According to recent studies, the American public views mainline Christian churches negatively — as judgmental, arrogant, rigid, and dull. That characterization may be inaccurate and unfair, but the winning strategy is to foster a positive perception through action.
Nothing says more than mission projects. For in serving what Jesus called “the least of these,” and doing so from true open-heartedness, not noblesse oblige, congregations show open hearts, open minds, tender regard for all, and a humble willingness to serve.
A good starting point is to align yourself with an existing mission project, such as Habitat for Humanity or the American Red Cross.
» Form a work crew to do a one-time Habitat build. If constituents respond favorably, do another.
» Sponsor a blood draw at your congregation. If it succeeds, make it quarterly or annual.
» Send walkers to local community efforts, such as CROP Walk, AIDS Walk, Walk for Breast Cancer Research. Wear branded T-shirts and carry a church sign.
Partner with another church or agency in meeting an unmet need:
» Provide after-school tutoring for under-performing children.
» Serve in a local homeless shelter and/or feeding ministry.
» Make a portion of the church property available for a community garden.
Create your own ongoing mission projects, focusing on unmet needs that your people care about. Examples:
» Day care center for Alzheimer’s patients.
» Day care center for children.
» Sanctuary for immigrants.
» Athletic program for disadvantaged children.
Send mission teams out to serve, and be sure to ask them to give online and verbal reports.
» Form continuing relationships with centers of need, such as migrant worker camps, Native American reservations.
» Send mission teams into natural disasters such as Hurricane Katrina.
Mission work is the number one draw for many young adults. In one church where I consulted, they had eight to twelve young adults visiting every week. When I asked the young adults what drew them, nearly all said, “Mission work.” They didn’t care about Sunday worship. They weren’t turning to church for socialization. They didn’t want to run committees. They valued the church’s orientation toward mission and the sense of higher purpose it conveyed.
Dozens of young adults have signed onto those mission projects. Even though they rarely attend worship, they serve regularly at a feeding ministry and two homeless shelters and in raising funds for mission.
Not every church can follow this entire agenda. But start where you can, and watch interest grow. The word will get out that “those folks really care.”
