The Rev

The story is told of a census worker who visited a ramshackle house in a remote part of Appalachia. “How many children do you have?” he asked the head of the household. “Well, let’s see . . . there’s Clem and Jud and Donna Sue, and then there’s Clancy. . .” “No – you don’t understand” the census worker interrupted, “I don’t want names – I just want numbers.” To which the man replied, “Mister, they don’t have numbers – they only have names.”

This annual report, like a census, gives the numbers: average worship attendance, numbers of baptisms, confirmations, marriages, burials, etc. These numbers alone cannot possibly tell the story of this congregation – we are community of people, each with a unique identity, each of infinite worth to God. Still, statistics matter. The theologian, Friedrich Schleiermacher (1768-1834), included a section on “Church Statistics” in his influential Introduction to Christian Theology. Schleiermacher figured that statistical information is one indicator of a Christian community’s vitality in relation to other churches and to the surrounding culture.[1]

What do the numbers in 2010 tell us about Good Shepherd’s vitality? To answer that question, I would like us to consider three sets of numbers, three statistical indicators, and what they reveal about the current health of the congregation. They are: (1) attendance at worship; (2) the record of baptisms and confirmations; and (3) participation in Christian education.

One indication of congregational health is attendance at worship. I am reminded of a conversation Lynda and I had with Doris, the lady who took care of our children when we were living in Norfolk. One morning, she was telling us about her Wednesday night prayer meeting, and I asked: “So, Doris, about how many people attend the prayer meeting?” She thought for second, and said, “About two hundred.” Before Lynda and I could register our surprise, she added, “People just don’t go to church like they used to.”

Our average attendance on Sunday morning was down somewhat from previous years: from an average of 75 in 20007 to 68 in 2010. Attendance was noticeably lower on Christmas Eve (down from a high of 84 in 2009 to 65) and Easter (from a high of 145 in 2008, when we had two Easter services, to 117). This downward trend was balanced to some extent by strong attendance at special services, such as the ecumenical Thanksgiving service (78), Good Shepherd Episcopal School Sunday (126), and Confirmation (92). Still, if you add these the numbers of home communions and burials, both of which are up, it confirms what we have known for some time, namely, that a substantial number of Good Shepherd’s most active members have either passed on to larger life or can no longer make it to church regularly.

On a positive note, these figures point to the superb ministry of our Eucharistic visitors, who serve the largely unseen members of our congregation. Moreover, while we are small (“family size” to use the official term), our attendance is extremely consistent, indicating that our active members worship regularly, participate enthusiastically in the ministries of the church, and give generously (with just under 50, we are at the threshold of sustainability as a self-sustaining congregation with a full-time rector). To quote Emmett Kelly, “Good Shepherd has more 24/7 Christians than any congregation I know.”

A second index of a congregation’s vitality is the record of baptisms and confirmations, and here, the picture is more encouraging. Three new families presented candidates baptism (four, if we include Jon Gilbert’s baptism last week). The reinvigorated Children’s Chapel, led by a steering committee of parents with school-age children, and activity in the nursery, both indicate that young families are finding their place in the life of the parish. The same is true of the 2010 Confirmation Class, which consisted of nine middle-school boys and Megan Hodge, who just completed graduate school while working on the Randolph-Macon library staff. Our large, well-organized Acolyte Guild and our Youth Fellowship both testify to the importance of young people in Good Shepherd’s life and ministry.

A third statistical indicator is participation in Christian education. Our Sunday adult class, a three-year survey of the Bible, using Arnold Rhoads’ Mighty Acts of God, attracts a loyal core group of around a dozen, out of a total of 20 or so who have attended at some point during the course of the year. Our Lenten study on sharing the faith, based on the book, Unbinding the Gospel, provoked lively discussions among a group of around twenty. Turning to youth and children, while the Junior Confirmation Class was a roaring success, attendance at the follow-up course on biblical literacy has been disappointing, and there were not enough primary school children for a regular Sunday class. In sum, we offered quality programs, which attracted fluctuating numbers on Sunday morning, somewhat stronger numbers mid-week, and there are some gaps in our programs for children. This suggests that we need a coordinated Christian education strategy in 2011, overseen by a member of the vestry, to explore new and creative formats.

These three statistical indicators raise the question: How can we extend Good Shepherd’s reach in 2011? This parish has a lot to offer. We do the traditional liturgy well. We have excellent music and a strong emphasis on the ministry of the word of God. Granted, our style of worship and churchmanship are not for everybody, but what we do offer is truly life-giving and has stood the test of time. Therefore, I believe that God is calling us to continue with what we do well, while seeking to extend our reach into the community and larger world we are called to serve.

Let me try to say this, using a biblical metaphor. Saint Paul, describing the work before him, writes: “For a great and effective door has been opened to me” (1 Cor. 16:9). Notice the use of the passive voice (“has been opened,”) which is an indication that God is at work; he is the one who opens doors. The image of “the open door” is appropriate for us as we enter 2011. What are the doors for effective service that God is opening for us? I see four such opportunities for our ministry in the coming year.

The first open door for effective service concerns incorporation of new members. We have a steady stream of visitors, many of whom are seeking to find their place in a parish family. Our part is to create a number of “entry points,” i.e., opportunities for them to make friends, grow spiritually, and to serve the Lord. To that end, Val Bowman as agreed to organize quarterly welcome lunches and evening dessert-coffees in peoples’ homes. Next week, I will begin a series of Discovery classes (Sunday mornings at 11:00) designed to orient people to the congregation and to build community. I hope that Discovery will lead to the formation of several new, ongoing small groups for study, fellowship, and service.

A second open door is Good Shepherd Episcopal School. We don’t have a lot of control over who walks in the door on Sunday mornings. But we can go to where the people are, and right now, that means the school. Every week, we have a sizable group of students, parents, and teachers right at our doorstep. This past year, I devoted more of my time and energy to the school. In addition to leading the weekly chapel service, I have begun eating lunch with the school on Wednesdays and attending events such as Back to School Night and PTO meetings, where I can meet and mingle with parents and staff. This kind of involvement creates pathways and encourages traffic between school and church. Naturally, we are delighted when Good Shepherd School families find their way into the life of the parish, but that is not the primary justification. Rather, our presence in the school is a way of saying: we are interested in you; we care. It is about serving the world in Christ’s name.

A third doorway is our web site. Last year, I convened a group of techno-savvy parishioners to redesign our site, under the guidance of Sarah Scott Thomas, former Director of Communications for the diocese and architect of the celebrated diocesan web site (www.diosova.org). The project is under way, and we plan to introduce the new platform by March. These days, churches cannot afford to overlook the web and other electronic media as means to get the word out. An effective web presence in the 21^st century is analogous to the printing press in the 16^th century. It is one more open door to effective ministry.

Finally, our newly formed mission committee, the Explorers, is formulating a comprehensive strategy for Good Shepherd’s mission, both domestic and global. The upcoming Lenten study, which they are planning, promises to open doors to new opportunities for service.

So, as we enter 2011, following the Master, we stand before an open door. More importantly, the Risen Christi stands at the door. Jesus said: “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. And if any congregation opens the door, I will come to that congregations, and share a meal with that congregation, and they with me.”[2] And that, my friends, is what really matters: our openness to the presence of the Lord of the Church. The congregation that welcomes the living Lord will flourish. He calls. He knocks. He seeks entrance. And now, he invites us to his table in this service of Holy Eucharist.

[1] Friedrich Schleiermacher, Brief Outline of the Study of Theology, tr. Terrence N. Tice (Richmond: John Knox Press, 1970), 82-85.

[2] Rev. 3:20; my translation.