CHICAGO (ELCA) -- The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) has taken a significant step in learning more about faith practices and increasing worship attendance. The board for the ELCA Division for Congregational Ministries met here Feb. 16-18, considered churchwide strategies and examined survey results on worship attendance and faith practices.
Results of a survey on ELCA worship attendance revealed that "a clear sense of mission and purpose" is the most "important factor associated with a change in average worship attendance." The Rev. Michael R. Rothaar, director for congregational studies and planning, DCM, delivered the findings of the survey to the board.
The survey invited 1,000 of the ELCA's 10,851 congregations to share information regarding worship, identity and history of a congregation, location and congregational programming. The pastors of the congregations were "key" informants in filling out the survey; more than 830 responded.
The next most important factor associated with a change in average worship attendance is a congregation's willingness to welcome innovation and change, Rothaar told the board.
The survey highlighted other elements that serve as "predictors of growth" in average worship attendance confirmed in earlier ELCA studies. The elements are a sense that a congregation is "spiritually vital and alive;" the congregation is excited about its future; the church is a place where new members are easily "incorporated" into the life of the church; and the congregation deals openly with disagreements and conflict.
The results of the survey suggest that "an ethos must first be developed wherein the congregation captures a sense of clear mission and purpose and welcomes innovation and change before evangelism, changes in styles of worship or establishing a media campaign have an impact," Rothaar told the board.
The survey was conducted as part of the Cooperative Congregational Studies Project known as Faith Communities Today or FACT. The Lilly Endowment funded the work conducted by researchers at the Hartford Seminary, Hartford, Conn. Dr. Kenneth W. Inskeep, director, ELCA Department for Research and Evaluation, wrote the report.
Rothaar also delivered preliminary results of a telephone survey that examined faith practices among members of the ELCA. The survey, conducted in January, is part of the "Teach the Faith" initiative, one of seven ELCA Initiatives adopted by the 1997 ELCA Churchwide Assembly.
"A random sample of 600 ELCA members over 18 years old responded to questions on faith practices as prayer, study, worship, invitation, encouragement, service and giving, and their religious upbringing," said the Rev. M. Wyvetta Bullock, executive director, DCM. DCM and the Department for Research and Evaluation conducted the survey.
"Still underway is an analysis on the representation of the sample data," said Bullock.
Of those surveyed, 98.9 percent pray or meditate privately; 81 percent pray before meals; more than 50 percent read or study devotional materials; and about 70 percent have had a spiritual experience or "profound inner peace," Rothaar told the board.
"The two surveys provide insight into the beliefs and practices of the people of this church," said Ronald C. Bruggeman, Omaha, Neb., DCM board chair. "The knowledge [gained from the surveys] is invaluable as we design resources to serve congregations," he said in an interview.
DCM provides support for congregations in such areas as education, evangelism, lay leadership, planning, service and justice, social ministry, stewardship and worship.
The surveys "provide benchmarks for the effectiveness of the resources and programs of this church," Bruggeman said. "The research will give us specific benchmarks to evaluate the effectiveness of 'Living Faith: A Call to Discipleship' and to be good stewards of the tasks and dollars entrusted" to DCM, he said.
The ELCA's "Living Faith: A Call to Discipleship" encourages congregations of the church to focus on seven key faith practices for discipleship: prayer, study, worship, invitation, encouragement, service and giving. Members of the ELCA "Teach the Faith" team invited members of the church to focus on their faith practices. The church's work on the Initiatives will come to a close at the 2001 ELCA Churchwide Assembly, Aug. 8-14 in Indianapolis.
In other business, the board:
+ approved a "Strategic Plan for Growth in the ELCA World Hunger Appeal." The plan outlines the church's intent to "walk with the poor;" increase annual giving to the appeal from $12.5 million to $25 million by 2005; develop stronger support for the appeal from the ELCA's colleges and universities, seminaries, schools, camps, congregations, and other groups; encourage youth to accept a vocation that helps to fight hunger; and encourage the church's 65 synods to develop a plan and goals to increase support for the appeal. The plan is scheduled for consideration by the 2001 ELCA Churchwide Assembly.
+ moved to transmit "Stand With Africa: A Campaign of Hope" to the ELCA Church Council for its consideration and recommendation to the assembly. The campaign, scheduled to begin this year, is designed to increase awareness about Africa. The ELCA World Hunger Program and Appeal, The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod (LCMS) World Relief, and Lutheran World Relief (LWR), developed the campaign, which includes a strategy for increasing available financial resources by encouraging individual and congregational giving for Africa through the ELCA World Hunger Appeal for Africa; public media fund-raising efforts by LWR; and LCMS work with Bread for the World, which is planning a 2001 advocacy emphasis on Africa. LWR works overseas in relief and development on behalf of the ELCA and LCMS.
+ moved to transmit parts one and two of "Toward a Vision for Evangelism in the ELCA." Part two, "Sharing Faith in a New Century," provides a description of evangelism, the global and local contexts for evangelism, and a text of a resolution to be considered by the 2001 ELCA Churchwide Assembly. Part one, "A Telling Witness to God's Good News," provides a report on the progress of the evangelism strategy adopted by the 1991 ELCA Churchwide Assembly. The 1991 strategy resolved to encourage each congregation to examine its own ministry of hospitality, review the opportunities for sharing "God's good news" with people in their "unique setting," and develop ways to meet, engage, witness to and invite people to "faith in Jesus Christ."
+ affirmed the church's National Latino Ministry Strategy and National Asian Ministry Strategy. The National Asian Ministry plan articulates the relationship with the ELCA envisioned by Asians and Pacific Islanders. Specific areas of the strategy include congregational development, leadership development, resource development, social ministry, stewardship and Asian homeland mission work. The National Latino Ministry plan is designed to guide the Latino ministries of the church. Specific areas of the strategy include insight on the identities of Lutheran Latino people, resource development, mission congregations, leadership development and social ministry. The Asian and Latino ministry strategies are scheduled for consideration by the 2001 ELCA Churchwide Assembly.
For information contact:
John Brooks, Director (773) 380-2958 or NEWS@ELCA.ORG
http://listserv.elca.org/archives/elcanews.html
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About the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America:
The ELCA is one of the largest Christian denominations in the United States, with 2.8 million members in more than 8,500 worshiping communities across the 50 states and in the Caribbean region. Known as the church of "God's work. Our hands.," the ELCA emphasizes the saving grace of God through faith in Jesus Christ, unity among Christians and service in the world. The ELCA's roots are in the writings of the German church reformer Martin Luther.
For information contact:
Candice Hill Buchbinder
Public Relations Manager
Candice.HillBuchbinder@ELCA.org
