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How Do You Measure “Church” in A Digital Age?

The things we measure are not always the things that count.

Churches have vital statistics. Most people in the pew pay little attention to them. Pastors often pay little attention, too. Denominations have a hard time collecting parish data and sometimes they make up their own statistics.

Maybe it’s too depressing. Maybe we measure the wrong things.

Typical parish statistics include:

Worship attendance
Number of baptized/confirmed members
Percentage of members attending worship
Number of members involved in Sunday Schools and VBS programs
Regular giving by members
Endowments and property assets
Operating expenses and debt
Contributions to benevolence (what the local parish sends to the denomination)
Contributions to mission
Ethnic and racial makeup of a congregation

Little of this says anything about what a congregation does or is capable of doing in the modern world!

In most congregations, at least in the ELCA, most traditional statistics are dropping dramatically.

Some of these statistics are rather old fashioned.

Once upon a time, a parish had to give money to centralized authority to be dispersed for mission. Today, congregations can and do choose mission efforts in the community and bypass their denominations, which skews that statistic.

Operating expenses assume a pastor’s salary and property as foundational expenses. Neither may be necessary anymore.

There are many other things in a congregation that can be measured (but aren’t) and there are even more things that are difficult to measure.

If we start looking at other sources of data, our view of parish ministry might change.

Internet ministries are very measurable and can be very helpful in directing church ministry. Very few congregations bother or work only half-heartedly in a self-focused way.

2×2 concentrates on internet outreach — and we’ve only begun!

Here are some statistics on our first 10 months of internet ministry.

2×2 published its first post in February 2011. We had practically no traffic for six months. In mid-summer, we began publishing daily and the site has grown since. There was a slight dip at Christmas time but we have already recorded our most traffic ever only four days into 2012, so we expect the statistics to continue to grow — as long as we continue to work at it.

We have recorded 2100 site visits. For the last two months, 2×2 has consistently registered 100-150 views each week. We have about 70 subscribers/followers who receive our posts by email and so are not counted in site visits data. Our average daily on site readership is about 25. So it is fair to say that 2×2 has 100 daily readers.

2×2 has been visited by someone in all but three states with regular viewership in several states. We have viewers around the world with regular readership in several European countries, Canada and Australia.

We can follow our reader’s interests and provide content accordingly. 2×2 readers are most interested in Social Media and the Church and Children’s Sermons. Our articles on Multicultural Ministry were republished by a reader in Texas. The Editorial Calendar we created to correspond to the Lectionary has been downloaded dozens of times.

2×2 has a presence beyond its online ministry that is more difficult to measure (like most ministries), but in 2×2’s case, it is made all the more difficult to measure because the members of 2×2, who are also members of Redeemer, East Falls, have been excommunicated from the ELCA — without discussion or congregational vote — with the denomination claiming our property and financial assets against their own denominational rules.

Imagine what might have been accomplished if our abilities had been measured!

The church needs to take a fresh look at how they measure ministry.

04 Jan 2012

Churches Must Be Open to Be Accessible

This post is in response to a post on Alban Institute Roundtable about churches welcoming disabled or others representing a challenging status in society.

The Alban post begins by referencing a 2004 commercial created by the United Church of Christ that used stunning imagery of churches barring or ejecting the disabled, elderly, homosexual couples or people who visibly represent a racial or ethnic minority.

What follows is a very good review of the challenges facing congregations living up to Jesus’ mandate of inclusion.

The article states that the imagery was meant to be provocative.

It may be more than that. It may be true.

The fact is denominational leaders are entering sanctuaries and evicting the faithful, sometimes using stealth and chicanery. They are locking doors and barring access to members who rely on their neighborhood churches to support their faith, to know their problems without having to ask for help or special consideration, to strengthen their families, and let’s not forget, to worship.

The discussion of the church and inclusion should be broadened to include the endangered neighborhood church. If churches are closed and sold for their assets, it doesn’t matter if they have handicapped ramps, listening aids or large-type bulletins. They are not there to help anyone.

Denominations are taking from the people they label as frail to strengthen their own needs which are growing as mainline denominations decline and the economy fails. The attitude: It is too much trouble to serve them. We might as well take what they have and relieve our own problems.

Denominations are relying on “separation of church and state” to leave their authority unquestioned, even when their governing statutes forbid their actions. Intimidating tactics ensure that their own rank and file will not intervene. They assume absolute power — and we all know the saying that goes with that!

Bystanders, which include staff, clergy and congregations, assume that the victims are somehow being put out of their misery . . . that it’s all for the good of the Kingdom. They justify inaction and settle their consciences with . . . . “Well, the denomination knows better how to use resources than the smaller churches.” A study of church history does not bear this out, and that’s why the Lutheran Church and some other denominations foster congregational polity.

The people they are hurting include the very people the Christian mission seeks to help. The disabled and the disenfranchised play important roles in small churches in a very natural way. They are not “allowed” to serve as acolytes and ushers or readers. They just do these things as does everyone else. They don’t have to ask for help; their neighbors and families know their needs and their strengths. They — or should we say “we”– go to church where we have found this acceptance.

It is often the small churches with 100 members and valuable properties that denominations eye as easy pickings. In doing so, they threaten their entire denominational mission.

When you lock the doors of a neighborhood church, you are locking out the crippled, who can’t get to the large suburban churches that have elevators and ramps but no public transportation. You are locking out ethnic groups trying to make lives in the neighborhood where they have chosen to live. You are locking out disadvantaged children who walk to church by themselves when their single moms or dads work on Sunday morning. You are evicting the elderly who gave their best years to the neighborhood church and now need their support. You are putting the disadvantaged in a position where they have to beg to be included or noticed.

The imagery of that commercial is real. This is happening.

Redeemer, East Falls
Bethlehem, Brooklyn
Paramus, NJ
Holy Trinity, Union, NJ
and more!

Accessibility begins with proximity.

‘Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.’

03 Jan 2012

Oops! Wrote Too Soon! Redeemer Is Closed Again

The week before Christmas SEPA Synod announced that Redeemer was reopening and they were holding candlelight vigil of celebration on Wednesday evening. All welcome!

Neighbors report it wasn’t well attended or a particularly happy celebration. They were never clear about what exactly they were celebrating. Lutherans don’t celebrate Christmas in Advent.

It was not open on Christmas Eve.

The latest news is that SEPA will be coming to East Falls Community Council in February to ask the neighborhood how they should use the “former Redeemer” building. Guess Redeemer is closed again!

Just another flip flop from a Synod with no direction. Lock out 82 members (black, white, young and old) for two years. Welcome the neighborhood back. Ask suggestions from the neighborhood at large — where the people they locked out still live. The last thing they would ever do is ask the Lutherans of East Falls what to do with Lutheran property.

Redeemer had plenty of ideas for how to use their building . . . all within the mission of the church as it was intended when the people of East Falls bought the land, built the church, rebuilt it and nurtured it without SEPA’s help. Want ideas for how to use East Falls sacred property? . . . Try asking “former Redeemer.” We’re still alive and well. But SEPA knows that!

Redeemer had a 25-year day care with Ken-Crest, which packed up and left when Synod reared its head.
Redeemer had a day care for 20 years before that.
Redeemer was within a week of reopening the day care when Synod locked the doors.
Redeemer hosted as many as five AA groups.
Redeemer was once the “home” of community council meetings.
Redeemer held weekly worship services.
Redeemer held cultural events.
Redeemer held fellowship events weekly.
Redeemer held Bible Study weekly.
Redeemer had a full-summer Day Care/Bible School.
Redeemer had a unique multicultural ministry which Synod claims is one of their goals.
Redeemer had multiple ambitious and ground-breaking mission projects underway.
Redeemer often hosted ecumenical worship events.
Redeemer continues to pioneer mission initiatives. We took our ministry online and have a worldwide following.

Synod, who now claims interest in our neighborhood, attempted to destroy all this with questionable legality. While claiming immunity from the law under separation of church and state (which so far the courts have bought — hook, line and sinker), they used precious resources to attack the members of “former Redeemer” in the courts.

31 Dec 2011

Why Does the Church Accept Failure?

2×2 has studied church statistics in the last two years. A growing church is a rarity. Almost all Lutheran churches in SEPA Synod are in decline — many in double-digit decline, including some of the “most important churches” (that’s a term used in Bishop Burkat’s book about Transforming Denominational Ministries). There is no room for any church to pass judgment on another.

What is most alarming is that failure seems to be accepted. Decline continues over years. Many churches have had the same pastor during many years of decline. This may be a byproduct of the call system that requires congregations to muster a two-thirds vote to change leadership. This process tends to be divisive and avoided for good reason, long past the point when needed.

Pastors are protected by the call system. They can collect a pay check even while steeples are falling. Some even expect periodic raises as income and attendance drop! Failure has no consequence.

Why does the Church accept failure from its leadership?

It starts at the top! The ELCA presiding bishop has no trouble traveling to Washington to advise our president on the politics of the Mideast, but he has been silent about many problems facing the ELCA, as if they don’t exist.

His attitude trickles down to the bishops which trickles down to the pastors which trickles down to the congregations. You end up with a church of words without action.

A great deal of effort is spent not rocking this ecclesiastic boat. Pastors serve in isolation. Asking for help might impact their autonomy. If things get really bad (as if they aren’t already), they need friends in the denomination to help them move on.

Lay people have a different sense of commitment to their ministries. It is a truly deep “call” to them; it is the foundation of their culture, faith, and legacy. They are not likely to move when their church is failing. They will either work harder or slowly fade from involvement.

Our Ambassador visits reveal just how influential the laity is. They are holding congregations together with little help and less credit. Sadly, they will be the first to take the blame when fingers start pointing. Just ask the members of Redeemer! Our members were sued by SEPA BEFORE we were able to exercise any process called for by the constitution. The clergy working with us, who voted for and encouraged our initiatives, disappeared faster than you can say “Luther is my uncle.”

This is not to say there are no problems among the laity. Many lay people admit that they try to avoid dealing with the denomination. They fear the very treatment that Redeemer experienced. So they keep sloughing along on their own with minimal funds or professional support. Many have only part-time professional leadership, which typically covers worship and visitation but not much in the way of mission or initiative.

Without initiative their work is like that of Sisyphus.

It’s only a matter of time. They will fail unless denominations can revise their attitudes. They should not be refusing to help small churches while they wait for laity to give up, yet that is the published leadership philosophy of the current SEPA bishop! (See review) They should not be discouraging churches by providing limited options for professional leadership. Caretaker ministries — in which pastors intentionally do nothing to encourage growth but tend only the needs of current waning membership — are an insult to the mission of the Church. (Such ministries are also part of SEPA’s bishop’s published philosophy). Denominational leaders should not breeze into neighborhoods they haven’t visited in decades and dictate ministry solutions which solve their leadership placement problems and ambitions for church assets — not the congregation’s needs or mission.

These serious problems are side-stepped by the Annual Assemblies. There is little time allowed.

Our Ambassadors have noticed a troubling sentiment common among active Lutheran clergy. Many use the same words: “We’ve elected our leadership; we have to support it” or “We have to trust the wisdom of the Bishop and Synod Council.”

They are wrong. The constitutions rely on the clergy and congregations to be the watchdogs of the church. The bishop and Synod Council serve the congregations. The constitutions work only when clergy and congregational representatives provide checks and balances over the leadership they elect. It’s their duty. To stand aside and watch poor leadership is apathetic and derelict. It does not speak well of Christianity or our denomination.

Ignoring these duties, hoping someone else or the secular courts will do the work, is the foundation of much church failure. Leadership at every level needs to be held accountable.

31 Dec 2011

New Year’s Resolutions for the Hospitable Church

As a people, Americans have become suspicious and xenophobic. We live in a world that recommends background checks and fosters credit checks for simplest of reasons. These attitutudes are bound to manifest in church life.

But church life should be different. We should be welcoming the people with spotty backgrounds. Christ died for them! The least we can do is welcome them into His church!

Most churches describe themselves as friendly. Some church web sites describe themselves as “truly friendly.” Many churches post a generic sign “All Welcome.”

Friendliness, however, is a beauty that can only be measured by the eye of the beholder. If visitors to your church leave feeling they were wallflowers, observers of friendliness, it is not hospitality.

Redeemer Ambassadors visited 38 churches in the last 18 months. We have experience as recipients of church hospitality. We think this is an area of church life that needs to be addressed.

Hospitality, once part of the fabric of American life, no longer seems to come naturally. It may have to be taught and nurtured. Even pastors, whom we presume received training in evangelism, seem to be awkward in greeting church visitors.

Some churches have assigned “greeters.” But the gauntlet of greeters characteristically do little more than hand you a bulletin. We suspect that visitors are rare in some congregations and that leads to a bit of rustiness.

In several of the churches we visited, the pastor disappeared after the service and did not greet people at the door. At times the pastor was present in the fellowship area but stood along the wall and waited for people to come to him/her.

While some pastors pointed us to guest books to sign, most never introduced themselves to us or asked our names. After 38 visits, only one pastor followed up with a phone call after our visit. Another returned a call when one of our ambassadors called him.

Some churches seemed to have fellowship going on somewhere else in the building. The congregation disappeared quickly after worship, failing to invite us to join. In many cases, people walked by in the narthex and never made eye contact. In one instance, when we approached them and asked a simple question such as the location of a restroom, they responded, “Oh, we thought you knew someone here” or “We thought you were here for the baptism.” Assumptions block hospitality.

The number of churches/pastors who exhibited true hospitality are so few as to be memorable to us. We suspect that if others were greeted the way we were in these churches that they would return. Here are a few efforts we remember and appreciated as visitors:

When a pastor personally invited us to fellowship, accompanied us and introduced us to a few people (one church visit).
When a pastor asked if he could meet with us sometime during the week (one church visit).
When a member took the time to give us a tour of their church and told us something of their history (three church visits).
When a lay member sent us a handwritten thank you note for our visit (one church visit).
When a member sat next to us and pointed things out in the bulletin (one church visit).
When we left knowing at least one member’s name (a few times).
When members of a church offered to help us (more than just pray) and followed through (three church visits).
When a member engaged us in extensive conversation that was about us as much as about them (six visits).
When congregation members prompted the worship leader to introduce visitors (two visits).
When a pastor asked us to join their congregation (one church visit).

Here are four easy resolutions your church can make in 2012 to become a more welcoming, hospitable church:

Make sure each visitor knows the name of at least one church member before they leave.
Make sure each visitor is addressed by name before they leave.
Make sure each visitor receives a direct and specific invitation to a church activity. It can be next week’s worship or some other event. Most people report that they became involved in a congregation because someone invited them!
Contact your visitor within five days of their visit with a phone call or greeting card. Make it as personal as possible.

29 Dec 2011

Redeemer Ambassadors Year in Review

The Redeemer Ambassadors have now visited just shy of one fourth of the churches in SEPA Synod.

As we enter the 2012, we have some observations to share.

Attendance is challenged across the board. We attended many services with fewer people than Redeemer.
The Lutheran Church is aging. There are few children attending church and even fewer tweens and teens. A typical service at Redeemer had half the congregation under 18.
Hospitality is a challenge. Most congregations are friendly and say hello but generally few make any attempt to introduce themselves or engage visitors. This includes clergy.
There are many churches in interim, bridge or mission redevelopment ministries, which means that their ministries are monitored by the Synod to some extent. SEPA broke its interim ministry contract with Redeemer.
Worship style and communion practices differ from congregation to congregation.
Most congregations do not use hymnals but print comprehensive bulletins. Redeemer does too.
Racial and ethnic diversity is rare. Less than 10% of the congregations we visited had broad diversity. Redeemer is mixed both racially and culturally.
Languages other than English are rare as well. Redeemer is multilingual and our worship reflects this.
People love their congregations and are proud of who they are. So does Redeemer.
People feel little connection with the greater church. There is a sense that they are alone in ministry and that they cannot expect constructive help from their denomination. Synod had almost no contact with Redeemer for a decade. We feel the same way.
Interesting aside: Several church consulting groups across the nation have published statistics that indicate that 75% of church members disapprove of their denominational leadership — with an additional 10-15% weighing in with “not sure” responses. This should be a cause of concern!
Most congregations need more leadership than they can afford the old-fashioned way. If congregations are to grow, the denomination needs to help them find creative and affordable solutions to leadership challenges. As it is, some congregations are doing this successfully on their own with impressive commitment from their lay leaders. Unfortunately, they sense that asking for help might bring the same kind of actions from Synod that Redeemer experienced.
Most churches have very little knowledge of their nearest neighboring Lutheran congregations and even less of those farther away. Redeemer was much like everyone else until we started our Ambassador’s program!

28 Dec 2011

How Long Should A Children’s Sermon Be?

Someone plugged this question into a search engine and found 2×2. So here’s an answer:

The length of a children’s sermon depends on what you hope to accomplish with the children and the congregation. Five minutes is enough if all you plan to do is give very young children some attention during a one-hour service.

A shorter sermon is also appropriate if you are “talking at” the children. In other posts, we have advocated for using children sermon time to accomplish much more.

The children’s sermon can be learning time for the entire congregation and can help fill huge gaps in education that churches are encountering as Sunday School attendance drops and becomes more sporadic.

A children’s sermon can be used to introduce new concepts to everyone listening and grow your congregation’s skills as a worshiping community.

Here’s a format that expands the function of the children’s sermon and involves the congregation in this part of the service.

1-2 minutes
Take a moment to make the children comfortable. Ask a few questions? Were they part of an event at church during the week? Is there anyone or anything you can pray for later on?
1-2 minutes
Tie the message to the scriptures of the day. In this case, the sermon time should be delivered after the scriptures. Ask the children if they were listening and refer to the lessons. Over time, this will encourage them to listen to scripture readings.
3 minutes
Present the body of your message. This is the meat of your sermon.
1-2 minutes
Pray with the children. Use various formats and involve the children.
3 minutes
Teach something. Sing a hymn together. Give the children an assignment for the next week. Ask them to listen for something that is going to happen later in the service. Introduce a member of the congregation that the children may not know. For example, if there is an upcoming congregational event, introduce the lay leader of the event and invite that person to talk to the children about their project. Make this interactive time. Involve the entire congregation. Remember, everyone is listening!
Dismissal
If your children will remain in the service, this might be the best time to hand them a children’s bulletin insert tied to the day’s theme. It will occupy their attention in a related way as the adult sermon is playing out.

This format takes about 10-12 minutes. That may seem like a lot, but it is a short amount of time that can reap big rewards. Your children will feel less on display and more part of congregational life. New relationships within the congregation will be forged.

27 Dec 2011

12 Days of Christmas — Fun or Significant?

There is a minor debate on the internet over whether the Christmas song, The 12 Days of Christmas, is a centuries old song sung just for fun or if it was a secret way of teaching the fundamentals of the Christian faith at a time when teaching the Catechism might have cost you your life.

The internet watchdogs point to the publication of the song in England in the 18th century with the tune predating it to France. It was nothing but a children’s game set to music, they say with certainty. But then if the message was so secret that it might have cost a person freedom or life, they wouldn’t dare tell anyone . . . so who knows.

Whether rooted in history or not, it is fun to think of religious truths when singing the song. It can even help you remember whether it is nine lords aleaping or nine ladies dancing. So why not use it to teach!

For those who want to give religious meaning to a secular song, here are the meanings some people assign to the 12 crazy Christmas gifts. If nothing else, they make an endless trivial song a bit more interesting!

1 The Partridge in the Pear Tree is Jesus Christ, the Son of God
2 Turtle Doves represent the Old and New Testaments
3 French Hens represent the Virtues—Faith, Hope and Charity
4 Calling Birds represent the Four Gospels and/or the Four Evangelists
5 Golden Rings represent The first Five Books of the Old Testament, the “Pentateuch”
6 Geese A-laying represent the six days of creation
7 Swans A-swimming represent the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit (wisdom, understanding, wonder, right judgment, knowledge, courage, and reverence)
8 Maids A-milking represent the eight beatitudes
9 Ladies Dancing represent the nine Fruits of the Holy Spirit (love, joy, peace, long-suffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control)
10 Lords A-leaping represent the ten commandments
11 Pipers Piping represent the eleven faithful apostles
12 Drummers Drumming represent the twelve points of doctrine in the Apostle’s Creed

24 Dec 2011

The Lost Art of Memorization

by Judy Gotwald

I recently reread Mark Twain’s Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn. They were first read to me by my fourth grade teacher — a chapter a day after lunch. I read the books myself several times since. In my latest re-reading something jumped out at me. There was a reference to blue Sunday School tickets.

I was a child more than 100 years after Tom’s Sawyer’s time, but I remember blue Sunday School tickets. These were given to us as children as a reward for memorizing Bible verses. We memorized The Ten Commandments, Psalm 23, the Corinthians Love Chapter, The Beatitudes, etc. Ten assigned passages later and we would receive a red ticket. The tickets were to be collected and traded for a prize — a Bible or a pencil with a Bible verse or some other devotional knickknack.

Memorization was also a feature of our Vacation Bible School. Each year, we learned a new classic Christian hymn. I can still sing Built on A Rock, Beautiful Savior, This Is My Father’s World and several others by rote.

Memorization was an important part of our faith training. These words are etched in our hearts as we face life’s challenges.

But memorization is a dying life skill. Retrieval of information is so readily available, why clutter your memory with Bible verses or hymn lyrics?

The reason is that the memorized words become part of who we are — our culture.

I was impressed to visit a neighbor’s home one holiday. The large living room was crowded with lively chatter. In one corner, a man was playing the guitar for the pleasure of a few. Then he began to play When I Survey the Wondrous Cross. The entire family stopped what they were doing and with bowed heads sang the entire hymn — every verse — from memory. I have never experienced a more reverent moment in any sanctuary.

The Church should consider reviving the fine art of memorization. The blue tickets weren’t such a bad idea!

You can introduce the concept as part of a Children’s Sermon. Write a verse on cards and ask the children to say the verse together a few times. Give the cards to all the children, even those who do not read. Their parents can teach them the verse. Have the rest of the congregation join in. Have them take the card home and come back next week without it and repeat the verse by memory.

Here are 15 verses to start your memorization program. They are short — a good starting point and suitable for even very young children. Build up to the longer passages!

To find more verses just plug “Bible Verse Memorization” into your search engine. There are a number of sites with great suggestions.

1 John 5:3
This is love for God: to obey his commands
Proverbs 3:5
Trust in the Lord with all your heart.
Romans 3:23
All people have sinned and come short of the glory of God.
Psalm 145:9
The Lord is good to all.
Matthew 28:20
I am with you always.
1 John 3:23
Love one another.
Psalm 118:24
This is the day the Lord has made; Let us rejoice and be glad in it.
Psalm 136:1
Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good. His love endures forever.
Luke 6:31
Do to others as you would have them do to you.
Philippians 4:13
I can do everything through Him who gives me strength.
Ephesians 6:1
Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right.

23 Dec 2011

Children’s Sermons — Not Just for Children

A fundamental problem facing the Church today is educating members as well as the community. Who are Christians? What do we believe? What difference can we make?

The Sunday School is no longer efficient or particularly popular and is generally seen as a service to the very young. We’ve all seen the kids dropped off so mom and dad can grab a cup of coffee and read the paper in peace.

Vacation Bible Schools have shortened their offerings and limited their outreach— again, to the very young.

Many children are gone from church life by the traditional age for Confirmation training. Even large churches have fairly small confirmation classes.

Children’s sermons have become popular over the last few decades, perhaps to fill this void. Our Ambassadors have observed quite a few. In most cases, they addressed only the very youngest children. Interestingly, the exceptions — where older children were involved — were some of the better sermon offerings. In one suburban church we visited, children as old as 12 or 13 joined the gathering of children. In another, led by a lay member, older children were enlisted to act out part of the sermon. The message of both sermons can be remembered weeks and months later. The ones where the pastor spoke awkwardly to unfocussed preschoolers, while adults giggled at the children’s responses, are long forgotten. (No wonder older children don’t participate!)

The concept of a children’s sermon can help fill the educational void in the Church. Try enlisting everyone in the congregation to take part in the message.

Here are some suggestions for how this can take place:

Teach the chorus of a new hymn to the children. Ask the adults to join in. Then sing the hymn together before the service ends.
Have some hands on activities that involves adults. In one such sermon, the children were asked to look around the sanctuary to identify someone they trusted. That person then took part in a trust exercise that illustrated the gospel message of the day.
Pose a question to the children and ask them to find the answer from someone in the congregation. You might even suggest someone they can ask. This helps children expand their knowledge of other people in their worshiping community.
Have an older child accompany a simple song on guitar. The children will see themselves in that role in a few years.
Have an older child tell a story or lead a prayer.

Working together on a children’s focus in worship can become a project for your teens. Learning about faith will quickly become part of the fabric of your congregation, regardless of age.

This approach takes a little more time — not much. But it is time well spent. It will help create learning as a life-long Christian habit.

22 Dec 2011

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