wfn.org | ELCA Board Examines Worship Attendance, Ministry Strategies

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ELCA NEWS SERVICE

March 1, 2001

ELCA BOARD EXAMINES WORSHIP ATTENDANCE, MINISTRY STRATEGIES
01-38-MR

     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