You're Not Getting Older; You're Getting Better

There was a congregation somewhere anticipating the 100th anniversary of the establishment of its church. A planning committee was formed for the celebration, but after a few meetings it disbanded and the anniversary was canceled. As a member of the committee explained it, “We just felt we couldn’t proceed with having a 100th anniversary celebration because we’ve never done that before.”

OK, maybe that’s fictitious (although not so far-fetched, perhaps), but it is true that churches often have difficulty with the notion of change. What raises the specter of change in a congregation more than a significant anniversary? Looking back quickly illustrates that the life of a church has undergone change, from the photos of people who no longer are around for varieties of reasons to differences in the physical plant to attendance records. Time moves forward and life is altered.

There are congregations today who recall with longing a period of time when there were twice or triple the number of folks worshipping on Sunday mornings as there are now. Somewhere along the way, in the minds of some, a standard was established for what it meant to be a valid church capable of ministering in the name of Christ. Today’s numbers are not at that standard, so we must do what we can to recapture that blessed Golden Era When Everything Was Wonderful And We Felt Comfortable Going To Church Without Worrying Whether There Was Enough Money Or Adequate Numbers Of Members To Keep The Doors Open So We Had A Church To Attend And We Didn’t Have To Be Concerned That The Church Would Close On Our Watch.

Indeed, it was a simpler time. And life in our culture and society was vastly different from today. And the church was stronger. And it was more important to people’s lives. And there were more youth around, insuring the future of our church. And it’s not like that today. And we need more people. And we need more money.

Not everyone is burdened by this admittedly caricatured although somewhat common mind-set regarding the church. First Christian Church in Garden City, Kansas is approaching its 125th anniversary with a forward-looking attitude. As the Disciples in Garden City geared up for the anniversary co-pastor Paul Klaus observed, “An important thing that has happened over the last few years is that we have gone about the work of rediscovering ourselves.”

With a core group of members numbering around 150, down from several hundred during the Golden Era When Everything Was Wonderful…, “the church has been realigning itself with its sense of mission in recent years.” Thus saith Ruthella Wagner, a member for almost 70 years. “We have hoped to give, over the years, half of our budget to missions,” Wagner said. “We’ve never quite made it, but with this rediscovery process, the church is getting closer.”

The “rediscovery” has led to more of the members taking part in ministry within their community, including evangelism efforts, hospital chaplaincy, elders training, nesting a Latino congregation, and more.

Rev. Klaus remarked, “the anniversary is getting [the congregation] to look at their story. This has been a process that has helped members of First Christian ask, ‘What is our story, and what is going to be our story?’”

Reflecting on the history of mission from the early days of the congregation’s life, which led to rapid growth in terms of “making disciples,” as Jesus commissioned his followers to do, Klaus said, “Part of our anniversary story will say, ‘This is what made us a great church, and this will make us a great church again.’”

Ah, fresh evidence that the Holy Spirit responds when invited into the lives of believers and their community of faith!