By Deborah Bruce
Brent Bill is a Quaker minister and author who writes about everyday spirituality. He recently posted his thoughts on revitalizing the Quaker message in the United States. But don't stop reading now just because you're not a Quaker! Bill makes some excellent points that apply to all congregations.
What does Bill suggest will help revitalize congregations? Congregations need to look at what flourishing congregations are doing well. These congregations:
- Provide a sense of community
- Seek to educate attendees about the faith
- Share their faith with others
- Serve others (outside the congregation)
- Convey the sense that life has meaning
These signs of vitality "have very little to do with specific 'programs.' They are about attitudes and how faith is lived out, " Bill notes.
Congregational leaders are encouraged to learn from others. The point is not to blindly follow what others have done, though but "to make decisions and/or proposals from a basis more solid than hunches or impressions," Bill says. Examine success stories and research on thriving congregations and ask critical questions about how those examples can be adapted to fit the unique situation your congregation faces. Bill suggests these queries:
- Who are we?
- Why do we exist—what's our mission?
- What is God calling us to be and do?
- Do we welcome others?
- How do we relate to our community?
- HOw do we adapt to change?
Is your congregation on the path to revitalization?
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