Surprising Insights: Profile of Unchurched-Reaching Pastors

Apologies for the long-ish silence!

Chapter Seven takes us in to Part Two of the book.  Having surveyed the recently unchurched and heard the overwhelming importance of the role of the pastor/ minister/ leader, Rainer undertook a second round of interviews.  He surveyed 101 pastors of churches who are reaching the unchurched.  

Those surveyed came from churches across a range of denominations (but no significant percentage (if any) were Episcopalians/ Anglicans), age groups, ethnic backgrounds, social settings, and church ages (ie. local churches from less than 10 to more than 100 years old).  

A number of findings are summarised in this chapter:

1. Interview results from the 101 pastors have a statistically highly consistent degree of correlation with the results of the main survey of recently unchurched. 
2. Their average tenure was 11.8 years, compared to just 3.8 for all pastors.
3. 87% were seminary trained (47% had masters/ seminary training, 40% had doctorates).
4. An unquantifiable passion for reaching the lost and unchurched world was evident through the interviews.
5. Leaders are readers - the top book cited was Rick Warren’s ‘The Purpose Driven Life’ followed by Oswald Chambers’ ‘My Utmost for His Highest’ and J. I. Packer’s ‘Knowing God’.
6. Preaching - biblical preaching - was an absolute priority.  
7. They tended to be theologically conservative: 99% affirmed that salvation is only through Christ, 98% held to the inerrancy (complete or limited) of the Bible.  
8. They desired to be better leaders: through reading books on leadership, undertaking further study, formalising a mentoring relationship with another leader, seeking to upgrade skills in new areas like finance or administration. 
9. Having an intentional plan to reach the unchurched, and executing on it, was critical. 
10. Personal holiness, integrity, leadership by example, a vibrant prayer life, personal Bible study, ability to institute change, ability to cast vision, Bible knowledge, personal evangelism and communication skills were, in order, the top ten personal characteristics as rated in relation to leading their local church.  

That’s quite a list!  And knowing something about how difficult it is for many local churches in Melbourne to find a pastor when they need a new one, this list makes me want to keep praying that the Lord of the harvest raises up more workers for His harvest field. 

If you’re in need of a pastor, I think this list suggests that you either look to a good theological college, or find the most godly and capable person you can to send to one.  It takes a while to cook them properly, so we’d best start sending them now!

If you’re a pastor already or wanting to be one, be encouraged!  Here are some ways forward from this study.  If you haven’t already, start working on your personal holiness; preach the Bible; find a godly leader to be a mentor; start reading; start praying and planning. 

Feeling stressed out by life?

Some years ago I had reason to write this little pamphlet, which I've never regretted.  I keep explaining it and giving it away to people, so why not put it on the web as well?

Here's the link:
http://bit.ly/bjjNqE

Do let me know if you find it useful, or if you've got feedback for me.  And please do feel free to use it in your ministry to others.  God's blessings!

ps. Hey, since posting this just last week, I received a copy of Luke's Journal, the rag of the Christian Medical and Dental Fellowship (Australia).  They've published this!  And I think I gave them permission... ages ago.  Hope their readers find it helpful.

Breaking the 500 barrier

Nelson Searcy is a pastor in New York City, has worked on staff at Saddleback with Rick Warren and is a church leadership consultant.  http://www.churchleaderinsights.com

I’ve been listening to a Searcy audio talk on churches ‘breaking the 500 barrier’.  It’s widely acknowledged that churches approaching that size of membership need to overcome several cultural changes to grow beyond 500.  (Of course another option is to send off a portion of the congregation to a church plant, and stay below 500.)

Here are four bits from his introduction which I took note of:

1. Change is essential - with optimism and faith in God - to break through 500. 
2. Ask, ‘What is keeping my church from growing?’
3. Go from ‘good’ to ‘great’.
4. Move ‘occasional attenders’ of church to become ‘committed attenders’. 

These overlap nicely with what I’ve seen in Surprising Insights.  I noted the observation there that  excellence is intrinsically attractive.  If we’re determined to serve God with excellence, we’ll change some things that we do at church presently.  

The direction of change that I’m interested in is change for growth.   So I’m already asking, ‘What’s keeping us from growing?’  We’re already doing many things well, but how do we go from ‘good to great’, and in which areas first?  Moving occasionals to becoming committed attenders is certainly a top priority!  (I sometimes call it ‘discipleship’.)

Surprising Insights #7 - Doctrine Really Matters

This is the final chapter in Part One, which deals with results from the survey of 353 formally unchurched persons.  True to the title of the book, the counter-intuitive finding is that doctrine really matters to the unchurched.  

The highest scoring factor influencing choice of church was theological beliefs or doctrine.  Interestingly, this factor was slightly more important for the formerly unchurched (91%) than for the control group of transfer churched (89%).  

Four headings in the chapter caught my attention:

Looking for absolutes:  the qualitative comments from the survey indicated that the unchurched were looking for absolute values in a world filled with uncertainty and the proliferation of relativism.  They picked it up not just from the sermons, but also in publications where the church’s doctrinal position was clearly set out.

Sensing certitude: certitude is the conviction of belief, which was also attractive and convincing.  One remarked, ‘there are a lot of wishy-washy churches out there’, and another said of the pastor, ‘this guy really believes this stuff’.  

Pastor, doctrine and certitude: Pastors who were unafraid to deal with difficult doctrinal issues also stood out in the remarks.  Their clarity and conviction was refreshing, and carried across not just in the pulpit but across a range of contexts like a welcomers’ gathering and Bible study class. 

Speaking the truth in love: Above all the grace, warmth and love communicated by not just the pastor, but the entire congregation as they held on their doctrinal clarity, was attractive and convincing.  

Surprising Insights #6 - Closing the Back Door

Well, that’s what I would have titled Chapter 5, instead of ‘Why They Returned and Stayed’.  Rainer opens the chapter with the burning issue a senior minister of a large and expanding church was wrestling with: low retention rates among newcomers.  The study of 353 formerly unchurched persons produced 6 key factors for retaining newcomers and encouraging return visits among guests:


1. Doctrine clarified

There is a desperately intriguing sentence in this section: ‘In a culture that prides itself on religious pluralism, we found that perhaps millions of Americans are on a quest for objective truth’.  I’m not so sure about the average Australian’s confidence that there is such a thing to be found - but I’d be very happy to be corrected!


2. High expectations

‘People have no desire to be a part of something that makes no difference, that expects little.  And, frankly, many churches have dumbed down church membership to the point that is has no meaning at all.’  Rainer combines results from an earlier survey of 2000 churches and concludes emphatically that churches with high and clear expectations of members to commit to living and ministering in a way consistent with New Testament teachings are better at evangelism and retaining guests (as members).


3. An “entry point” class

By this Rainer means a class or session for new members or potential new members in which the culture and identity of the church, and the expectations of members, are communicated and clarified.  This is typically done by the senior minister.   Further there was a positive correlation between the rate of retention of new members, and the requirement of attending such a class.  The more ‘optional’ the classes were, the lower the rate of retention.  

4. Small groups or Sunday School 

Forming meaningful relationships is the critical factor in retaining new members.  And involvement in a small group or a ministry area are the two most effective contexts in which those relationships form.  The study found an overwhelming correlation between membership of a small group or a Sunday School class and forming a long-lasting commitment to the local church.  

For some new converts, a Sunday School option was preferable, as it kept church involvement to a Sunday and decreased potential resentment from non-church going family members - a factor that I’d not considered more seriously before.  

‘Busyness’ is a common catch-cry these days, but this observation is not dissimilar to the narrative argument in Tim Chester and Steve Timms, Total Church - relationships matter, and relationships and community-building take time and energy and a degree of prioritisation over other competing demands.


5. Clarity of purpose

More than 90% of laity in evangelistic churches can name 4 out of 5 of their church’s purpose statements.  The figure for non-evangelistic churches is 17.7%.  Full-stop!


6. Ministry involvement

When asked what kept them ‘active in church’, 62% of the study’s respondents mentioned some form of ministry involvement.  55% mentioned the Sunday School - what we would call the Bible study small group.  But it was ministry involvement that generated enthusiastic, ‘eyes lighting up’ responses.  

So in summary, the formerly unchurched want to be in a church that makes a difference, that has clear direction and vision.  And they want to be in small groups, and serve in ministry - and they want to do this in a church that sets a high bar on what it means to be a Christian and church member today.  

Surprising Insights #5: Impressed by First Impressions

I’ll never forget a story a colleague told me about going to church in a small Victorian country town where she and a friend were holidaying.  They found the local Anglican church on Sunday, and went in at service time.  The place was mainly empty, so they picked a pew and slid in.  The first person to talk to them was an elderly lady who came over and said grumpily, ‘You’re sitting in my spot’.  

This chapter discusses the study’s findings that first impressions matter.  Interestingly, most respondents were more affected by the impressions on their second visit, rather than their first.  But they had decided within a few minutes of their first visit as to whether they would come back or not.  Many put it down to being overwhelmed by everything first time around.  

Be that as it may, the point is that the formerly unchurched notice things about both people and facilities that influence their decision to return.  There wasn’t much about this in the chapter, but I rather suspect that the transfer churched are fussier about things like worship and music preference. 

The study showed that the top five first impressions had to do with:

1. Friendliness - 311
2. Nice facilities/ adequate space -161
3. Nursery/ preschool/ children’s ministry - 102
4. Organisation (instead of chaos) - 111
5. Greeters and welcome centres - 117

The numbers refer to the number of respondents (out of the study total of 353) who mentioned this factor as a positive towards their decision to return and eventually join the church.  

Rainer rightly discusses the impact of consumerism and the consumer mentality on churches.  Two or three generations ago church was where you went locally to serve others.  Now visitors ask what the church can do for them, or their children.  He acknowledges that it is difficult to draw the line between being seeker-friendly and driven by consumerism, but uses the example of one outstandingly evangelistically successful church as the paradigm: excellence is what matters.  ‘Mediocrity breeds indifference, but excellence attracts…’ says that church’s pastor.  So even if you’re starting a church in a dingy rented living room, with no children’s ministry, you should be encouraged to strive for excellence in the service and in quality of your friendly welcoming fellowship.  

Surprising Insights #4: Relationships that Click

This is a really interesting chapter.  Rainer cites a number of other studies which indicate that relationships are highly significant for people connecting to a church.  The received wisdom is that relationships matter, but in this chapter he outlines this particular study’s surprising findings.  The methodological nuances take a bit of careful thought to get through, but they’re worth it!  

Two significant differences between this study’s and other studies’ findings are identified.  1. The reasons the formerly unchurched chose a particular church are complex and cannot be simplified to one or two major issues.  2. Relationships is an important factor, but not the overwhelming reason as some other studies suggest.  

Five major conclusions are outlined:

1. Relationships Are Very Important
2. Rarely Do Relationships Alone Explain the Best Way to Reach the Unchurched
3. God Sometimes Works to Reach the Unchurched Without Using Any Relationships
4. Family Relationships Are the Most Important
5. The Wife is the Most Important Relationship in Reaching the Unchurched

The formerly unchurched were asked, ‘If a family member influenced you to come to church, which person was most influential?’  The highest score was 35% - ‘wives’.  The next highest was 18% - ‘children’ and then 16% for ‘other’.  Parents, siblings and parents-in-law returned 9, 5 and 2%.  Husbands didn’t even score. 

Rainer observes that women are, on anecdotal evidence, more likely to visit a church without any relational connection, whereas men are not likely to visit a church where they do not know anybody.  

The end result, in my opinion, is that women tend to be over-represented in churches.  The good news is that wives are such an important relationship for reaching unchurched husbands - one third of respondents!  So, how many churches do you know about with an intentional ministry to help wives reach their unconverted husbands?  St Alfred’s doesn’t have one… yet.