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Church Growth Strategy Team Visits Upstate New York
From
PCUSA NEWS <pcusa.news@ecunet.org>
Date
20 Aug 1998 20:06:25
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19-August-1998
98270
Church Growth Strategy Team Visits Upstate New York
by Betty L. Meadows
and Jerry L. Van Marter
SYRACUSE, N.Y.-Continuing the fact-finding phase of its work, the General
Assembly Council's Church Growth Strategy Team met here July 29-Aug. 1,
visiting four churches in upstate New York.
The team also heard from the executives in the presbyteries of Northern
New York and Susquehanna Valley, the Synod of the Northeast and other staff
persons and pastors in the region. In addition, it heard presentations on
the characteristics of young adults between the ages of 19 and 36 from
Rodger Nishioka, coordinator for youth and young adult ministries in the
Congregational Ministries Division in Louisville, and on models of "doing
church" from renowned church development consultant Robert Linthicum of Los
Angeles.
The Church Growth Strategy Team was created by the Council a year ago
to devise a strategy for the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) to reverse three
decades of membership decline in the 2.6-million member denomination. Its
report to the Council is due next spring.
Redevelopment is focus in Susquehanna Valley Presbytery
The team visited four churches in Susquehanna Valley Presbytery, a
presbytery of mainly rural and small-town churches. Executive presbyter
the Rev. Barbara Renton noted that only one church in the entire presbytery
is growing, so the presbytery's focus is on church redevelopment.
At Bainbridge Presbyterian Church, founded in 1793 - where a 163-member
congregation serves the town of 900 - redevelopment and growth are being
pursued through a strong youth program that has been instigated by the
church's pastor, the Rev. Susan Zink. Young people prepare and serve
dinners in the community, make May baskets for homebound residents and sing
in a youth choir. Zink told the team new members are usually relatives of
church members, which is typical of farming communities like Bainbridge.
Zink also serves as pastor of nearby Guilford Presbyterian Church, a
church of 46 members, most of whom come from three generations of three
families - again, typical of farming communities. Family ties are the glue
that holds churches like Guilford together, Zink said.
Ninevah Presbyterian Church, pastored by the Rev. Doug Horn, holds on
because of strong lay leadership. Situated at a crossroads, the
100-member, 135-year-old church recently completed a $173,000 capital
campaign that will enable the church to enhance its role as a community
center for its area.
The 200-year-old Conklin Presbyterian Church is Susquehanna Valley
Presbytery's only growing church, with 320 members and average Sunday
school attendance at 230. The church, served by the Rev. Steve Starzer,
also focuses its outreach on young people, with an after-school program
during the year and a day-care program during the summer. Contemporary
worship seems to be a drawing card for young people, Starzer told the team,
and the church sponsors three youth choirs and is beginning a youth
orchestra.
Lay pastors, cluster ministry are keys in Northern New York Presbytery
The Rev. Clinton A. McCoy Jr., executive presbyter for Northern New
York Presbytery, outlined for the team the demographics of his presbytery:
40 churches, 28 of them with fewer than 100 members and 16 without
installed pastors.
In this part of New York, which seems to be under perpetual economic
stress, McCoy noted, these small churches struggle to overcome not only the
problems of economics, but also a survival mentality.
Lay pastors are a very important part of the presbytery's ministry.
And to do ministry in rural upstate New York, many churches and groups
cluster together:
* The Ontario PEG (Presbytery Enhancement Group) is a group of
churches that meet together for worship, a mass choir and workshops on
preaching and faith sharing.
* The Adirondack Canoe Expedition is a ministry of the presbytery that
offers wilderness trips to help adults and young people appreciate God's
world. Skills in water safety, hammock hanging, camp cuisine and animal
protection are taught.
* Rural Rehab is a work group of local residents and volunteers from
outside the state who help repair homes of people who are unable to do the
work themselves
* Ministry in North Country (MINC) is a cluster of 16 churches that
band together for Christian education, youth ministry, farming and cottage
industry. The farming and cottage industry cooperatives provide economic
livelihood and financial opportunities for people within the cluster.
Church leaders advocate local rather than national strategy
The Rev. Robert White, executive for the Synod of the Northeast,
outlined other redevelopment projects within the synod. White urged the
team not to develop a national strategy, but to develop a strategy in which
each presbytery and each church would be challenged to make a commitment to
mission in its local area.
The Rev. N. Scott Cupp, the synod's associate executive for mission and
leadership development, concurred. "We need to do redevelopment in every
possible way, to take risks, to try anything, and to encourage every level
of the church to get on board."
Linthicum addressed the team about the value of community organization.
He outlined three models: small, mission-focused groups; clusters of
congregations and mission agencies; and congregation-based community
organizing.
The Church Growth Strategy Team travels next to Chicago, in October,
and then to Santa Fe, N.M., in November, to meet with presbytery executives
at their annual Association of Presbytery Executives meeting. While in
Santa Fe, the team will begin work on its report to the General Assembly
Council.
According to Jinny Miller of Mishiwaka, Ind., chair of the Church
Growth Strategy Team, the group is still seeking information about growing
churches from throughout the denomination electronically through a survey
on the PC(USA) Web page and a PresbyNet meeting called "CHURCH GROWTH
STRATEGIES". Those having stories about growing churches may send them
electronically or write to Doug Wilson, Associate for Presbyterian
Evangelism, 100 Witherspoon Street, Louisville, KY 40202, or to Jinny
Miller, 15400 Carriage Lane, Mishawaka, IN 46545.
(The Rev. Betty L. Meadows is executive presbyter for Louisville Presbytery
and is a member of the Church Growth Strategy Team.)
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