As you might expect, some people told me they never really considered that question. Others, however, had spent time and energy making certain their leadership teams paid attention to pastoral care, hospitality, and building up the saints for the work of ministry. I explored some of those congregations whose leaders excel in organizing for pastoral care, service, and evangelism. The book that followed, All For God’s Glory: Redeeming Church Scutwork was published by Alban Institute Press in December 2008.
Among the notable efforts:
At White Memorial Church in Raleigh, N.C., pastors and staff named each new member from the past year regularly during staff weekly meetings to make certain each person found groups and classes with which to move more deeply into “belonging.”
At Pine Street Church in Philadelphia, Pa., the deacons organized to provide pastoral prayers for their Sunday worship services, gathering the concerns of the people and then laying them before God for healing and presence in time of need.
At Third Church in Richmond, Va., the worship services in several styles were carefully planned and subsequently assessed to assure congregants heard the same Biblical texts and major themes from the gospel each Sunday, whichever services people attended.
At Trinity Church in Harrisonburg Va., they planned annually to provide each member opportunities to serve that year in ministries they prized.
At Highland Church in Louisville, Ky., clergy and lay leaders alike support seven different organizations — with membership overlapping — so that each member who wishes regularly receives visits on “their own turf.”
In a time when some pastors do no visiting in homes at all, when many consider that members do not want to receive church leaders in their homes, I was fascinated to hear that the session and staff at Highland consider their vitality linked inextricably to visits with members where they feel most comfortable. At Highland they try to visit all the members in their homes or at their places of work, especially those who are shut-in and those who seldom get out to shop or make visits themselves. “After all,” one elder told me, “Jesus told us to visit those in prison. Those who are shut-ins and those in nursing homes — it’s kind of like they’re in prisons of a sort. Some of us go to jails to visit, too!”
In addition to the regular visits by pastoral staff and by deacons, Highland offers communion for the homebound, a “card ministry,” the Stephen Ministry, a “Christmas tree ministry,” and a coordinated “ministry for older adults.” The pastors say they see people as they discern the needs, and they respond when others who are visiting say someone needs to see one of them. The deacons take responsibility for a group of members in a geographical area, as many other churches do.
Communion for the homebound occurs about six times a year, when a pastor and an elder take the sacrament to the frail members who still reside at home or in hospitals and nursing homes, who cannot attend worship. The card ministry involves writing notes regularly, but also some visits when possible. Naturally, taking decorated Christmas trees — and importantly the disposing of them after Christmas — constitutes that ministry. The Stephen Ministry offers trained, one-on-one members caring for those in need. And the ministry for older adults both organizes more visits and gathers older members for special occasions as their health permits.
Intricately weaving relationships and organizing ministries so people avoid conflicts — and building fiefdoms — takes more “telling” than even the chapter I devote to the subject. But from an interview I had with Highland member Karen Lacy, we get a glimpse of the organization.
At first questioning, Karen Lacy wondered whether she should be included among “congregational leaders” at all. She joined Highland about twelve years ago because of its hospitality provided her and her family. She considered herself just an “ordinary, garden variety member.” On deeper introspection, however, she found she was now involved in more of the visitation efforts than she had realized — particularly the ministry for older adults. A church staff member had asked her to look in on a marvelous member who could not leave her nursing home. Karen had done that for a couple of years. She also loved to write the cards and see those she sent notes to. She delivered Christmas trees and gathered them again after Christmas when possible.
Now she was visiting another older adult, homebound and still vitally concerned about the Gospel and its proclamation. Karen helped lead yet another event each year, like a birthday party for those 80 and above at the church. Members would pick up and deliver those not able to drive themselves. “I like for my daughter to learn this life involves helping others,” Karen declared. “So I began taking her to see the shut-ins, and she tagged along to some of the other things. It’s good modeling for her growth and she loves doing it.”
Gradually, imperceptibly, Karen Lacy had been drawn in to the interlocking and well-organized ministries of this urban church.
George Rue, a businessman, was another of the scores of lay leaders, members, and pastors in the network of care at Highland. He explained that at Highland everyone is “kind of expected” to see others outside the walls of the church building, at home and work, in small groups, and elsewhere. He says this is one way Highland stays strong, be believes, though it is located deep in the city of Louisville, where several other congregations are withering and some have died.
Highland just celebrated its 125th anniversary, and throughout its history pastors have consistently given a high priority to well-organized efforts to visit in the homes and places of work of both members and prospects. Peter Pluene, who served from 1920 until he retired in 1948, loved to visit. Benny Benfield, his successor, encouraged the retired Pluene to keep visiting, and organized elders and deacons to do the same. Henry Mobley and associate pastor Charles Hanna made certain that as the congregation grew and people came from all over the city, they received regular visits from neighbors and leaders. Jim Chatham, who succeeded Mobley, together with Paul Frelick and George Spransy, early adopted a Stephen Ministry program. Now Fairfax Fair, Melissa Head, (and until recently Joel Weible), together with a coordinator of adult ministries, ensure the programs flourish — altogether a “thick culture of hospitality and friendship” in the jargon of Christian practice.
George Rue, the businessman, and Mike Smith, Church Business Administrator at Highland, both pointed to another benefit. In annual stewardship seasons at Highland — for making pledges, building budgets, and then accomplishing the ministry with income matching expenses — the fact that people expect visits at home and work makes more disciplined canvassing and pledging possible.
It seemed to me the trust level was particularly high throughout the congregation, a credit to excellent pastoral leadership, to mature decision-making by the session, to good communications, and a host of other causes. But I credit also the extensive system of visiting by many congregational caregivers — an activity high on the list of Kennon Callahan’s Twelve Keys to an Effective Church (Harper & Row, 1997). From every evidence, Highland is indeed an effective Christian congregation.
Louis Weeks, president emeritus of Union-PSCE in Richmond, Va., is leading workshops and conferences on “Redeeming Church Scutwork” and other topics.
