wfn.org | ELCA Congregations Reach Out in Small Towns

[Brenda Williams <BRENDAW@elca.org>]

Reply-To: ElcaNews <ELCANEWS@ELCASCO.ELCA.ORG>
ELCA NEWS SERVICE

September 29, 1997

ELCA CONGREGATIONS REACH OUT IN SMALL TOWNS
97-28-081-MR

        CHICAGO (ELCA) -- Lutherans living in rural and small town communities are learning that their churches can grow both spiritually and numerically.  *Mission Possible,* gathered leaders of rural congregations to examine methods for effective outreach in their communities for *growth and vitality.*  The one-day event at five sites was sponsored by the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America*s Division for Congregational Ministries,  
        *Every human being has a hunger to know a God of love.  Low self-esteem runs rampant among people living in rural and small town communities,* said the Rev. Carl L. Johnson, All Shepherds Lutheran Church, Powell, Ohio.  The evangelism efforts of the ELCA *need to speak a word of hope for people who are discouraged,* he said. 
        *Mission Possible* was held Sept. 15-20 at five locations: Sidney and Havre, Mont., Ritzville, Wash., Eugene, Ore., and Deshler, Ohio.  
        Many rural congregations believe that *they do not have the resources to grow ... that evangelism is not possible in their setting,* said the Rev. David Poling-Goldenne,  ELCA director for evangelism and education. *It is important that congregations in rural and small town communities have a chance to come together and break apart this stereotype under which most of them operate,* said Poling-Goldenne.
        *The first thing a small town congregation must look at is getting to know its members and the context in which they live and do ministry,* said Johnson.   Participants learned that  effective outreach in rural settings begins with learning about a town*s *history, its people, its structures, its everyday life, its expectations for pastors, its hopes and fears, and the place of the church in the community.*
        *The purpose of the seminar is to underscore the fact that there is a potential for congregations to do outreach in rural and small town settings,* said the Rev. Brent W. Dahlseng, Prince of Peace Lutheran Church, Fulton, N.Y.   *Some congregations underestimate the impact they have in their community,* he said.  Worship attendance at Prince of Peace grew from 20 to 300 participants through a program called *Friendship Sunday.*  Members of the congregation invited their *friends and neighbors to attend a Sunday worship service at Prince of Peace,* said Dahlseng.  
        *We invited people who were long-term, inactive members and found a rich network of people.  Invitations were given four to six times bi-monthly before receiving an initial response.*  We were very persistent in our efforts and found potential for our congregation to do outreach,* Dahlseng said.
        *Congregations must have a very clear understanding of hospitality, since it is important for visitors to feel welcomed and part of a congregation,* said Johnson.  *Congregations must provide a service to their community, whether it be a vacation Bible school program for children or a well-child clinic,* he said.  Developing a vision and mission that have a focus on outreach can do much to bring vitality to the life of a congregation, he said.
        Mission-driven congregations focus not only on themselves but on others outside of the church, said Poling-Goldenne.  *Members of a congregation have a biblically-based, shared vision for the future and are intentional about providing multiple, easy access entry points for newcomers into the life of a congregation,* he said.  
        A congregation*s worship service is key to the congregation*s growth and vitality, said Johnson.  Worship services *must be spiritually vibrant.  The Holy Spirit is active in a congregation*s prayer life, Bible study and worship service,* he said.  Worship service planners should select a focus for each service and plan everything around that focus. 
          More than 20 percent of all ELCA congregations are in rural farming areas, and an additional 7 percent are in rural non-farming areas.  ELCA rural congregations are concentrated in the Upper Midwest and in the Northeast. 
        *There is sense of despair among people living in small town communities who need to be embraced.  Congregational leaders need to be supported as they look for new ideas and new possibilities for reaching out to the unchurched in their areas,* Poling-Goldenne said.
        *Mission Possible* was supported in part by Aid Association for Lutherans, a fraternal benefits organization based in Appleton, Wis.

For information contact: 
Ann Hafften, Director (773) 380-2958 or NEWS@ELCA.ORG
http://www.elca.org/co/news/current.html