"Could someone write a quick-take blog post on why Millennials aren't coming to church? Or, maybe, 5 reasons my church is in decline? It's 2016, and you'd think that kind of comprehensive analysis would be all over the place. I'm needing some guidance. Thx."
Another minister colleague immediately posted in the comments, writing, "I'm really longing to know the 6 things I'm doing to make visitors never want to come back."
And then another colleague remarked: "I just need to read one more blog post about it--just one!--and all of our problems will be solved, and we can return to the glory days of the 60s. But this time with millennials."
(Names of ministry colleagues have been withheld to protect the sarcastic!)
Someone else mentioned that perhaps the upcoming Survivor season of "Millennials vs. Gen-Xers" might offer some guidance.
And finally, someone posted:
"5 Reasons Why Millennial Praying Mantises Are Fleeing Church and Flocking to Baseball Games Instead"
That last comment really got to me, because I don't think we've had a praying mantis visit our church in a very long time, much less a millennial praying mantis.
(A question: is a millennial praying mantis one that was born between 1982 and 2004, or a praying mantis that is approximately aged 12-34 in praying mantis years?)
No doubt the ubiquity of such blog posts is fueling the sarcasm, and I've sometimes wondered how I could become a more consistent blogger myself without simply making myself one more target for the cynics.
And yet, I do believe that there are some very helpful voices blogging about today's church.
Our session has studied several blog posts by Carey Nieuwhof, for instance, who is a Canadian pastor who blogs about the church and church leadership. What we've found particularly helpful has been his counsel not to obsess about declining worship participation, but instead to focus on being sure that people are engaged in their life of faith and in the life of the faith community. Superficial attempts to increase worship attendance are never sustainable, but a white-hot commitment to the church's mission--ours is to make God's love visible!--will help bring more people--if not praying mantises--to our congregation.
I would like to start sharing with members and friends of our congregation much of the material that has been shared in recent months with our session. So, what I am resolving to do, beginning today, Sept. 1st, is to publish a blog post each Thursday afternoon about issues facing the church.
If there are particular issues that you'd like to see me address, please feel free to list them in the comments section below, or email them to me at kpcpastor@verizon.net
In addition to the Thursday afternoon posts, I will post each Monday afternoon a blog-friendly version of the sermon from the day before.
That is the plan. I must admit that I'm often tempted to title every blog post "Confessions of an Inconsistent Blogger," but beginning today I do have a plan to post each Monday and Thursday, and I'm hoping that you'll help keep me accountable as well as engage in our ongoing conversations.
Have a wonderful Labor Day weekend, and traveling mercies for all those who'll be on the road.
Grace & Peace,
Jack
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