Churches inside and out

Christian Century, Nov 30, 2004 by Carol E. Lytch

Chaves has a message for the general public: "Congregations' worship services, where 60 percent of the population hear live music in a given year, are the single most common type of event at which live music is heard in American society." Furthermore, Americans view "a hefty proportion" of all live drama and dance in the worship services of their congregations. More groups perform in community centers than in places of worship, but more people attend the performances in places of worship. Not only does society undervalue congregations as places that produce and host the arts, congregants themselves do. How many of us would have thought that "congregations facilitate art, and perhaps, on occasion, even beauty, more commonly and more intensively than they pursue either charity or justice"? Reading Chaves's book is a little like stepping on the bathroom scale. What we see may not fit our image of our selves. But it gives us a reality check, helping us consider what we want to do about the mission of the church.

Woolever and Bruce also debunk myths about congregations. For example they counter the typical notion that congregations grow because the majority of worshipers are inviting others to attend services. They find that visitors need a reason to return. An aggressive campaign to invite newcomers is not associated with church growth. In fact, "sharing faith is actually a negative predictor of growing in numbers."

Similarly, the idea that large congregations attract new people at faster rates than smaller ones is a myth. Whether a congregation is regarded as "welcoming" is related not to its size but to its theology. By this measure, conservative Protestants are more welcoming of newcomers than Catholics, mainline Protestants or historically black denominations.

Woolever and Bruce identify qualities that are evident in strong congregations. These strengths are aspects of the organization's dynamics, which operate consistently, "whether or not the worshipers or leaders are aware of it." They are imbedded in the behaviors, beliefs and values of the majority.

In a survey of members and leaders of more than 2,000 congregations, Woolever and Brace sifted out the top ten qualities they call "strengths." Their analysis is based on the congregations that scored in the top 20 percent on anyone or more of the ten indices--what Woolever and Bruce call "beyond-the-ordinary congregations." They tested correlations of these strengths with size of congregation, theological tradition, age profile, growth in numbers and other variables.

Smaller congregations (those with fewer than 100 in worship) will be heartened to learn that they exhibit--in greater degree than do mid-size and large congregations--most of the ten strengths: growing spiritually, meaningful worship, participating in the congregation, having a sense of belonging, sharing faith and empowering leadership. Conservative Protestant and historically black denominations, as well as congregations with a lower average age (less than or equal to age 52), also exhibit these strengths in greater degree. Woolever and Bruce's overall finding is that all congregations have strengths, and that they require multiple strengths to be effective. Congregations must focus not on one thing only but on the multiplicity of their strengths.