Last but certainly not least!

Hello Trinity Tribe,

The United Methodist News Service has an article that you might want to check out. It goes along with our discussion of Church vitality. Here is the shortened link: http://bit.ly/bgM0ot

During the last week we have been looking at four characteristics of a vital congregation as discovered by research the United Methodist Church is doing.

To catch you up…

According to a study of the United Methodist Church, the four main drivers of vitality in a congregation are:

A mix of both traditional and contemporary worship services
Small groups including programs for children and youth
Inspirational preaching and length of pastoral appointment
Lay leadership
Lay leadership is the final component of a vital congregation. I have been a member of churches where the laity liked to pay staff people to do the work of the church. In a sense, I suppose, they didn't want to get their hands dirty. It was a lot easier to pay someone to lead youth group than to have to hang out with teenagers, for example.

This is something that Trinity really has going for it. The lay people in this congregation take church seriously. I have never been in a church that had a lay person lead so much of the worship service. I have usually seen the lay person read the scripture and occasionally do the prayer, but never have I seen the lay people lead the majority of the service and I certainly have never seen them distribute the communion elements. I do have to admit that I miss doing that, but I affirm how involved the congregation is in worship leadership. Similarly, the Nurture Committee is very active in designing worship services. I don't have to pick out hymns by myself. The Nurture Committee including Penny Gibson, our wonderful choir director, actively works to design meaningful worship services.

Here is some of the findings from that research study that I thought were very interesting:

Effectiveness of lay leadership has a strong impact on vitality
Churches with effective lay leadership are:
␣ 84% more likely to be a high vital church
␣ 48% more likely to be high attendance church
␣ 54% more likely to be a high growth church
␣ 30% more likely to be a high engagement church
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What drives laity Effectiveness?
Demonstrate vital personal faith
Rotate
More attendees serving as lay leaders


So, what can we do at Trinity to make lay people in our church even MORE effective? The research says that a Lay leadership team that demonstrates vital personal faith (e.g., regular disciplines of prayer and Bible Study, regular attendance at weekly worship, proportional giving, participation in mission opportunities, personal faith- sharing) is important to the vitality of the church. So, what opportunities do we need to create for people to practice spiritual disciplines? Are we faithfully attending church? If not, why not? How are we encouraging others to be here as we worship together? Do we check on people who are absent?

And giving…are people investing monetarily in their church? Or are we finding all sorts of excuses not to? What do we invest in with our giving? Sure, the light bill has to be paid. However, are we spending money in places that bring more people to know Jesus Christ or know him more deeply?

And missions…not everyone can physically go to Nicaragua or to Mexico on a mission trip. However, is everyone in the congregation in prayer for the people who can? Is everyone reaching out to the people we see in Red Springs that need help? Are we using our gifts for other people? If I am a carpenter, for example, am I helping repair homes for the needy? If I can knit, am I helping with the prayer shawl ministry? If I am a child, am I praying for other children who have nothing or am I being kind to kids in my class who are picked on? No matter what our gifts are, we can use them to God's glory.

And faith-sharing…I have only been around a short while, and I have heard people share their faith individually. Do we need practice doing this every day in our usual life activities? How do we share our faith with others genuinely without coming off like we are weird? I would also like us to share our faith more in church. Testimony used to be a big part of being Methodist, so I wonder how we could recapture that without putting people on the spot. Our stories are important. Our stories of faith are helpful for others to hear.

The study also said vital congregations focus on developing, coaching and mentoring to enable laity leadership to improve performance. The same people do not serve on the same committees year after year. There is rotation within the leadership structure in vital congregations.

This issue is something we will want to work on and pray about. We certainly need to invite people of all ages and stages to participate in the leadership of the church. I especially would like the youth and young adults to be more involved in leadership. Paul mentored Timothy, so it is natural and important for us to do the same. Where would Billy Graham had ended up if he hadn't been mentored by people such as Mordecai Ham? As God raises up leaders, there is opportunity for mentorship. Mentorship makes leaders more effective more quickly because they don't have to reinvent the wheel. God calls leaders and then folds others into the vision God has given the leader.

So, as we finish this look at vital congregations, I invite you to be in prayer with Trinity. How can we become more vital? How can we reach and teach more people about Jesus Christ? How can we make a bigger impact in our community?

I am excited about the ministry we will be doing together! Have a blessed day!