Rev’d John F. Sanderson
Growth with grace: UK Study Tour 2015
St. Paul’s Anglican Church, Burwood 2 December, 2015
Growth with grace: UK Study Tour 2015
Welcome and Opening Prayer
Introduction
Background
Acknowledgements
Scope
Content
Q&A
Where to next…
Closing Prayer
The Key Literature
Growth with grace: UK Study Tour 2015
What makes our church grow?
The Venerable (Rtd) Bob Jackson
Brisbane – Grafton – Canberra & Golburn 2015
Growth with grace: UK Study Tour 2015
Church growth comes in 3 dimensions
Numerical – the circumference of the community
Spiritual – the depth of the community
Vitality – the life and power of the church’s mission
Growth with grace: UK Study Tour 2015
What is church growth made of?
Growth with grace: UK Study Tour 2015
What is church growth made of?
Growth with grace: UK Study Tour 2015
What is church growth made of?
Growth with grace: UK Study Tour 2015
What is church growth made of?
Growth with grace: UK Study Tour 2015
What is church growth made of?
Growth with grace: UK Study Tour 2015
What is church growth made of? PEOPLE
Growth with grace: UK Study Tour 2015
Not statistics‌
Growth with grace: UK Study Tour 2015
Church growth is about‌
Growth with grace: UK Study Tour 2015
Are Anglican churches growing or shrinking?
In the UK the answer to that question depends on the time period and the indicator you pick
Average Sunday attendance is still going down
But average weekly attendance is almost stable – slightly fewer adults and more children
And the numbers of people going to church is rising
More people are coming less often
The weekly Sunday pensioner is being replaced by the monthly weekday family
Growth with grace: UK Study Tour 2015
Increase in attendance or church growth? An example Diocese of Lichfield 2013
1st timers 1205
died
1096
returnees 557
leavers
396
net 161
trans in
trans out 283
net 130
413
moved in 498
moved out
Net Church Growth
Growth with grace: UK Study Tour 2015
552 346
net 109
net - 54
Average Sunday Attendances 2004 2014
Interregnum: 29 April 2012 21 January 2013
Average Weekday Attendances 2004 2014
Interregnum: 29 April 2012 21 January 2013
Christmas Attendance & Communicants 2003 - 2014
What happened 2008 - 2014?
Holy Week 2002 2015
Key changes: SAP 16 February 2014 Rector 21 January 2013 Interregnum
Easter Attendance & Communicants 2003 2014
Easter is trending upwards as compared to Christmas
Actual Attendance & Communicants 2003 2014
2009 - 2012 Decrease 1,000 2003 - 2014 Increase 4,000
2nd Sunday in October 2003-2014
Decrease 2009-2011 Increase 2012-2014
So are things better than the media tell us?
Yes they are – there is a lot of new life and a lot of growing churches
We are finding new ways of reaching families and children
But traditional congregations are still shrinking and ageing
New churchgoers have weaker affiliation and attend less often
Western society as a whole is moving away from Christian faith and values pretty quickly
We are not exactly staging a comeback just yet
But the Christian Church is resilient and will survive, perhaps round the edges of society rather than in the centre
Growth with grace: UK Study Tour 2015
Can my church thrive and grow in the future?
Of course it can
If church decline were the inevitable result of societal change all churches would be shrinking
Churches of all sizes, traditions, settings and styles are growing today
Churches that can offer quality, relevance and spiritual reality meet deep human needs and will continue growing
Growth with grace: UK Study Tour 2015
Is it our job to make the church grow?
No it isn’t – it is God’s job to grow the church
Read 1 Corinthians Ch. 3.5-9 and Matthew Ch. 16.13-18
Our job is to make the church good and healthy, to make Jesus the centre of it, and to become like him
“When I am lifted up I will draw everyone to me” John Ch.12.32
Growth with grace: UK Study Tour 2015
How are churches managing to grow?
Intending to grow
‘Anecdote to Evidence’ found that churches indicating that numerical growth was their top priority were much more likely to be growing – What a surprise!
The difference between ‘Magic Roundabout’ churches and ‘Gospel Train’ churches
Mission Action Planning (MAP) as a tool for intentional growth
Growth with grace: UK Study Tour 2015
Leading to grow?
Almost all church growth stories start with the appointment of a new leader
Good leadership is a necessary but not sufficient condition for growth
But leadership structures are just as important as the quality of individual leaders
Growth with grace: UK Study Tour 2015
Focal Ministers
Missionary Communities
Growth with grace: UK Study Tour 2015
In the Garden of Eden
Key:
The Shepherd The Flock
Every Vicar with a Church, every Church with a Vicar
After the Fall… in numbers
Key :
The Ranchers
“Cursed is the ground… by the sweat of your brow you will eat your food”
The Flocks
The Nightmare Vision
Vicar having nervous breakdown
Key : Sheep without a shepherd
“I, even I only,am left” (Elijah)
Arise the Team
The ministry Team (NSM, reader, authorised people)
Key :
Vicar The Ministered-to
“The load is too heavy for you; you cannot handle it alone” Jethro
Focal Ministries
Stipendiary Priest - Focal ministry for one Church - Oversight over others
Key :
Focal Ministers (each could be a small team)
Christian community with focal leaders
“If anyone sets his heart in being an overseer, he desires a noble heart� [Paul to Timothy]
Missionary Communities
Stipendiary Priest - Focal ministry for one Church - Oversight over others
Key :
Focal Ministers
Missionary Communities who share the faith by word and deed
And all are trained for their roles!
Threefold Ministry Training
Stipendiary Clergy (& others?) for oversight and focal ministry
Focal Ministers for church community leadership, whatever the hat or title
Everybody as part of a missionary community sharing the faith by word and deed
Much of the training should be in the parish
Focussed on outward mission not interior maintenance
Growth with grace: UK Study Tour 2015
Churches as missionary communities
Whole churches need to be trained together as ‘missionary congregations’ e.g. ‘Everybody Welcome’, ‘LyCiG-Local’ Recognising everyone’s gift and ability, not just the chosen few – the ministry of all believers
And they should be trained in outward-focussed ministries
And led into being attractive communities of faith
Not to maintain the institution but to share the faith
Growth with grace: UK Study Tour 2015
Training to grow
Church leaders and church communities are, in part, born and not made
Some churches will grow whether they do any training or not, others will never grow however good the training
However, for most churches, appropriate training can be very important
Training is best when the whole community does it together and when it is to help people do mission better rather than to promote individuals up the ecclesiastical ladder
Growth with grace: UK Study Tour 2015
Changing to grow
Churches that don’t make changes tend to shrink
Churches that do make changes tend to grow
Survey data shows this time and again
Intentional change to church life necessary for church growth
Growth with grace: UK Study Tour 2015
Eight changes that lead to church growth
Planting new congregations
Making worship less formal, more relaxed
Better provision for children and young people (Family Services, Sunday Schools, Youth provision)
Improving welcome and integration
Better quality, more varied, contemporary music
More lay involvement in leadership
Better small groups and pastoral care
Improvements to buildings
Growth with grace: UK Study Tour 2015
Families to grow
Families are the most responsive group to church-offers today
The younger the age profile the more likely is a church to grow
Most people come to faith when they are young
Church growth in c19th followed the rise of Sunday Schools
Church shrinkage in c20th followed the demise of Sunday Schools
Churchgoing has attracted an ever smaller % of each age cohort
Growth with grace: UK Study Tour 2015
Inviting to grow
Only 25% of Anglicans invite people to come to church with them – what if we all habitually invited people?
Clergy have a unique opportunity to build up a list of warm contacts and invite them to special services and events
Back to Church Sunday can work – one year in Lichfield Diocese 4000 people came by invitation on the day and 12% were still coming at least monthly 6 months later Use electronic invitations as well as paper and personal
Growth with grace: UK Study Tour 2015
Why are we poor at inviting?
I suffer in my church services and so would others
Our services are unpredictable – I don’t really trust them
Our church is boring – it would put my friend off
My friend would not want to go
I don’t want to be rejected
We have no non-churchgoing friends
It’s the leaders’ job to fill the church – not mine
My friend said ‘no’ when I asked them last year
Growth with grace: UK Study Tour 2015
Why are we poor at inviting?
It might damage my friendship
The congregation will think my friend is not ‘our’ type of person
My friends are not the right type of people for our church
The church is pretty full already – where would they sit?
I’m shy so I would find it difficult
Faith is a private thing
I don’t want to be seen as strange – a Bible basher
I wouldn’t know what to say if they asked me hard theological Qs
They might ask me why I go to church
Growth with grace: UK Study Tour 2015
Why do leaders avoid the invitation issue?
The last ‘invitation Sunday’ was a flop – the people are terrible at it Invitation is not our preferred medium for mission I’m doing my best, don’t heap guilt on me for not doing one of an impossibly long list of good things to do
We see new people every week anyway
I am just too busy with other priorities
Our people are tired of inviting once a year
We live in a secular society and people don’t respond to invites
Growth with grace: UK Study Tour 2015
Why do leaders avoid the invitation issue?
Trad church is not relevant to most people – we have to incarnate fresh expressions rather than invite people to our existing culturally inappropriate services The congregation would put them off if they came. I can’t change the culture of the church, I’ve given up trying The congregation is too old, the church is a care home annex and younger people will never join it I don’t think anything will work, decline is inevitable and my job is to organise it humanely
Growth with grace: UK Study Tour 2015
Archbishop Justin’s Vision
There is no reason why the C of E could not double in size in the next 15-25 years if we renew our prayer life, achieve reconciliation within the church & beyond it, and recover the priority of evangelism at every level of the church: Boards, Councils, committees, PCCs – our agendas, diaries and budgets should be dominated not by money, buildings and internal conflicts but by evangelism – by the drive to become witnessing disciples Every Christian should routinely invite people to their church, should be informed and confident in their faith, and should be capable of witnessing to it
Growth with grace: UK Study Tour 2015
A way forward: Everybody Welcome
The Sower and the seed (Luke 8)
The Prodigal Son (Luke 15)
The Ministry of Reconciliation (2 Cor 5)
All one in Christ Jesus (Galatians 3)
I was a stranger and you invited me in (Matthew 25)
Practice hospitality (Romans 12)
Growth with grace: UK Study Tour 2015
What is the biggest single reason why churches don’t grow?
Growth with grace: UK Study Tour 2015
What is the biggest single reason why churches don’t grow?
The people who try us out don’t stay!
Some Statistics:
About 90% of people who try our churches fail to become regular church members
It is not always their fault - sometimes
God sends us the people
But we send them away
A Tear fund telephone survey in the UK found that there are around 3m people who say they would like to go to church if only someone would invite them
Growth with grace: UK Study Tour 2015
Four outcomes from Everybody Welcome course
Every church member looking at their part in the welcome their church offers
The setting up of a ‘Welcome Team’ in the church
Identifying priorities for decision and action by church councils
Focussed prayer for God to draw people to the church
Growth with grace: UK Study Tour 2015
Prayer and Growth
It’s God’s job to grow the church – ‘I will build my church’, ‘The Lord added to their number daily’, ‘I planted, Apollos watered but God made it grow’ – but he prefers us to get involved and ask him to work It’s our job to pray for, invite, welcome, integrate and disciple the people God sends us So pray that God will send the people and prepare to welcome them!
Growth with grace: UK Study Tour 2015
Write a prayer – use it in every service
Heavenly Father, you have welcomed us into your kingdom and your heart’s desire is to draw every human being to yourself. Grant us clear eyes to see people as you see them, sensitive feet to stand in their shoes, and warm smiles to welcome them in your name. Give us such generous hearts that our church becomes a foretaste of heaven where every soul you send us finds their loving home in the community of your Son our Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen
Growth with grace: UK Study Tour 2015
Which hurdle is Becher’s Brook?
1. Discovering your are there
1. Discovering your are there 2. Meeting church members
1. Discovering your are there 2. Meeting church members
3. Attending an initial service
1. Discovering your are there 2. Meeting church members 4. Early friendliness 3. Attending an initial service
1. Discovering your are there 2. Meeting church members 4. Early friendliness 3. Attending an initial service
5. Making new friends
1. Discovering your are there 2. Meeting church members 4. Early friendliness 3. Attending an initial service
5. Making new friends
6. Small groups & belonging
1. Discovering your are there 2. Meeting church members 4. Early friendliness 3. Attending an initial service
5. Making new friends
7. Making a contribution – full identity
6. Small groups & belonging
Church growth comes in 3 dimensions
Numerical – the circumference of the community
Spiritual – the depth of the community
Vitality – the life and power of the church’s mission
Growth with grace: UK Study Tour 2015
Questions and Answers
Growth with grace: UK Study Tour 2015
Where to next…
Pray for growth
Share capacity and capability
2016
Do the reading….together
Everybody Welcome
Study Tour: Lead Your Church Into Growth & Ministry Visits
2017
Lead Your Church Into Growth - Local
Growth with grace: UK Study Tour 2015
Leading Your Church Into Growth and Plan For Growth
Preparation LyCiG Leaders Conference LyCiG Local
Plan For Growth Implement Review Growth with grace: UK Study Tour 2015
God of Mission Who alone brings growth to your Church, Send your Holy Spirit to give Vision to our planning, Wisdom to our actions, And power to our witness. Help our church to grow in numbers, In spiritual commitment to you, And in service to our local community, Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen Growth with grace: UK Study Tour 2015