What’s wrong with the church? Only 15% of Canadians attend worship services on a weekly basis. Fewer young families and young people remain engaged. Donation budgets are in decline. Aging buildings add to the financial pressures. Church denominations struggle with theological controversy, with some individual churches separating or causing all out denominational rifts.
Yet in the midst of this, some congregations in Canada continue to flourish. As the newly formed Flourishing Congregations Institute says, the church continues to be “a center of community life for many, in ways that bridge across ages, classes, and in some cases, ethnic backgrounds.” What’s more, churches make positive contributions to individuals and society, including personal satisfaction, ethical behaviour, healthy relationships, volunteer opportunities, charitable giving, and practical social assistance (Flourishing Congregations Project, 1-2).
So instead of focusing on what’s wrong with the church, the Flourishing Congregations Institute seeks to focus on what’s right. Through research and analysis, they intend to identify key characteristics of flourishing congregations and share their findings to assist congregations, individuals, and society at large.
I happily participated in an interview with Bill McAlpine, who teaches practical theology at Ambrose University and is part of the research team. I was curious to learn more about the Flourishing Congregations Project, and drawn in by this intro statement:
Research shows that churches who participate in research are more likely to benefit and flourish themselves.
I’d love to see my congregation continue to flourish, so I’m following the Institute’s progress with interest.
Below are a few more of my thoughts about the flourishing church in the New Testament and today.
Several months ago, I was invited to speak to a group of pastors and other church leaders on spiritual renewal for congregations. They had been focusing a great deal on change—how to respond to changing culture, how to manage change within the church–and I had been asked to shift the conversation from what to do about change to how we might find spiritual renewal in changing times. What does it mean to be a spiritually renewed church in the midst of change?
When the New Testament speaks of the church, it’s remarkably free of our modern pre-occupation with statistics and demographics. We’re never told the membership numbers for the church in Corinth, Rome, Thessalonica, or any of the early churches. The New Testament mentions widows, but not how many, or if there were more women than men. Although Jesus welcomed parents and young children, we don’t know how many young families were part of the church, or if there were many youth and young adults.
Instead of majoring on demographics and numbers, Romans 12:9–18 describes the spiritually renewed church this way:
Let love be genuine; hate what is evil,
hold fast to what is good;
love one another with mutual affection;
outdo one another in showing honor.
Do not lag in zeal, be ardent in spirit, serve the Lord.
Rejoice in hope, be patient in suffering, persevere in prayer.
Contribute to the needs of the saints;
extend hospitality to strangers.
Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them.
Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep.
Live in harmony with one another;
do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly;
do not claim to be wiser than you are.
Do not repay anyone evil for evil,
but take thought for what is noble in the sight of all.
If it is possible, so far as it depends on you,
live peaceably with all.
That's the kind of flourishing church that I would want to belong to, that God calls us to, that I think people in our world are hungry for today. And while the Bible isn’t exactly a how-to manual, I believe that Romans 12:1–2 tells us something about how to be flourishing, spiritually renewed churches today.
First of all, we can’t get there on our own. The chapter begins with an appeal to readers “by the mercies of God.” We can pray for spiritual renewal for our churches and for ourselves. We can explore different spiritual disciplines to help prepare the way. We can research, experiment, and apply various strategies. But we can’t control spiritual renewal, or make it happen by our own efforts. Instead, spiritual renewal comes to us by the mercies of God.
At the same time, the text urges readers to present our bodies to God as our spiritual worship. If we’re looking for renewal, we need to take seriously our whole selves—body, soul, and spirit. We are embodied souls, spiritual beings in the flesh. It’s through our bodies that we express what we believe and feel and think. So spiritual renewal will involve concrete acts of love, worship, serving, giving, and so much more. It means showing up in the real world.
Spiritual renewal also means more than going through the motions. As we present our bodies, we are also urged “do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds.” To act differently means we will also need to think differently. While the world may say, get even, we are to think and practice patience and trust in God. Instead of pride, humility; instead of cursing, an offer of blessing; instead of hostility, practicing hospitality to strangers.
I appeal to you therefore, brothers and sisters,
on the basis of God’s mercy,
to present your bodies
as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God,
which is your reasonable act of worship.
Do not be conformed to this age,
but be transformed by the renewing of the mind,
so that you may discern what is the will of God—
what is good and acceptable and perfect.
—Romans 12:1–2
