(I am not sure if I had posted this before or not, and it is something that I wrote a few years ago… Hopefully you will enjoy this)
The 21st
Century Laity
Century Laity
In many ways, they
Episcopal Church still operates as though it is the 1950s in the ways
of what Clergy and Laity do. In the 1950s if you burnt someone out,
because the congregations where full so it was easy for someone else
to step up.
Episcopal Church still operates as though it is the 1950s in the ways
of what Clergy and Laity do. In the 1950s if you burnt someone out,
because the congregations where full so it was easy for someone else
to step up.
But over the recent
years the numbers sitting in the pews has fallen, the congregations
have had to rely on fewer and fewer people, and when people burn out
their isn’t a pool of people available to fill in, so those who are
brunt out continue to do work that they should of stepped back from.
years the numbers sitting in the pews has fallen, the congregations
have had to rely on fewer and fewer people, and when people burn out
their isn’t a pool of people available to fill in, so those who are
brunt out continue to do work that they should of stepped back from.
But is this just an
Episcopal Church problem, or a problem in many of the other
denominations also? Is this problem even bigger? Are we as a society
doing way to much multitasking causing us to burn out much faster?
But could also much of this burnout be due to the fact that when many
people get a bit of power they have a hard time letting that power go
or sharing that power? Are the laity becoming burnt out because they
are being asked to do more than they should?
Episcopal Church problem, or a problem in many of the other
denominations also? Is this problem even bigger? Are we as a society
doing way to much multitasking causing us to burn out much faster?
But could also much of this burnout be due to the fact that when many
people get a bit of power they have a hard time letting that power go
or sharing that power? Are the laity becoming burnt out because they
are being asked to do more than they should?
The answer is that in
most cases it is a mixture of all of the above, and not just one
thing. But what can we as a diocese do to slow the burn that is
happening?
most cases it is a mixture of all of the above, and not just one
thing. But what can we as a diocese do to slow the burn that is
happening?
-
Get people to really
think about what they really want to do. we spend time working with
people prior to Baptism, Confirmation and Marriage getting people to
really think about what they are about to do, but not about many of
the activities that go on in the churches.
a) One way to to get
Congregation Vocation Committees (CVCs) to think about becoming
Congregation Discernment Committees (CDCs). With Area Ministry,
people would get involved with their CDCs to figure out what their
ministry in the church is. Also get people to go through a CDC every
few years and rethink about where there ministry is at that time.
(The name change was something that the CoM talked about at it’s last
retreat.)
Congregation Vocation Committees (CVCs) to think about becoming
Congregation Discernment Committees (CDCs). With Area Ministry,
people would get involved with their CDCs to figure out what their
ministry in the church is. Also get people to go through a CDC every
few years and rethink about where there ministry is at that time.
(The name change was something that the CoM talked about at it’s last
retreat.)
b) The Diocese
currently does a Vestry Training Day and a couple of other church
training things. Maybe the Diocese should find out what committees
and commissions that congregations have and do training days for some
of the most common ones where possible.
currently does a Vestry Training Day and a couple of other church
training things. Maybe the Diocese should find out what committees
and commissions that congregations have and do training days for some
of the most common ones where possible.
-
Both the Clergy and
Lay Leaders need to speak up and let the congregation understand
that in order for the church to survive that it takes all to get
involved. By getting more involved, it will mean that the work gets
spread out amongst more people instead of just a few causing the few
to burn out. -
Getting people to
think about transferring to another congregation for a “Fresh
Start” is something that they could or should do. By changing
congregations from time to time, it permits people to renew their
spirits, and congregations will be able to renew themselves and not
become stuck in the same mold which doesn’t permit it to grow. I am
currently seriously discerning how much longer I will remain in the
congregation that I am in, and to which congregation I will transfer
to once I leave. -
The diocese should
start encouraging Communities of Lay Leadership. For example, get
the Lay leaders from St. James, St. Paul’s, St. Augustine’s and Our
Saviour to sit and have a meal together every few months to talk
about what is going on in each of the congregations. this would be
something that would travel from congregation to congregation with
the meal. I have seen some interesting ideas that I have tried to
bring back to St. James. Maybe in each month that has a 5th
Sunday,a couple of the leaders from each congregation would go to
the service of one of the churches in the group and have this meal
after the service. Yes part of the role of Deaneries should be
people connecting and having these conversations in my opinion, but
in the deanery that I am in, I didn’t see that happening much when I
was attending deanery meetings, but it has been a while since I have
been onto the Deanery. At our last Annual Meeting I was elected onto
the deanery as a Delegate, so I will get to see what is going on,
but I don’t expect to see any changes. -
Better times need to
be chosen for meetings. One of the complaints the Laity has are
meeting times. For most of the working members in the diocese, they
have jobs during the day and are not able to attend meetings that
occur in this diocese for the different committees and commissions
that exist. Because of this, those who are able to attend these
meeting tend to be retired and/or in a situation where they can
attend, and they end up on so many that they become easily burnt
out. Here is what I would suggest:
a) Establish
certain days when these groups would meet. Let’s say the 1st
and 3rd Thursdays
certain days when these groups would meet. Let’s say the 1st
and 3rd Thursdays
during
the evening, and the 2nd and 4th Saturdays
during the day.
the evening, and the 2nd and 4th Saturdays
during the day.
b) Get
people to really think about which and how many commissions and
committees, and
people to really think about which and how many commissions and
committees, and
which
ones that they truly feel called to be on with the maximum being
three.
ones that they truly feel called to be on with the maximum being
three.
What these
will also do will get younger people involved and they will feel
apart of the church
will also do will get younger people involved and they will feel
apart of the church
in more than
just going to church on Sundays. By getting younger folks involved,
it means that
just going to church on Sundays. By getting younger folks involved,
it means that
those with
children will be examples that their kids may follow.
children will be examples that their kids may follow.
With the
clergy, especially those who have congregations, by having them limit
the amount of
clergy, especially those who have congregations, by having them limit
the amount of
things on a
diocesan level means that they can concentrate more on their
congregation, and it
diocesan level means that they can concentrate more on their
congregation, and it
will also
give those who aren’t doing something on a diocesan level a chance to
get involved.
give those who aren’t doing something on a diocesan level a chance to
get involved.
-
With Area Ministry,
encourage Lay Leaders in these clusters to have a meeting with a
meal every 2 or 3 months. This
meeting would rotate amongst the congregations in the clusters. The
meetings would be about what is going on in the cluster.
-
Get congregations
to establish term/time limits with different the different
commissions and committees that they have where possible. This will
allow for new ideas to be brought into the group(s) and all of
those who would like to do things within the congregation to have a
chance. It will also get those who are burnt out because they have
been doing so much to actually have a chance to become refreshed. -
If term/time limits
are established, the diocese should designate a Sunday where the
those who are dropping out of these committees and commissions are
thanked and applauded and those coming on are welcomed. This
service would happen in each congregation. -
The Diocese and
Congregations should take advantage of not only DioBytes,
but our Facebook group and other resources available in promoting
events. The people of the Diocese need to take advantage of these
sources also in finding out what is going on. Sometimes I am really
frustrated with the congregation that I am in and want to leave the
Episcopal Church totally, but I will go to an event at another
congregation and become renewed and refreshed knowing that great
things are actually happening here. I am currently going to a four
week event at St. Paul’s Oakland because of an invite sent to me
via Facebook. -
With Area Ministry,
let’s take advantage of clergy in this diocese who are not in a
congregation. With the ones who are willing, let them be kind of a
“Arch Layperson” (I really can’t think of a good term to use at
the moment,) but for like the Advent Series and Lent Series they
would have a list of Lay Leaders in an area that they would contact
to get them to announce and gather people to come to these events.
If it would be possible to move the event around to different
congregations, this person would work with these leaders on
arranging space and such. These clergy people start off by leading
these events, but as they get to know people, they could get them
to lead a portion or all of an event. -
We must have people
who know Tai Chi, Meditation Techniques, and other things who would
be willing to lead an hour or two a month where lay leaders would
gather to do some of these things together. This could be one form
of Health and/or Spiritual renewal.
There are many things
that the diocese could do that will help to stem the burnout that
occurs within the Laity, to renew the laity, but as long as the
church continues to think in the 1950s mentality and not really
moving truly into a 21st century thinking and ways, where
the clergy realize that they don’t have to lead things in the church
outside of the service, and the people realize that in order for the
church to really survive it must take the lead and the responsibility
in a healthy way, burnout will continue.
that the diocese could do that will help to stem the burnout that
occurs within the Laity, to renew the laity, but as long as the
church continues to think in the 1950s mentality and not really
moving truly into a 21st century thinking and ways, where
the clergy realize that they don’t have to lead things in the church
outside of the service, and the people realize that in order for the
church to really survive it must take the lead and the responsibility
in a healthy way, burnout will continue.
I would love to know what ideas you have to help in the growth of church congregations and Christianity as a whole…