So We Cancelled it All
This video is a confession of sorts – not prescriptive but thought provoking and honest.
It’s by an Episcopal priest who did something that flies against the advice of almost every ministry book or seminary class, she cancelled all the adult programs at her church, St. Mary’s.
After years of pinning her hopes on the next program, attempting to convince people to attend, and then being disappointed with the turn out, she realized “nobody is coming to these things.”
She calls it “a roller-coaster of seduction and discouragement.”
Here is her story.
I’m not sharing this to suggest we all ought to follow suit and cancel our programs as well, there are no doubt some that are making a difference and are worth the time and effort, but I do think it speaks to an important shift in our ecclesial context.
The idea that church should be centered on programs of one sort or another is a relatively recent development, and perhaps the age of programs will soon be ushered out as fast as it arrived.
To be honest, sometimes I think that would be for the best.
HT: Jesus Creed
You know, my church in Chicago was steadfastly against program. The church planters were from Willow and I think were reacting against the overly programmed evangelical culture. They wanted us to be out of the church building and in our lives/city/neighborhood, and with our families.
That was great, but the opposite extreme was also harmful. In a city where we were all leading the insular lives of being strangers in a place filled with people, we all went to church longing for relationships. Without an event to go to to build relationships, I spent four years going to the church before I felt like I knew anyone there beyond their name and face.
Programs should be a place to allow relationships to grow and people to be challenged and then sent out. There must be a balance. Without a “program” of some sort, there is binding of the body. With all programs, the body is sedentary and grows spiritually fat for lack of external action.
I think she is on to something. Sometimes you need to do something drastic for growth to happen. I’m not in ministry, but I can identify with this in a way. About 18 months ago we left the church we attended for 13 years and the church where my husband grew up. There were many reasons, but one of the reasons was the guilt trips given to us because we chose not to participate in all their programs. As introverts trying to be involved in all that was going on exhausted us. And all the churches here in our small town are the same way. We now attend church 30 minutes away at a church that doesn’t believe in having a hundred programs. They believe in doing a few things and doing them very well and never being made to feel as if you have to participate. It has been so life giving. It will be interesting to see how her church grows now with a different focus.
I hear the frustration in her voice and I sympathize, but still, it’s a good call on her part. Perhaps it would be better for her to pour her life into just a handful of people hungry for Jesus, and “settle” for but a few disciples.
I was also intrigued by her remarks that the parishioners were energized by short-term, high-reward social acts. These are undoubtedly part of the work of the church, but are also tempting substitutes for a relationship with Jesus: the sort of “good works” generate good feelings, but do not, in the end, make followers of Christ.
I appreciate her honesty so much.
I find it heartening to hear that people want to volunteer and care for their communities. My goal as a Christian is to love God and love people. Sometimes my own brokenness makes it hard to find God in a church building. Sometimes putting on my Christian mask and going to a Bible study is not enough. Church gets complicated.
But loving people is pretty simple for me. It’s doing the dishes and ladling the soup. Loving people connects us to God, is an expression of our love for Him. We need both that kind of action as well as other spiritual disciplines. Both are valid.
It’s painful to hear her frustration – which is more exhaustion and perhaps sadness – but what I found most interesting was her assessment that her partitioners want to do more with tangible things…more “helping the world be a better place.” Which leads to me to draw some conclusions – right or wrong as they may be:
1) The partitioners think they know everything they need to know about Christ. In fact, they may know more about ritual or religion than they do about relationship. This possibly could come about in a “ritual-oriented” setting which Catholic and Episcopal congregations participate in.
2) They have no interest in fellowshipping with others at the church. If these events are being promoted well and people don’t want to come, if #1 isn’t the only issue then it could be that they have no desire to get to know their community better. The Body of Christ needs to be where people can feel safe, and share, and be responsive to needs. That cannot happen if people aren’t fellowshipping and learning together.
I totally agree there’s no sense in wasting resources and energies in things people aren’t going to attend or help make happen but I pray this congregation steps up and realizes what they’re missing out on. I can imagine some people saying to her, “But why was it cancel?” And her stating, “No one came.” And that partitioner has a choice at that moment to be part of the problem and keep doing what they’ve been doing or be part of the solution and find ways to connect people.
A role-focused. church which only wishes to plug people into programs and needs will not flourish. A relationship-focused church which connects people with similar needs, interests, and backgrounds will grow by leaps and bounds.
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