Members, Don't Count

Members, Don't Count (For expanded context, see "White Wave Manifesto" in Pages on this blog.)

Why do we count members in church?  It might be that our denominations require it for statistical/financial purposes.  Maybe increasing membership is a feather in our cap. Maybe decreasing membership is a concern in our hearts, but what is the theological reason that we count members?  Are we recognizing a certain group of people that have filled a certain battery of requirements?  And if this is true, if we are counting people who belong to the church, than perhaps we have forgotten to Whom the people actually belong. Hint: He’s the one who filled the requirements!

In ancient days, God divided the Promised Land among the tribes and the tribes divided their allotments among the founding families. Every family had an ancestral acreage.  The ancestral acreage was not only a source of livelihood, it was a constant reminder of the God who not only provided the rain, but provided the land itself. It was held in trust.  The family was a steward of the land.  Families didn’t own what they worked.  It ultimately belonged to God. 

Sometimes, though, there was a crop failure. Sometimes there was a sickness in the family.  Sometimes there was an unexpected mouth to feed and the ancestral land was mortgaged. Sometimes, a family would have to sell the land to pay the taxes or to make ends meet.  They would then hire themselves out as laborers for a different land owner, but only for a certain amount of time.  At the end of a period of fifty years, the land was restored to the original family.  We have heard of this restoration as part of the jubilee year:

You shall count off seven weeks of years, seven times seven years, so that the period of seven weeks of years gives forty-nine years. Then you shall have the trumpet sounded loud; on the tenth day of the seventh month—on the day of atonement—you shall have the trumpet sounded throughout all your land. And you shall hallow the fiftieth year and you shall proclaim liberty throughout the land to all its inhabitants. It shall be a jubilee for you: you shall return, every one of you, to your property and every one of you to our family. That fiftieth year shall be a jubilee for you; you shall not sow, or reap the aftergrowth, or harvest the unpruned vines. For it is a jubilee; it shall be holy to you: you shall eat only what the field itself produces. In this year of jubilee you shall return, every one of you, to your property. When you make a sale to your neighbor or buy from your neighbor, you shall not cheat each other.  When you buy from your neighbor, you shall pay only for the number or years since the jubilee; the seller shall charge you only for the remaining crop years. (Leviticus 25:8-15)

The buyers of the land knew that at the end of fifty years, the horn would blow and the land would be returned to the original owners.  The sellers knew that their descendants would eventually be restored to the land of promise.  The purchase price, therefore, was based on the time left from the point of sale to the time when the land would be restored to its original owner.  If there were twenty years left until Jubilee, the land would command a higher value than if there were just ten.  If there were forty years remaining, the price would be higher still.   

When the horn blew the prodigals would return home.  The jubilee was a blank slate and a fresh start.  We see why the jubilee was sometimes called the, “year of the Lord’s favor.” Everything was new again. The people returned to their original property.  For Israel, that meant a return to the promise and a reminder of the One who made that promise a reality.  The trumpet blast was a reminder that God always brings his people home: through the call of Abraham and his barren wife Sara, through an extended trek across the ocean floor after hundreds of years of slavery, through the howling wilderness, against great odds and sure defeat, God was faithful.  God is faithful still.

The goal of jubilee was not a commandment to make the people more religious.  The goal was not to make the land more productive.  The goal was to set the people free.  Similarly, the goal of our Christ was not to make good church members.  The goal was, and still is, to delight in “the divine love that swamps both body and soul." (Barbara Brown Taylor, “Sabbath Resistance,” Christian Century (May 31, 2005): 35.) The goal remains for the church to experience communion with a God who delights in us. As a response, we glorify Him by joining the church and offering our praise. The church is not a substitution for a personal relationship and personal ministry, but a launching pad for it.

What if, in the church, we thought of the church membership in the same way the ancients thought of land ownership?  After a period of time, the horn would blow and not only would we let the land lay fallow we would release the servants by deleting the membership roles.  The people would then be free to suspend their membership obligations.  They would be free from serving the church and be reminded that they serve the One who created the church. 

This membership purge would be equally applied to both the newly baptized and the original charters; to those members that are shut-in and to those members that go out; to those members that are contributing financially and to those that aren’t; to those members that are attending worship every week and to those who attend faithfully every Easter and Christmas.  All are cut free.

But we hesitate at the thought of deleting membership rolls knowing that we would be raising judicatory ire.  We hesitate because there would be some in our churches who would balk and squawk at the idea of deleting our roles.  We know that church membership should be less about recruitment and more about deployment but we also know that such action would solicit a rare visit by denominational representatives suddenly concerned about our orthodoxy while protesting the loss of funding based on active membership.  

Furthermore, we are secretly proud of our membership.  “Our numbers are holding steady but our giving is up.”  “We had four people join last week.”  “We have over 6 thousand members.” 

But perhaps for all of our focus on membership, our focus is on the wrong thing.  Is our membership in the church more important than our relationship to Christ? Deleting the membership roles might remind us of the proper role the church plays in our relationship with God. Becoming a non-member does not mean we must be a non-attender.  In fact, there is nothing Biblical commanding us to be members of a church.  Indeed, I know of one church in town that doesn’t keep membership roles.  They never have.  The truth is, we are accountable to God, not the church. 

Membership has nothing to do with keeping our name on a membership list. It isn’t about paying our dues.  It isn't based on biannual church attendance.  So why do we have such a hard time wrapping our minds around the idea of deleting the membership roles?  Could it be that we are more concerned with church maintenance than spiritual maintenance? We need to remember that preservation of the church is not the same thing as preservation of the truth.  So let us blow that horn and delete those dusty and dated membership roles.  It is time for a blank slate and a fresh start.

It is time to announce that our church is deleting its membership roles!

Concomitant with the announcement that membership roles are being deleted, the congregation will need to be reminded that membership in the church was never the goal.  The church might make an announcement that membership roles will not be kept any longer. In some cases, the church will be required by the denomination to keep track of members.  Perhaps a new membership class might be offered for all former members to attend before they are added to the membership roles.

The announcement that the roles are being deleted should be well in advance of the actual act of membership roll deletion.  The interval of time between the announcement and its execution will vary from one community to the next. Along with the announcement, the benefits of such a decision should be disclosed to the congregation.  For instance, with the universal purging of the roles, there would be no more inactive church members on the books just because they went through confirmation thirty years ago or because their parents were members. The process of removal would be uniform for everybody and not based on an annual review of attendance or financial contributions or ancestry.  The ground is level at the foot of the cross.

As a result of this announcement, the church would have the real opportunity to address what church membership really means and who is qualified. Are shut-in’s members?  In what way?  Are college graduates that have moved away members?  What about children or grandchildren that attend occasionally, but don’t give to the ministry of the church?  And what about those that give to the church but don’t attend?   Is there something more to church membership then showing up and shelling out?

Most church membership lists are comprised of both active and inactive members.  The rolls include those that have faithfully attended worship for five decades, and those that haven’t attended church for five years.  There are some previously active members that haven’t attended worship since they had their feelings hurt.  Some active attendees have never participated in a ministry of the church.  Some have served faithfully but have never contributed financially. 

Membership alteration is a prickly subject among parishioners.  Nobody likes to be pricked and it seems that nobody likes to have the membership roles deleted.  Even those members that haven’t been to church in years, or perhaps on only a couple of Sundays every year, are offended if the suggestion is made they be moved to the inactive list…let alone deleted from the roles altogether.  Deleting all the members at the same time removes from the equation any suggestion that favoritism is being employed.

The spiritually mature who do attend and contribute to the church on a weekly basis will understand.

They will understand that there are benefits to deleting the membership roles.  They know that members would be freed from being in bondage to the church and it would free the church from being in bondage to its members.  They can appreciate that being set free from memberships is not akin to being severed from faith but rather remembering the one who set us free. 

When the membership rolls are deleted the necessity in serving the church is removed. We would have a chance to submit fully to the Lord and discern what God would have us do.  Our focus can be re-centered on Christ.   

 Finally, announcing that the membership rolls are going to be deleted would force the congregation to ask, “What are we really counting?” 

Joab reported to the king the number of those who had been recorded; in Israel there were eight hundred thousand soldiers able to draw the sword, and those of Judah were five hundred thousand. But afterward, David was stricken to the heart because he had numbered the people. David said to the Lord, “I have sinned greatly in what I have done. But now, O Lord, I pray you, take away the guilt of your servant; for I have done very foolishly.” (2 Samuel 24:9-10)

Does numbering our members help or hinder our focus on and our faith in Jesus?  In counting our membership, are we acting wisely or foolishly?

We have seen people join the church.  We have seen them stand before God and everybody and promise to be faithful members of the church and drop out of membership just a few months later.  We have had young people go through confirmation, make a proclamation of faith, and then, just a few short years later, we never hear from them again. It is not uncommon for the membership roster—those counted as active members—to be twice current attendance.  Inactive membership, well, forget about it.

Remember how you became a member of the church? Prior to that event, you had an opportunity to study the word of God and in that process, discovered for yourself who Jesus Christ was and what it meant to have a relationship with Him.   After that period of study, you had an opportunity to profess your faith in Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior in front of the whole congregation.  You had not been baptized and at that point you were.  I had been baptized as a baby, but then I had the opportunity to profess my faith as well.  We entered into a covenant and we embraced the promise and promised to be involved in the work of His church. 

One of the first disciples put church membership this way: 

Coming to Him as to a living stone, rejected indeed by men, but chosen by god and precious, you also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. (1 Peter 2:4-5)

In those days before Christ, only the priests were allowed to get close to God. Priests were chosen by God to come into his presence making sacrifices before God on behalf of the people.  In the temple ministry, only the priests could enter into Holy of Holies, into the very presence of God and minister on behalf of the masses outside that sacred place. 

In these days after his death and resurrection, we have that same opportunity.  Church membership is not about being served, but serving God.  Not just priests…but an entire priesthood. Church membership is about an official relationship with Christ, now available not just to the priests, but to all.  The membership is a gift we give to the Lord.  It is not a gift that we give to ourselves.  We don’t have any special privileges because we are new members, old members, or charter members. However, in our churches, membership does not always equal relationship.  Instead of membership being a call to service, it is often a call to be served.  “Membership has its benefits.”

Members have votes…and influence.  Members have discounted rates for weddings, free counseling, hospital visits, and funerals.

Fine. But church membership shouldn’t be the pinnacle of our relationship with Christ but rather the result of it.  Still we hesitate. We have been focused on membership for so long that we can’t imagine life without it. We worry and we stew about membership and we try to increase it, at least maintain it. And we panic when it begins to dwindle.  We sometimes surmise that when it increases, God must be pleased with our efforts. 

Certainly there is the risk that the church might lose some members to other churches if the roles are deleted.  But that is okay for the kingdom is bigger than our local congregations.  The sheep are free to follow God wherever God leads.  If we had the courage to delete our membership roles, I believe that the non-churched might be drawn to see this new thing that God is doing.  We don’t have to work harder at increasing our membership roles.  Membership, after all, is God's business:

And day by day the Lord added to their number those who were being saved. (Acts 2:47b)

Congregational Sabbath. Less doing. More being.

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Are You a Nascar Church or a Jeep Church?

In this world, there are stock cars and there are jeeps.  Stock cars travel the same, smooth road over and over and over; round and round and round. They are very good at it. They go fast. They are flashy. They are loud.  Jeeps, on the other hand travel different roads...and they don't travel as quickly.  They take their time and pick the best route. They must go slow. Sometimes, they even stop to scout the way ahead and enjoy the beautiful scenery around them. 

What about your church?  Are you more a like a stock car racer on the Nascar circuit or a back country Jeep on a quiet mountain trail? Here is a simple test to help you decide:

A) Does your church 1) need to be loud?  Or, 2) does your church seek that quiet place? If you answered "1", you might be a Nascar church.

"Early in the morning, while it was still dark, He arose and went out and departed to a lonely place, and was praying there." (Mark 1:35)

B) Does your church 1) need to drive on familiar ground, sing familiar songs, and do things the same way again, and again, and again...year, after year, after year? Or, 2) is your church willing to take that road less traveled and step out in faith even if you have never done it that way before? If you answered "1", you just might be a Nascar church.

"And He said to them, 'Cast the net on the right-hand side of the boat, and you will find a catch.'" (John 21:6a)

C) Does your church 1) need to be fast; to move at incredible speed from one event to another with no time for rest? Does it feel like there is always something going on, or at least a need for something to always be going on? Or, 2) Is your church an unhurried place where there is assurance that God is in control and the victory has already been won? If you answered "1", that's right. You just might be a Nascar church.

"He makes me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside quiet waters." (Psalm 23:2)

D) Does your church 1) need to be flashy to be seen? Are you concerned about advertising and curb appeal? Does your sanctuary need to be ancient and awe-inspiring or contemporary and tech-savvy? Is your survival based on being seen? Or, 2) does your church know the value of leaving no trace; of becoming invisible so that God might be seen? If you answered "1", you most definitely are a Nascar church.

"Beware of practicing your righteousness before men to be noticed by them; otherwise you have no reward with you Father who is in heaven." (Matthew 6:1)

If you are a Nascar church, don't loose hope!  Just don't forget that all good racers eventually apply the brakes and come in for a pit stop. Sometimes the tires need to be changed so that the road before you can be more firmly gripped.  And remember, all good races come to an end. Spend some time between sprints reconnecting with family and catching your breath.  You just may discover that God is off that beaten track, taking the wilderness road.  Perhaps it is time for your Nascar church to just stop, pull over, and smell the burning bush. 

Congregational Sabbath: Less doing. More being.

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Church Sabbath in the Midst of Stagnation

It's been there a while. It shows signs of age, but it isn't going anywhere soon.  It's hasn't changed...at least not that much.  In fact, church Consultant George Bullard (www.bullardjournal.org) makes the following observation:  

"At 50 years old many congregations are at the point where they may fully institutionalize their patterns and practices and declare them sacred to the life and ministry of the congregation. This is often their most significant step in moving from movement to monument or museum. Wouldn’t it be great if instead of taking this institutionalization step congregations could reset their ministry through a year of jubilee?"

Jubilee, bases on Leviticus 25, is the command given to ancient Israel to let the land lay fallow...for an entire year!  No planting. No weeding. No harvest. The promise is that God will provide when his people stop. (Leviticus 25:21)  But not just provide, also bless.  I believe this is also the promise that God makes the church.  Let the institutionalized patterns and practices lay fallow.  The Lord will provide. The Lord will bless.  We don't need to knock ourselves out, wear ourselves out, and burn ourselves out trying to maintain the church. That's not our job.  

Furthermore, the promise is not only for provision, it is also for freedom.  (Leviticus 25:41-42) This ancient promise is for our present church. Congregational Sabbath (jubilee) will set the monolithic church free if we surrender our control.  If we have faith enough to step back from institutional maintenance, we will be set free to pursue real ministry.  If we dare to stop proppping up programs that drain our energy, we are set free to partner with the Holy Spirit that brings life.  If we untie ourselves from the church, we are set free to love the Lord and love one another. This is our job.

Over time, we have begun to equate the way we do church as ministry.  We have to maintain the church, we believe, because that is all there is to our faith.  And we are faithful in that endeavor.  However, we have also become rigid.  We have become immovable. We have become monolithic. We have become self-reliant instead of faithful.  God calls us to a new life.  An abundant life. The Good Shepherd calls to be part of a movement, not a monument.  It all starts when we stop. 

Congregational Sabbath. Less doing. More being.

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Congregational Sabbatical in a Time of Decline

     The Dead Sea (pictured above) is the lowest point on earth.  The Jordan River flows over 1400 feet below sea level to reach the salty shores of its final resting place.  And sometimes, our church feels just like that Jordan River...running down to our final resting place.  We are afraid we might end up in the Dead Sea.  We notice all the empty pews.  Dedication and enthusiasm have evaporated long ago. We have heard the subtle sounds of desperation, "If I don't do it, who will?" We have noticed the covert reverberations of futility, "If I don't do it, what does it matter?"

     But we worship a God who promises to never leave us or forsake us, no matter how deep we go!

     So take a deep breath. God is in control. And remember, when a church is in decline, there are three things that can happen: 1) Members rev-up and try to save the sinking ship by their own strength. 2) Members drop-off and just go through the motions waiting for the church to die. 3) Members check-out and find another church.

     If you find your church in a Jordan River decline, it is the perfect time to consider Congregational Sabbath.

     First, the revved-up will rediscover that their relationship with the Head of the Church is a celebration as much as it is a duty.  This is important because it is sometimes difficult for these faithful souls to join the festivities. They are like the elder son, working the field while the fatted calf is being served.  The commandment for Sabbath is a God-given order to work-a-holics everywhere to let their burdens down; burdens that were never theirs to bear.

   Secondly, those that have dropped off are given permission to re-charge.  These members see the futility in continuing the mission of the church...at least in the same old way.  They are worn out and they have given it all they have.  They are out of gas, and that's good!  After all, it is in the darkest part of the night, when the waves are the highest, the fire is the hottest, and Pharaoh's army is the closest, that God always does his best work.

   And for those that have checked out, for those whose only answer is to leave the church behind to run down without them, let them be reminded that God does a lot with just a few loaves and fishes.  It's hard to sink in the Dead Sea.  God can change the world with twelve imperfect men and three broken-hearted women.  In all honesty, the checked-out may be right.  Perhaps it is time to shut the door, just not forever.  What is there to lose?  Let God's people go!  God reminds us time and time again that He will bring His people back.

    So let's dare to let the field lay fallow. Give the faithful permission to worship in another congregation, but continue to meet once a month with members of the old church. Eat and pray and sing together.  Listen for what God is doing in the world. Listen to what He is doing in your heart.  He will not leave you.  If the abiding sense, after your period of Congregational Sabbath, is to still close the doors of the church, you haven't lost a thing.  But don't be surprised if God might be calling you to rebuild the ancient city, and that is worth the wait:

They will rebuild the ancient ruins and restore the places long devastated;

     They will renew the ruined cities that have been devastated for generations. 

Isaiah 61:4

Congregational Sabbath. Less doing. More being

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Congregational Sabbath: Frequently Asked Questions

Just the FAQs about Congregational Sabbath:

1.  What would happen to our church if we stopped?
A: The real question lurking here is often, "Will our church survive financially?"  The answer is, "Yes." If you are actually coming to a complete stop, the church building could be rented to another congregation.  If you are simply simplifying by suspending programs and ministries, you just may experience a revival.  Remember, the Lord has promised to provide.  (Lev. 25:22, Luke 12:22-34)

2. What if I love serving?
A: Great!  However, if you stop serving for a season, you might even be able to use that time to learn something new.  Remember, it is okay to be served.  You will come back to your ministry refreshed and reminded of who it is you are really serving. (Luke 10:38-42)

3. If we don't do it, who will?
A: The world doesn't need another savior and God's work does not depend on ours.  God invites us to participate, but not carry. (Acts 8:26-38) God has the resources to care for all of His creation.

4. What if we lose members?
A. You might. But you might also gain members. How attractive would a place of rest and simplicity be to a stressed out and sleep-deprived world? The bigger question is Who is responsible for adding numbers? (Acts 2:47b)

5. Our church is doing so well. What if we lose momentum?
A: It is easy to assume that success means God's favor. This isn't necessarily the case.  (Rev. 3:17)

6. Will I miss my friends?
A: You can always meet with your friends. Call them on the phone. Get together for coffee and fellowship. Attend worship together and listen to our God speak to you in a different way. (Proverbs 27:17)

7. How do we pay staff?
A. If Sabbath is less than a month, have staff use vacation pay. (1 Timothy 5:18)
A. If Sabbath is more than a month, pray about providing sabbatical pay. (Leviticus 25:6)
A. Staff might also seek temporary outside pay. Paul was a tent maker. Jesus was a carpenter and occasional zymurgist. (Acts 18:3, John 2:9)

8. Okay, but what will we do during congregational sabbath?
A. Meet in your homes. (Acts 2:46)
A. Go to another worship at a different church Hebrews 10:24-25)
A. Go on a Spiritual Journey. (Deuteronomy 14:22-23)

Less doing. More being.

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An Ode to Joy

Is it any wonder that so few outside the church want to join us on our somber spiritual trek? What nerve we display when we sanctimoniously declare our Spirit-squelching services, “worship” and what arrogance we betray when we lift up decency and order as the hallmark of true faith!  

In congregational sabbath we stop working so hard at being in control and take joy in realizing we are not in control. As a result, our congregational sabbath might be a little messy.  There is no doubt that it will be less scripted.  In fact we are given permission and commission by a joyous itinerant carpenter to give up our control and embrace a more child-like faith.  Become more spontaneous. In congregational sabbath, we will be asked to surrender our throne and remember that the Lord of the Sabbath is also the Lord of our lives.
It is radical.  It appears to us, irresponsible.  Like the second round of Cana wine.  However, Jesus is the one that came to save stiff-necked and stubborn people from being too serious.  He was one that reminded us to have the faith and the wonder and the joy of a child; concerned not just with global warming, or international politics, or cancer, but also with the long faces of his parents. “Are you happy?” my three year old asks.  

“Are you happy?” our Savior asks us.  After all, the way has been opened for us to come back to Eden.  It is time for us to rediscover our true purpose.  Did you not know? Have you not heard?  The joy of the Lord is your strength.” (Nehemiah 8:10)
It was said of the early Christians in Rome:

“(T)heir faith is ‘proclaimed in all the world’ (Rom. 1:8) and their ‘obedience known to all’ (16:19). These comments probably do not suggest that the…churches are actively involved in direct missionary outreach, but rather that they are ‘missionary by their very nature’, through their unity, mutual love, exemplary conduct, and radiant joy.” (David Bosch, Transforming Mission. Maryknolll, NY:  Orbis Books, 1991, pg. 168)

In congregational sabbath, we rediscover the joy of family and neighbors, restful and appreciative communion with God, and the blessings of a superfluous universe. In congregational sabbath we stop, even in the midst of this world of sorrow, to delight in what the Lord has made:  “This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.” (Psalm 118:24)
In congregational sabbath, God’s pursues us through valleys of shadow; casting light, offering hope; inviting us back into His presence where we will always find joy. Congregational sabbath is much more than rest. It is God's eternal invitation to get out of our pews and lift up our hands and exchange our solemnity for something that is more substantial; to trade in our pale, predictable, programmed, and professional church services so that we might once again rejoice with the God who delights in us wherever and whomever we are. 

Congregational sabbath. Less doing. More being.

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How does our church do Congregational Sabbath?

Q: How does our church do Congregational Sabbath?

       There's no "right" way.  The whole point of congregational sabbath is to let God lead. Every church must stop long enough to step behind the Good Shepherd once again.

       A church in New York city stops every year for one month.  The doors are locked and the members of the congregation are encouraged to worship elsewhere. A church in Iowa did not to have committee meetings for an entire year. Instead, they had a bulletin board on which opportunities to serve and needs to be met were posted.  Our church suspended programs and altered ministries for a year. At the end of that year, we re-evaluated everything. Some ministries were not brought back. New ministries were started.

      Congregational sabbath helps us pray in a new way.  We are used to praying something like, "Lord, please bless the work of our hands."  All the planning has been done. The fundraising has started. The ground is broken.  "Lord, please bless the work of our hands."  It's an okay prayer.  It's biblical, even:

      "May the favor of the Lord our God rest on us; establish the work of our hands for us-- yes, establish the work of our hands." --Psalm 90:17

     It just shouldn't be our first prayer.  Our first prayer should be, "Lord, show us what You are doing here.  Give us eyes to see and a heart to do your will. Let your will be done." And then, after we have stopped long enough to see where the Lord is leading, "Lord bless the work of our hands."

Congregational Sabbath: Less doing. More being

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