1. The Changing Landscape of Ministry

2. The Decline of Mainline Protestant Churches (MPC)
The numbers of MPC in the US is down: ’s ,000
today ,000
Nearly 1 in 5 Americans claims NO Religion

3. The Decline of Mainline Protestant Churches (MPC)
Membership in MPCs down by about 25%
In the last 10 yrs ---
a 22% drop in attendance by adults with children under the age of 18
More than 35% of MPC attendees are or older

4. The Decline of Mainline Protestant Churches (MPC)
Many MPCs are in rural communities that are shrinking due to fewer employment opportunities
The sad truth—a re-growth of these small rural communities is not likely to occur

5. The Decline of Mainline Protestant Churches (MPC)
Bottom line—our smaller country churches continue to get smaller
This is the Changing Landscape of our Churches

6. The Options Turnaround Congregation Consolidation Merger Adoption
Utilize Part-Time or Lay Pastor
Yoking

7. Turnaround Congregation
Requires an Intentional Turnaround Process
Best accomplished with a “new” pastor
Willingness to focus on spiritual development /discipleship.
Develop an outward focus that emphasizes the needs of the local community.
Willingness to change the church’s organizational structure, financial
priorities and leadership.

8. Consolidation An Organic Union of Two Churches
Consolidate all assets & share resources
Move to a new location
Develop a new sense of ministry & mission
Start with a new church name

9. Merger
When Two Churches Move Together into One of the Existing Buildings and Share Resources
Share one pastor & pool resources
Can end up with one church as the “Winner” and the other as “Loser”
Power struggles can become an issue
Can have detrimental long-term effects

10. Adoption
Seeking a Larger Healthier Congregation to Take on the Smaller Church as a Satellite Church
Smaller church gets to keep its building and presence in the community
Larger church provides staffing,
resources, and healthy energy
Smaller church must adopt the larger church’s Vision and Mission
Smaller church loses its identity and loses control over its destiny

11. Part-Time or Lay Pastor
Opting for a Pastor who is Semi-Retired or
Bi-Vocational
Pastor may or may not be ordained
Availability of the pastor may be an issue during times of need
Difficult for the pastor to get to know the members of the congregation and the church culture

12. Yoking

13. Yoking
Two Churches Maintain Existing Buildings and Ministries, but Share a Pastor
Yoking can be between churches of the same or different denominations
A Pastor’s time is divided between both Churches
This option may be limited by the physical distance between churches

14. Yoking
Two churches within a reasonable distance agree to share a full-time pastor
Each church retains its denominational identity and relationship
Each church keeps its existing buildings
Each church keeps its existing ministries
The churches enter into a contractual agreement concerning salary, benefits, etc., and the % of these each church will contribute

15. Yoking
Members of both churches come together to form a pastor search committee responsible for seeking and calling a pastor
Selection of pastor should be by prayerful discernment
Both churches must agree upon their worship schedules for Sunday morning and special worship services

16. Yoking
The prospective pastor must be voted on by each church body and both must agree to the call of that pastor
Most helpful to have someone from either congregation who is adept at handling payroll, insurance, and tax issues
Both congregations should be aware of the time-management difficulties the pastor faces when serving two churches

17. Yoking — an example:
St. Paul’s UCC, Blackburn & St. Luke UCC, Grand Pass
Two UCC churches 10 miles apart

18. Yoking — an example: St. Paul’s UCC, Blackburn founded 1884
at its peak, had an active church membership of ~200 or more
St. Luke UCC, Grand Pass
founded 1903
at its peak, had an active church membership of ~150 or more

19. Yoking — an example: Sunday Morning Worship 8:30 am—St. Luke
10:30 am—St. Paul’s
Special Worship Services
St. Luke—Pastor leads Easter Sunrise
St. Paul’s—Children lead Easter Sunrise
St. Paul’s—Pastor leads Easter 10:30

20. Yoking — an example: Special Shared Worship Services
Ash Wednesday alternates between the two churches
St. Paul’s—every Maundy Thursday
St. Luke—every Good Friday

21. Current ACTIVE Church Members
Yoking — an example:
Current ACTIVE Church Members
St. Paul’s UCC, Blackburn
75 adults (130 on the books)
St. Luke UCC, Grand Pass
30 adults (45 on the books)

22. St. Paul’s UCC & St. Luke UCC
Yoking — an example:
In Dec 2010
St. Paul’s UCC & St. Luke UCC
entered into a yoked agreement, which began officially in
Feb 2011

23. Prior Pastoral Leadership:
St. Paul’s UCC, Blackburn
Had two interim part-time
semi-retired pastors for 13 years
St. Luke UCC, Grand Pass
Had operated with pulpit-supply pastors for about 20 years

24. Prior Pastoral Leadership:
St. Paul’s UCC, Blackburn
More dependent upon Pastoral Leadership
St. Luke UCC, Grand Pass
A very self-sufficient congregation

25. Differences in Church Personalities:
St. Paul’s UCC, Blackburn
Worship style — formal
Missions — mostly just local
Theologically more conservative
St. Luke UCC, Grand Pass
Worship style — laid-back
Missions—very globally involved
Theologically less conservative

26. Pastoral Challenges:
Honoring their differences— neither church is better than the other. They each have strengths and weaknesses.
Respecting each congregation’s fear of losing its identity

27. Pastoral Challenges:
Preparing two similar yet different worship services
Writing one sermon while being mindful of the differences between congregations
Accepting inherent limitations such as an inability to participate in Sunday School

28. Pastoral Challenges:
Would like to see the two churches more involved with each other, but that may be asking too much

29. What is Working
Willingness of the two choirs to come together and practice for special events
Willingness of some members to participate in special study events, like, weekly Lenten studies

30. What is Working
Have combined youth from both churches into one Confirmation Class
The blessing of having at both churches many very helpful and patient members

31. Recommendations for Churches Considering becoming Yoked
Think long and hard about the use of a parsonage. Closer proximity of the pastor to one church may cause resentment.
Have a pastoral-relations committee which equally represents each church

32. Recommendations for Churches Considering becoming Yoked
If neither church has someone who is very savvy concerning financial issues, hire someone. That expense will be well worth it in the long-run.
Cultivate strong lay-leadership

33. Recommendations for Churches Considering becoming Yoked
Find opportunities for bringing the two congregations together in worship and in fellowship

34. Recommendations for Churches Considering becoming Yoked
Embrace the gift of continued service to God and neighbor that comes with being yoked with a fellow church, vs. death of your church and all you hold dear about it if you do not act on that possibility

35. Coming Full Circle
In 1903, Rev. Albert Dreusieke, pastor of St. Paul’s Evangelical Church of Blackburn, organized a group of seven German immigrant families in Grand Pass to form the Evangelical Lucas Church (St. Luke). Until such time as St. Luke could afford their own pastor, they and St. Paul’s were yoked under Rev. Dreusieke.