Today's vital church

I've recently spent some time in thought about what we're being told as United Methodists. The Council of Bishops has studied the fact that UM churches' attendance and membership are falling like snowflakes, or in some cases like torrential rainstorms.

They've decided this:

congregations show that high-vitality churches consistently share common factors

that work together to influence congregational vitality and are characterized by the prevalence of:

Effective pastoral leadership including inspirational preaching, mentoring laity, and effective management
Multiple small groups and programs for children and youth

A mix of traditional and contemporary worship services

A high percentage of spiritually engaged laity who assume leadership roles.

Okay. I get it. It just doesn't describe either of my two churches for the most part. We do have a mix of traditional and contemporary worship services, but with limited budgets and musicians, it is what it is.  I believe perhaps we have a higher percentage of spiritually engaged laity who have assumed leadership roles than most churches because we're so small, everyone effectively is in a leadership role of some kind. I'd like to think we have inspirational preaching, but that's not really for me to say. I doubt, however, my mentoring abilities sometimes and my leadership abilities at others.

It's the multiple small groups and programs for children and youth that is the killer. We don't, have them I mean. If we did, we'd have bigger churches.

What to do?

There is no question that the UMC needs to change. We are too old, too white, too tired in many cases. But what do we do with churches that are still in need of pastors? Do we throw them out? Through people like me out?

That's what will be decided in the next few years, I'm afraid. In the meantime, I'm going to do whatever I can to offer the gospel to a world that needs it now more than ever. Our churches are going to try to help those less fortunate than ourselves. We're going to serve the poor, the tired, the infirmed as best we can.

If that's not a vital church, what is?