THRIVING AND GROWING

At this midpoint in 2008 my midyear question for you is, “Is Trinity thriving and

growing?”  My answer would be yes and no.  Yes, we are a thriving church because we have a wide diversity of ministries that address our own spiritual needs and that reach out to the world in need.  Our worship is dynamic with different expressions through which we praise and glorify God.  Christian Education has offerings for all ages to address our need to grow in learning and in our spirituality.  Mission and Peacemaking ministry opportunities are too lengthy to list here, but provide a variety of ways to serve God’s people outside our doors.  Pastoral care of our own and our fellowship options are one of our strengths.

But we are NOT growing in two important ways.  First, a small percentage of our congregation take advantage of our excellent Christian Education offerings, especially our junior and senior high youth and our adults.  Our CE elders and I ponder and pursue answers to this challenge.

Second, we are not growing our numbers of new members, especially expressed through adult baptisms.  Although we are able to welcome some new members, members die and we are not bringing new people into faith.  Walking with families into the valley of the shadow of death is one of the most important reasons for the church to exist.  My stronger concern is that we do not actively seek the unchurched and those who are seeking deeper meaning in their lives.  In my former presbytery, our Executive Presbyter, Rev. Jill Hudson, would ask at presbytery meetings how many congregations had adult baptisms in the last quarter.  She realized that adult baptisms are the single most indicative factor that we are bringing new people to faith.

Trinity has so much to offer families that I am confident we can awaken from our slumber of comfort with “the way things are” and reverse this decline in our membership.  Our faith and hope and love we share with one another can be contagious for others who do not have a family of faith.  We do not have to preach or “witness” to our friends and colleagues.  But we can unbind our tongues and our hearts to share why being a Christian (or Presbyterian or member of Trinity or Christ-follower) makes a difference in our lives.  Let’s untie the knots that bind us.  Join me at 10:00 on Sunday mornings this summer to begin this unbinding process in a gentle, non-threatening way.  Thanks be to God for this good news that God adores us and everyone else.

Grace and Peace,

Shelley