Today I came across a news item about a congregation I served in Ontario from 1995 to 2003. They have closed down in two ‘spasms.’ It is quite an odd thing to read of such a demise. There is a sense of nearness and grief mixed with a sense of distance and relief. Odd.
Here’s the story: Forest CRC closed
I fully agree it is time for a new paradigm for small churches in our denomination. Guess what? I even have some ideas! Some other day…
A little later that same day an internet acquaintance and colleague posted some very insightful thoughts about the struggles of small church on a discussion list. It is worth a careful read. Here is the link: Paul VanderKlay on small CR church problems. Here is a better link to where he later posted it on his own blog: Small church problems
PaulVK
December 7, 2007 at 8:31 pm
I put the piece I wrote on Voices on my blog as well. If you want to change your link they won’t have to get through the Voices subscribe wall to read it. pvk
http://leadingchurch.com/weblog/pivot/entry.php?id=313
brad
January 9, 2008 at 4:24 pm
Thanks PaulVK for posting this thoughtful, straight from the hip piece.
Demographically I’m right in between looking forward to seeing what God’s going to do with His church in North America, and scared for when I’m generationally superceded by it. As I’m now 32, I’m expecting that to happen, oh, tomorrow! 🙂
There is untapped potential for the entire church to experiment with smaller, faster and more efficient ministry. I see a trend where everything seems to be shrinking: colleges, seminaries and congregations. And yet just because the meeting places are changing doesn’t itself mean that the church itself is shrinking. Paradigms are changing, but it’s not clear yet where they’re headed. (Is it ever clear?)