State of the Church Address, Part 3

This is Part 3 of Pastor Poinsettia's State of the Church Address presented at the Annual Meeting on January 31, 2016.  For Part 1, Click here.  For Part 2, Click here.

New Members Fall 2015

In religious circles, there is a lot of talk about what the next generation of church will look like. One only needs to look at our 10 year trends to know that something is changing, much of it out of our control.

Last week, we heard all the statistics about the rise of those “with no religious affiliation” especially among the younger population – the Millenials. About half of those born between 1984-2002, can be considered post-Christian in their beliefs, thinking, and worldview. This is especially startling knowing that in 2015, Millenials surpassed Baby Boomers to become the largest population group in our country.

That half of Millenials are un-churched means that the average un-churched person doesn’t think about going to church any more than the average Christian thinks about going to synagogue. This means we can no longer assume just because we are here, and our doors are open, that younger people will feel compelled to come to church. This was apparent in our leadership retreat last week when the participants were asked how many of their children and grandchildren were no longer involved in a church. Nearly, every hand went up.

This hit home with me in my first couple of weeks here. I had a conversation with a daughter of this congregation. I asked her why she no longer participated. She told me, “I don’t need church to know that I’m a good person.”

While her statement is a true one, at least when taken at face value, I believe there is a need for a place that creates a sense of belonging, that helps foster a sense of purpose and meaning in peoples’ lives, that impacts and transforms the community. And that place is a church – and I know that St. Mark is such a place.

The demise of the church is greatly exaggerated. The potential for gain is still greater than the potential to lose. It is true that churches that love their model more than the mission of Jesus Christ will struggle. On the other hand, churches that have a faithful vision will always flourish, and not perish, as the proverbs says.

A spirit led congregation will always gather. What Christians can do together far surpasses what we can do alone. So while our gatherings might shift and look different in the future, I know that we will always gather to do more together than what we would ever do on our own. May God bless us as we embrace the future together.

The Reverend James K. Poinsett, Interim Pastor