what I found. It was somewhat surprising, but this is what I found, over 7 years and a lot of talking with people and doing stuff, and different situations, until it was really clear.

We definitely have liberal people with strong faith. I know because of hours of talking with them around fires, and seeing them do things here and there that are so unambiguously relying on faith, like deciding suddenly to pray about something, for instance, or being worried about whether others really believe also. Clear signs. Liberal, and full of faith. Clearly.

If you mean 'liberal' in the sense of 'liberal theology' to mean something like taking miracles as metaphorical instead of actual, I can only say that's against the ongoing preaching we've had from over a dozen (mostly visiting) preachers over the years at our ELCA church. So that kind of non-belief is for us at least unusual (or very well hidden), and is only an individual viewpoint, see.

There is always a certain tension between belief and non-belief, everywhere, always. That much is only normal. But most of us attending seem to really believe, and few or none seem to feel they have to do something if someone expresses doubts, but instead seem to trust in the effect over time of the attendance, that faith will come in time.

 

[Halbhh]

Here, this helps better explain:

#) LMCS-- ELCA
1 Believe in triune God -- Same

2 Accept Lutheran Confessions as true teachings of biblical faith -- Same

3 Believe that God comes to us through the Word and the sacraments -- Same

4 Teach justification by grace through faith -- Same

5 Believe that the Bible should not be subject to higher critical methods -- Many within the ELCA believe that the Bible can speak effectively through the use of higher critical study.

6 Believe that the Bible restricts women from certain church positions including ordained ministry -- Believes the Bible permits, even encourages, full participation by women in the life of the church

7 High degree of doctrinal agreement necessary before fellowship is possible Agreement on a more basic level is sufficient for fellowship. -- Agreement on a more basic level is sufficient for fellowship.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Evang...g/wiki/Evangelical_Lutheran_Church_in_America

Also has another interesting table of polling questions to members of both groups.

Like:

LCMS -- ELCA
Do you believe in God or a universal spirit? Absolutely Certain: 84% -- 77%
Fairly Certain: 12% -- 19%
Do not believe in God: 1% -- 0%
Don't Know/Refused/Other: 1% -- 1%

While people can answer as they think they should instead of how they really are, still, even with that, the result of only 1% ELCA choosing to answer no faith is dramatically low!

I didn't know that until just now! Very wonderful!

 

[Halbhh]

This was truly surprising, that it's only 1% instead of something like 10%, even accounting for some people answering as they think looks better, still this result is dramatic:

LCMS -- ELCA
Do you believe in God or a universal spirit? Absolutely Certain: 84% -- 77%
Fairly Certain: 12% -- 19%
Do not believe in God: 1% -- 0%
Don't Know/Refused/Other: 1% -- 1%

I'm encouraged. Even though as always everywhere, there are people with weak or fluctuating faith, still most by a large majority seem to think they ought to have faith, and that's a very good sign.

 

[Halbhh]

Another good sign about faith in the ELCA and the LCMS:

LCMS -- ELCA
Interpretation of Religious Teachings There is only ONE true way to interpret the teachings of my religion: 28% 15%
There is MORE than one true way to interpret the teachings of my religion: 68% 82%
Neither/Both Equally: 1% 1%
Don't Know/Refused: 3% 2%

For example, we cannot know from the Bible if the Earth is 4.55bn years old, but if we have real faith, we can realize that either belief among diverse believers about the age of Earth is entirely ok and fine. So, both groups show strong majorities that are able to see that kind of real situation of varied understandings among faithful believers, and that is highly encouraging.

 

[Radagast]

I suddenly realized I am a conservative stuck in a liberal church

So why not join the LCMS?

As to the decline, Mainline Protestant churches have dropped from 18.1% of the adult population in 2007 to 14.7% in 2014. Catholics saw a similar drop from 23.9% to 20.8%.

The Washington Post article you cited indicates that having theologically conservative clergy is a good predictor of church growth. But this is pretty much impossible in a Mainline denomination. The Mainline denominations are doomed to vanish, it seems to me. Other churches will spring up, and attract some of the people left churchless.

 

[Ole Anderson]

Why not join the LCMS? I have been a Lutheran all my life, yet I must ask the LCMS pastor if I understand their tenants regarding communion well enough to take communion. No thanks, that is between God and me. I have a good friend who is a retired ELCA pastor who feels the same way. And women are not worthy to serve as pastor? I am not a feminist, but that is over the top for me. I would be happy if our next pastor were on the conservative end of the scale of ELCA pastors. All I really want is to be involved with an ELCA congregation that is stable to growing and has a modern worship experience. I would like our congregation to become that.

Yea, those stats are pretty scary. Yet I don't see the mainline church overseers say anything more than, "demographics are changing, oh well".

 

[Radagast]

All I really want is to be involved with an ELCA congregation that is stable to growing and has a modern worship experience.

All I really want is a million dollars. But I hope that you find what you're looking for.

 

[Halbhh]

Why not join the LCMS? I have been a Lutheran all my life, yet I must ask the LCMS pastor if I understand their tenants regarding communion well enough to take communion. No thanks, that is between God and me. I have a good friend who is a retired ELCA pastor who feels the same way. And women are not worthy to serve as pastor? I am not a feminist, but that is over the top for me. I would be happy if our next pastor were on the conservative end of the scale of ELCA pastors. All I really want is to be involved with an ELCA congregation that is stable to growing and has a modern worship experience. I would like our congregation to become that.

Yea, those stats are pretty scary. Yet I don't see the mainline church overseers say anything more than, "demographics are changing, oh well".

If you are in a western suburb of Chicago area, then that's available, at least for now. Probably elsewhere also.

 

[Ole Anderson]

Actually our daughter ELCA congregation 6 miles away meets my needs, 400 attendance, stable to growing with a modern worship service but it is not my home church of 65 years. I want to help get our congregation back on track. I am hoping it can be done. It will take a new pastor (ours is reaching retirement age) and some changes that would draw younger families in. I don't think we are too far away from that, after all we have survived when a half dozen in our area have failed. So far we are financially stable, we were able to pay off our four year old $250K elevator in under three years. But our sag in attendance is alarming.

One point of reference that I have, which I realize skews my thinking, is that I am a active member of the FaceBook group Church Sound and Media Techs, a group of 48,000 tech folks, largely representing larger technically advanced non-denom churches (think praise bands, worship leader, video, lights and haze), but with lots of small and larger mainline folks wanting to upgrade sound, projection, video and lighting. So I see a lot of what others do to stay current. I'm not proposing smoke and mirrors, but it helps to know what we are up against.

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[tampasteve]

Actually our daughter ELCA congregation 6 miles away meets my needs, 400 attendance, stable to growing with a modern worship service but it is not my home church of 65 years. I want to help get our congregation back on track. I am hoping it can be done. It will take a new pastor (ours is reaching retirement age) and some changes that would draw younger families in. I don't think we are too far away from that, after all we have survived when a half dozen in our area have failed. So far we are financially stable, we were able to pay off our four year old $250K elevator in under three years. But our sag in attendance is alarming.

One point of reference that I have, which I realize skews my thinking, is that I am a active member of the FaceBook group Church Sound and Media Techs, a group of 48,000 tech folks, largely representing larger technically advanced non-denom churches (think praise bands, worship leader, video, lights and haze), but with lots of small and larger mainline folks wanting to upgrade sound, projection, video and lighting. So I see a lot of what others do to stay current. I'm not proposing smoke and mirrors, but it helps to know what we are up against.

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I really do not mean this in a bad way, but if the church your daughter goes to appears to meet what you desire (and assuming other church members want to) then why not try and form some sort of Parish Alliance? Swap ideas, equipment, talent, etc.

As I mentioned earlier, two ELCA parishes here combined into one parish with two buildings around 10 miles apart. It has worked well for them to share resources and staff, enabling both to stay open and serve their local communities. Your parish does not need to combine with the other one, but if they are successful, then perhaps the parish councils could get together and work out how to turn your parish around?

 

[Viren]

I've been going to a ELCA church my whole life. It's stayed the same or has been slowly shrinking. I think focusing on the millennial generation would help with attendance. They are getting married later or staying single. So catering to more single people would help. I keep going to church, but I'm pretty much the only millennial single person there. Most of the church is comprised of older women or families.