1. We Have Done It Before and We Could Do It Again Dardenne Presbyterian Church Elders Gathering November 13, 2015 St. Louis, MO

2. June 6, 1946

3. 90,000 School Children Governor of NY, Supreme Court Justice, Mayor of Brooklyn

4. 117 th Sunday School Parade

5. The Presbyterian Picture Today

6. Ruling Elders

7. Mainline Membership Loss 19651980199020002010 American Baptists1,535,9711,607,5411,535,9711,436,9091,337,127 Christian Church (Disciples) 1,918,4711,177,9841,039,692820,286661,544 Episcopal Church3,429,1532,786,0042,446,0502,311,3982,125,012 Evangelical Lutheran Church 5,684,2985,384,2715,240,7395,125,9194,637,887 Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) 4,254,5973,272,5182,856,7132,525,3302,016,091 Reformed Church in America 385,754345,532326,850289,392250.000 United Church of Christ 2,070,4131,736,2441,599,2121,377,3201,080,199 United Methodist Church 11,067,4979,519,4078,904,8248,340,9547,837,987

8. United States Census Data YearPopulation% of Change 1960179.3 million 1970203.3 million13.4% 1980226.5 million11.4% 1990248.7 million9.8% 2000281.0 million13% 2005300.0 million6.8% 2010309.0 million3%

9. Yet, Some Are Growing or Were 19651980199020002014 Assemblies of God 572,1231,064,4902,181,5022,577,5603,146,741 Catholic Church 46,246,17550,449,84258,568,01563,683,03069.4 Mormon Church 1,789,1752,811,0003,736,0004,679,1106.5 So. Baptist Convention 10,770,57313,600,12615,038,04915,960,30815.5

10. 90% of Presbyterian Congregations Have Reached a Plateau or are Declining.

11. PC(USA) Congregations and Membership # of CongregationsReported Membership 20149,8291,667,767 201010,5602,016,091 200311,0642,405,311 200211,0972,451,969 200111,1412,493,781

12. Congregations Have Left 2012 – 110 2013 – 148 2014 - 101

13. Congregations Dissolved 2012 - 86 2013 - 74 2014 – 110

14. WHY?

15. 1. Finding and Keeping Young Adults

16. Decline in Children’s Baptisms PCUSA 199941,009 200039,444 200137,409 200236,930 200335,237 200433,616 201417,027

17. Child Baptism Numbers Other Years 198252,184 198549,712 198847,978 199146,744

18. Decline of Infant Baptisms 1983 – 50,785 2010 – 22,480 2014 - 17,027

19. Confirmation Class

20. Infant Baptisms - 1983 50,785

21. ????? Professions of Faith Under 17 in 1997

22. Infant Baptisms (1983) 50,785 Professions of Faith (1997) People Under Age 17 31,999

23. Sources of Decline Fewer Young Adults Fewer Children Baptized Fewer Children Retained Until Confirmation

24. Implications for a Church? Not Dardenne’s Story? What Drives That for You? What Passion Exists That Sustains That?

25. 2. Where are our Professions of Faith?

26. Comparative Statistics PCUSPCUSAMethodistS. Baptist 18857.36.610.16.4 18956.67.29.66.1 19054.55.67.05.5 19156.07.58.66.2 19255.25.75.36.1

27. Narrative on the State of Religion Have there been any special manifestations of the Holy Spirit’s power in your church either by conversion or by increased activity in church work?

28. J. Wilbur Chapman

29. Billy Sunday

31. PCUS/PCUSA Baptisms PCUSAdult BaptismsInfant Baptisms 19158,9985,761 192515,5327,247 19359,4005,270 194512,0359,559 195515,13117,576 PCUSA 200310,17435,237 200410,45933,616 20144,63417,027

32. Baptisms Now?

33. 79% Children 21% Adults

34. Are We Doing Evangelism Anymore?

35. Martha Grace Reese Baptizing 1% of Your Worship Attendance Each Year for 5 Years. 30,000 Congregations studied 150 met the criterion

36. Implications at Dardenne?

37. 3. The Back Door

38. Largest Category of Loss? “Other” - Those Going Inactive

39. How We Are Exiting CertificateDeathOther 198559,98143,007132,345 199639,77940,862116,637 199936,15641,164106,419 200329,71737,840112,624 201451,35228,38978,107

40. More than 3 million Inactive List Since 1983

41. Get People Connected We Have Only Around 6 Months to Connect People or We Lose Them 7 People Knowing Their Names

42. Implications for the Back Door?

43. 4. New Church Development

44. PCUSA Churches OrganizedDissolved 19972861 19982445 19991542 20002247 20012453 20022758 20032247 20042263 201415110

45. PCUS – 1908 88 New Congregations in 287,000 members

46. Narrative on the State of Religion How are you establishing your church beyond its bounds?

47. Review of the Picture Today We can’t keep young adults. We don’t have the children of those young adults. We lose 40% of the children we baptize before confirmation. We don’t reach the unchurched in the proportions of old. We lose so many we do reach; the backdoor is like an airplane hangar. We have a tumble down effect creating fewer churches able to afford full time pastors. We begin few New Church Developments.

48. History of the Evangelistic Methods of Presbyterianism Revivalism

49. History of the Evangelistic Methods of Presbyterianism Revivalism Sunday school

50. History of the Evangelistic Methods of Presbyterianism Revivalism Sunday school Outpost Sunday schools – New Church Development

51. History of the Evangelistic Methods of Presbyterianism Revivalism Sunday school Outpost Sunday schools – New Church Development Personal work

52. History of the Evangelistic Methods of Presbyterianism Revivalism Sunday school Outpost Sunday schools – New Church Development Personal work Pastoral roles

53. History of the Evangelistic Methods of Presbyterianism Revivalism Sunday school Outpost Sunday schools – New Church Development Personal work Pastoral roles Denominational Expectations

54. 1950s PCUS Broader Definition “Evangelism is all the Church is and does to present Christ Jesus, through the power of the Holy Spirit, that man may put their trust in God through Him, receive Him as Savior from the guilt and power of sin, and serve Him as Lord in the fellowship of the Church.”

55. Present Condition Lack of agreement of definition.

56. Present Condition Lack of agreement of definition. Lack of monies devoted to evangelism.

57. Present Condition Lack of agreement of definition. Lack of monies devoted to evangelism. Lack of any definitive program of evangelism.

58. Present Condition Lack of agreement of definition. Lack of monies devoted to evangelism. Lack of any definitive program of evangelism. Lack of passion for the lost because we are not sure anyone is lost.

59. Present Condition Lack of agreement of definition. Lack of monies devoted to evangelism. Lack of any definitive program of evangelism. Lack of passion for the lost because we are not sure anyone is lost. Lack of confidence in our methods and message.

60. Present Condition Lack of agreement of definition. Lack of monies devoted to evangelism. Lack of any definitive program of evangelism. Lack of passion for the lost because we are not sure anyone is lost. Lack of confidence in our methods and message. Lots of dying churches – 90% declining or static.

61. Little Bo Peep Little Bo Peep has lost her sheep And can’t tell where to find them; Leave them alone, and they’ll come home, And bring their tails behind them.

62. How will a passion come or come back? Will it come from desperation or conviction? The Future

63. So what do we do?

64. A missional church is more than a missions-minded church.

65. She Saw Reality Little Bo Peep fell fast asleep, And dreamt she heard them bleating; But when she awoke, she found it a joke, For they were still all fleeting.

66. She Changed Her Behavior Then up she took her little crook, Determined for to find them; She found them indeed, but it made her heart bleed, For they’d left their tails behind them.

67. You Are Not Alone – God is Here