Ministries with Young People Blog

Thoughts about the future of the church have been dwelling in my mind as of late. I’m sure the holiday season and the dour news reports it seems to inspire has something to do with it all. Most of my thoughts haven’t been optimistic; if I must confess. Reports of dwindling membership and the report I read this morning on the uptick in church foreclosures certainly doesn’t help.

While I can be a glass half empty kind of person, I also thrive on hope. The smallest glimmer of possibility is enough to keep me moving forward with the belief that God will show a way and with the determination that what must happen will happen when the time is right. One of the places I draw hope from is our shared narrative of faith. And of course it is hard to not think about the story of Christ’s birth at this time of the year.

When I think about the future of the church it’s hard to not be a bit selfish and shortsighted. After all, like some of you, even while I work because I feel called to do so; my job also pays our bills. So as I am contemplating the future of Christianity or United Methodism it often spills down to a basic, fundamental question: “Did I sign up for the wrong team?”

If you will forgive a sports analogy, it often seems like we are 20 points down in the 4^th quarter with a field’s worth or yards between us and the endzone. Attendance is down. Giving is down; our bills are up. Our church (building and people) is aging. Our worship services don’t seem to connect with young people. I’m left to wonder if our generation isn’t Charlie Brown, destined to always try to kick the football and to land on our butt as Lucy always pulls it back.

In thinking about the nativity story today I started to wonder if perhaps I am watching the wrong game. What stood out to me in this story of Jesus’ birth is how unexpected it really was. Mary was surprised by her pregnancy: “How can this be, since I am a virgin?” I imagine Joseph was surprised too. Despite the angelic preparation, I wonder if there were moments where this pregnancy was almost too much to bear.

When we look back and see the big picture we discover that Jesus’ whole story is one of dashed expectations. We were looking for a political messiah to overthrow the Romans; instead we got a suffering servant who would overthrow the way we would ascribe God’s favor. We were looking for someone to validate our sense of entitlement as a chosen people; instead we were challenged to see that all people are children of God. We were looking for an affirmation of our self-righteousness; instead we were taught the value of forgiveness, love, and grace.

I’ve taken a couple lessons away from my reflection on the nativity story. Since I am a Trinitarian at heart I’m tempted to boil it down to three points.  I think they might help me when I think about these big questions that feel so far beyond my ability to control.

1.     God will not abandon us but we must be willing to look in unexpected places. Jesus was born in a time of upheaval where people were anticipating God’s action and deliverance. The more developed their expectations of how God would save them, the less likely they were to recognize how God was being revealed through Jesus. God may not choose to deliver her people today by a revitalization of Sunday morning worship or any particular model of church we may have grown attached to (then again perhaps God will).

2.     Even if it doesn’t behoove us to have too many expectations; we should always be on the lookout for signs. It has always interested me that the Magi (wise men from the East; read: outsiders, foreigners) were the first to look for Jesus because of a star and a prophecy. What should we be looking for? What are the stars that will help us to see the new ways God is moving in the world today?

3.     Finally, we should do our best to not play the role of Herod. Especially for those of us whose lives and livelihood is connected are so intertwined with current realities; it may be hard for us to see God in new movements of the Spirit. We may feel threatened by “secular” endeavors to change the world for the better when those actions are more successful than ours. We may experience pain when other paths provide deeper meaning and spiritual relevancy for some. When we kick the Herod-reflex we too can celebrate new acts of the spirit and find ways to partner for the transformation of the world with groups of like cause.

As I was eating dinner tonight I saw another news story on the USATODAY website that, in contrast to the others I mentioned, delivered a glimmer of hope. The National Congregations Study saw an increase in diversity when comparing churches last year with those 10 years prior.  It also discovered that worship in churchs was also “more informal and more enthusiastic by every measure” with more churches experimenting with new worship forms and styles. And while the study also found that congregations were getting “grayer” one might also conclude that they are also more open to change.

As you celebrate the birth of Christ with your family and friends I pray that you will also open yourself to new things. Life is the greatest present we will ever receive so make sure you pick it up and shake around a bit! It can take years to unwrap and discover what is truly inside.

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I was blessed last weekend to visit the Oroville United Methodist Church near the Canadian border in the center of the state. Oroville is a small church in a small community that is far from most of our major metro areas. Rev. Karen Davison, who was appointed to the church in July, had noticed that there were youth in the church, active in a variety of ways. What the church didn't have though, for one reason or another, was a youth group. She invited me to come and join them for an evening to discuss what they might do to get something going.

When I arrived at the church I wasn't quite sure what to expect. Karen had invited the youth to come for a conversation and dinner. I have been to events like this in the past that have been well attended and others that have been less successful. I have to admit that I was surprised when 11 youth and another half dozen adults arrived to share the evening together. They quickly began to discuss what they would like to do, elected officers and compiled a list of adults who they would feel comfortable with. They also expressed the desire to be involved in camping and other opportunities to connect with other youth in our Conference.

As is often the case when I visit churches and talk with people; I learn so such. Oroville is definitely a small town and while there isn't "a lot to do" there was a certain rhythm that reminded me of the small towns I grew up near; where the week focused around events like the Friday night football game. There is a real opportunity in a community like this to reach out a provide "a thing to do" for young people both inside and outside of the church.

In ministry, it is really easy to get fixated on numbers. It is always a temptation to equate success with size. No mega-church is likely to settle in Oroville but we ('we' meaning the United Methodist Church) are engaging in meaningful ministry there. I am proud of that and I hope you are too.

Thank you Karen for the invitation to visit your new youth group! Hopefully I will have an opportunity to come back to visit sometime soon.