November 17, 2010

Back to basics

The first semester of our experiment ends tonight.

My church is a typical county-seat congregation in the foothills of Appalachia. If only Christmas Eve were our typical attendance on Sunday mornings, we’d be a packed 150. Instead, most Sundays, we’re half that, with each family getting their own pew.

In the past five years, we’ve tried lots of techniques to build up Christian education. Sunday School – on Sunday morning – was a flop (before – and after – the main service). We tried a once-a-month Evensong, with activities. No traction. Our Beer and Bible study had been a hit for three years, but attendance fizzled.

Last school year, we picked up kids from school and brought them to our house for two hours of GodSquad. The kids loved it – but it happened in a vacuum, 20 minutes from church and away from all of the adults (save two teachers). 

We wanted a program that integrated formation and Bible study for kids and adults. After a few brainstorming sessions with key stakeholders (code for the people willing to step up and lead), we fashioned a Wednesday evening program. 

To help our busy congregation, we hired a chef to cook the evening meal. This way, folks could come from work without having to worry about cooking dinner, bringing a potluck side dish or snagging drive-thru fries and a burger. We charge $5 for adults, $3 for kids, with a maximum of $18 for a family. We’re just about breaking even.

We divided our children’s offerings into two classes: young and middle elementary. Two volunteers and a paid teacher (our Sunday nursery attendant) use a new curriculum, Weaving God’s Promises, by the Rev. Joanna Leiserson and offered through Church Publishing. It’s downloadable and affordable. And it teaches the basics in a compelling and understandable way.

I grew up in a United Methodist church, and we spent a lot of time learning the key stories of the Bible. After a decade with the Episcopal Church, I can say that while we pride ourselves on delving into deep and thorny theological issues, we pretty much expect everybody to know all about Isaac and Elijah, atonement and transfiguration, before they step through the red doors.

So we decided to get back to the basics. We study each week the same Bible stories as the children.

We don’t get glue sticks and googly eyes for crafts; we study the scriptures in a modified lectio divina style. Each week, I learn something new, about God, about my church family and about myself. And on the drive home, the kids and I talk about the story together, and I learn even more, seeing Scripture unfold in their eyes.

We didn’t know what to expect, but as we break for Thanksgiving and then Advent, attendance is steady at about 35 – nearly half of our Sunday crowd.

We’re still tweaking the program, and the results-oriented part of me hopes this translates into what statisticians call “church growth.”

But growing in faith, well, that’s not too bad, either.