New occasions teach new duties. The new occasion is the current unprecedented opportunity for congregational growth we are now facing.. We have a rare window of opportunity for expanding our numbers and for increasing our diversity. The new duties are the changes that are taking place and must continue to take place within our congregations if we are to take full advantage of this growth potential.
Congregational growth can be exciting and energizing. It can also be disturbing, confusing, painful and even threatening to long time members who feel that their church or fellowship is changing in ways they are not prepared or willing to accept. Two words might be said to summarize the current state of our Unitarian Universalist congregations: pain and potential.
For many of our congregations, growing pains may involve expanding that physical space to accommodate more adults and children, or expanding from one weekly worship service to two or more, but for everyone of our congregations, growth will involve opening ourselves up to the kinds of changes a different generation of Unitarian Universalists will bring with them.
Growth means expanding our emotional and spiritual space to reach out and welcome new seekers and to welcome the changes that they will bring. This is not always easy. Growth is one of those issues that most of our congregations affirm in the abstract, but often when growth becomes actualized and our congregations begin to respond to the needs, and desires of new members, long timers may feel excluded or discounted.
But here's the potential. For the first time in a long time there is a sizable population out there of men and women between the ages of 30 and 50 many of whom are already predisposed to many of the things that characterize our brand of liberal religion. Quoting an article by journalist Geoffrey Stokes in the May 1993 issue of the Boston Globe: "Since 1980, enrollment in mainline Protestant Churches has dropped precipitously, but adult UU membership has increased 10%. More significant, the number of children enrolled in UU Sunday schools is up by 40% while mainline Sunday schools suffered a 55 % decline during a similar period.
Some would say, borrowing the language of demographics, that its the pig passing through the python. A few years back, the baby boomers, that post World War II population bugle. prompted at lest in part by concerns about their children's moral and ethical education, began to consider the Sunday school option, greatly increasing the number of potential church goers.
But if it were just demographics, all Protestant churches would be growing in proportion--and they're not. Nor is it simply that the growth of Unitarian Universalism represents a wide spread rejection of orthodoxy. (If that were so, fundamentalists churches would not have grown so explosively over the past two decades.) Nor are the historical and family patterns that dictate church allegiance operating with their traditional force.
So, for an entire generation, religion has become more of a choice, less of an inheritance, and boomers typically visit a number of churches before deciding which one offers the right social and theological fit. This is basically a kind of shopping- -something boomers are good at---and as Newsweek Magazine put it in a 1991 cover story, "The quintessential boomer church may well be the Unitarian Universalist Association..."
In short: there are 76 million men and women out there between their early 30þs and their early 50þs, the product of the Post World War II Baby Boom, many of whom are unchurched or drop outs from their parentþs religion who are looking for something to help them make sense out of their lives and out of life issues such as suffering and death, or life crises such as divorce, addiction, and codependency. Although many were exposed to Sunday school as children, most have never had an adult relationship with a church. Many are raising children in a world that appears to be growing more vulgar and violent.. Many of those have described what they are looking for in terms such as spirituality, community, soul, transcendence, serenity, hope, roots and even God Many of them may not know exactly what they are seeking but they know that they donþt want a lot of traditional religious doctrine, moralism, authoritarianism, or sectarianism.
So it should come as no surprise to us that in the December 17, 1991 issue of þNewsweekþ Unitarian Universalism was described as the quintessential baby boomer church because of our emphasis on the individual as the principal locus of authority, our lack of dogma, our pluralistic approach to spirituality, and our egalitarianism, all of which seems to be in line with existing baby boomer values. Additionally aspects that attract baby boomers to Unitarian Universalism include our emphasis on social justice and our openness to theological as well as social issues that directly affect women as well as gay men and lesbians.
If Newsweek is right and we are the quintessential baby boomer church what does all of this mean our communities of faith. Does our openness, flexibility, and tolerance make us the ideal religious institution for spiritual seekers who are still leery of organized religion? Sunday morning attendance is up in our churches all over the country and RE enrollment is high. But many long time UUþs regard this influx of baby boomers, and baby busters as a mixed blessing to say the least.
The presence of a greater number of Boomers in ours congregation can be a threat to those long time members who were born in the decades prior to 1945. The Baby Busters, also known as Generation X, those born after 1964, men and women now in their late 20þs and early 30þs present an entirely different set of challenges than their Boomer parents. In growing churches the influx of both Baby Boomers and to a lesser extent Baby Busters may indirectly be the source of the internal conflicts that appear to characterize many of our congregations. If we want to take advantage of this window of opportunity for growth, we need to understand how and why these generations differ, what these differences mean in terms of our churches, and how we can use these differences to bring new members into our churches. It sounds easy, but it isnþt alway so. The influx of new comers born after 1945 are shaking up the internal culture of our churches and fellowships.
Why? Why do Boomers and Busters threaten the status quo? Because when these three generational groups meet three radically different world views collide. The world view of those born after 1947 is substantially different from the world view of those born before that date. And the experiences of those born in the midst of the 1960þs, are very different from those of their parents and grandparents. The social upheavals and rapid changes that have characterized the period following the Great Depression and World War II have made the gaps between generations deeper.
What this means for our congregations is this: what þworkedþ to attract and keep church members in the þ50þs, þ60þs and þ70þs wonþt work now. What Baby Boomers and Baby Busters want and expect from their churches and fellowships is not the same as the wants, needs and expectations of their parentsþ and grandparentsþ generations. Churches that do a good job of reaching out to one generation, may be þturning offþ and þturning awayþ members of another generation.
The events that shaped the expectations of those born before 1947 were the Great Depression and World War II. The events that shaped the lives of those born after 1947 were the events of the 1960þs, the Vietnam War, Watergate and the womenþs movement. The changes that have had the greatest impact on the baby busters, the children of the boomers have been closer to home. They were the first generation of children to experience on a large scale the impact of the rising divorce rate, joint custody, mothers on career tracks, and blended families. Fifty per cent grew up in homes impacted by divorce. More than that were latch key children who came home from school every day to an empty house. These factors directly shape what Boomers and Busters want and expect from a church community.
Although it may be a bit of an over generalization, the majority of UUþs born before 1945 were come outers, those who left a church of another denomination for intellectual or ideological reasons. They came to Unitarian Universalism seeking freedom of religion and in some cases, freedom from religion. They were looking for a religious tradition that was intellectual, scientific, socially progressive, pragmatic, objective, unemotional. They left behind what they called the empty rituals, the emotionalism, the dogmatism, the supernaturalism, the pie in the sky promises of their former faiths. And the style of Unitarian Universalism they experienced in our congregations in the 1950's and 60's met there needs.
The majority of Baby Boomer UU's are come iners, those, who, while they may have been exposed to church and Sunday school as young children, were virtually unchurch as adults. Boomers come to church seeking and expecting spiritual nurture and direction. Unlike past generations who discovered Unitarian Universalism on a journey away from orthodox or fundamentalistic religions, these new seekers are coming into a religious community as an alternative to the empty values of secular life. As my colleague Arvid Straube writes: "Unlike the traditional potential converts to Unitarian Universalism of past decades, these people tend not to be fresh refugees from more orthodox religion. They do not need to rebel. They are not looking for a refuge from Methodism but from secularism, hedonism, and consumerism." They've had all science, and psychology, and the human potential movement had to offer them. They had a taste of the excesses of rugged individualism, and the highly mobile society and long to be able to find community. They've lived in their heads most of their lives and they want something that speaks to their souls, their hearts, their emotions not just to their intellects. Their tastes are wide ranging and eclectic and embrace both traditional religious symbols as well as New Age philosophies. Many have even had experience in the addiction and recovery movements and come to church as part of their struggle for sobriety. Most say that their return to church was prompted by a desire to find religious education for their children, but in truth they seek spiritual guidance for themselves as well. They are not running away from organized religion; they are running away from the empty values of secular culture. The impact of this phenomenon alone cannot be discounted or underestimated in our congregations. We are no longer the counter culture to orthodoxy or fundamentalism. We are the counter culture to secular materialism. For the first time in our history as a movement we do not exist as a liberal alternative to conservative religion, but as a religious alternative to the empty values of our culture.
The baby busters, the children of parents who came of age in the 1960's were virtually unchurched even as children. They are facing their very real fears for the future with little or no religious experience good or bad from which to draw. The search for intimacy, for community and for acceptance is a driving force in their lives. They fear for the future, and believe that the traditional American dream is already beyond their grasp. Everything out there seems broken. The economy seems beyond repair. The environment is in crisis. Busters know they'll have to pay for the national debt and social security of the generation that handed it to them, and they feel angry about that.
Paradoxically, in the midst of this nearly hopeless out look, busters are trying to create hope on a local scale. They want to put their live into something that will make a difference.
Because of the radically different events that shaped their lives as well as the rapid pace of social change that has characterized the last half century, when members of the pre 1945 generation, encounter Baby Boomers and Baby Busters in a church community conflict over expectations, styles, preferences, and values is sure to occur.
Often times these conflicts are mistakenly characterized in terms of the old theists versus humanists debate, or rationalism versus mysticism, or god talk versus no god talk. When in reality what we are witnessing is three generations which have a hard time understanding and appreciating each other.
The first place this conflict of values and expectations between those born before 1945 and the Boomers is likely to occur in a UU congregation is over the content and style of the Sunday morning worship service. What UUþs born before 1945 say they want most in the Sunday morning service is intellectual stimulation. They prefer sermons that deal with ideas, concepts, and current issues. They like a style of presentation that is objective, detached and emotionally neutral. They donþt like anything that feels to them like formalism, emotionalism, or ritual. And many react negatively to what they call þGod talkþ: theistic language in the service even if it is used poetically or metaphorically. All of this talk of spirituality makes them a little nervous. They associate what they call þGod talkþ with a return to orthodoxy. They have a difficult time understand why language and rituals they rejected so long ago might speak to the needs of the new generation of religious liberals. Those born before 1945 prefer, or at least have grown accustomed to a style of Sunday service that is informal, loosely structured, non liturgical and often times lay lead. They prefer their music classical and meditative and recorded music suits them fine. They like a rousing talk back afterwards in which the issues presented are debated back and forth. They want stimulation, intellectual challenge, and lively discussion and debate.
In sharp contrast, those born after 1945 say that the thing they want most of all on Sunday morning is celebration and spiritual renewal. They prefer sermons that deal with feelings, personal dilemmas, life passages, and spiritual growth. They are comfortable with a style of presentation that is subjective, warm, and vibrant. They are comfortable with þGod talkþ and are interested in prayer, guided meditation, and Bible study. They want comfort more than stimulation, and reassurance more than argumentation.
Those born after 1964 want practical sermons that deal with relationships, family life, and spiritual growth. Neither accustomed to traditional styles of worship or prejudiced against them, they are receptive to the uses of multimedia, drama, fast paced modern music, and personal stories. Reared on MTV, they like their worship fast paced, and often complain that the sermon was too long. The sermon talk back sessions and argumentative discussions so relished by those born before 1944, remind baby busters of their parentþs arguments when they were children and hence have little appeal. They prefer sermons that are very personal, practical, and emphasize ways in which relationships can be made stronger. They want to know how to build up a world, rather than how to tear down the old institutions. They already feel overwhelmed by life, and are not drawn to presentations that dwell on gloom and doom.
Busters come to church looking for intimacy and relationship, but they are wary, skeptical of institutions and slow to trust. Busters may come across as cynical, skeptical and world weary, when in reality they are sensitive, emotionally fragile and longing for a supportive community. It may take a buster six months or more to join a congregation. And because they were largely unchurched as children, they make little or no distinction between conservative or liberal groups---they gravitate to the church that feels good to them, which often means the church which places much emphasis on relationships, harmony and on agreement.
Those born after 1945 generally prefer a worship service that is fast paced, tightly formatted and professionally lead. They like liturgical worship which they call ritual. Baby boomers prefer music that is contemporary, up tempo, singable and live. For Boomers as well as Busters worship should be celebrative as well as spiritually enriching.
Although the conflict over the style and content of the Sunday worship service may be couched in terms of the old humanists versus theists debate, it is really a conflict that has less to do with theology or þGod talkþ and much more to do with the experiences, needs and expectations of three very different generations.
According to Charles Gains, former Director of our Extension Department: "The new joiners are much more willing to experiment than our older members were. For the first time, looking at young adults who were born in the 60's and 70's, we're seeing a large group of people who were brought up unchurched. They come to us with no established behaviors and with no need to distance themselves from, or get even with, their childhood religions. In fact, they're looking for some of the same things our older members were fleeing.
So the congregations that are growing have had to change. If a congregation adapts a rigid party line, it will be less welcoming to the diversity we affirm.
You know that for years and years, there were many congregations where you simply couldn't use the word god or spiritual...but if we're going to be a significant and vital faith in the year 2025, when the demographics change again, we have to respond. In want to empathize with the older members, but I also want to create a life giving faith for our children and grandchildren."
Those UU congregations that are currently growing are those congregations that blend the emotional and the spiritual with the intellectual to create worship services that differ markedly from the dry lecture followed by discussion format that used to characterize many UU churches.
But worship styles are not the only areas of conflict between the generations. For the small to medium size church, growth itself may be an underlying source of conflict between old timers and new comers. Many of those born before 1945 grew up and in small towns and attended a small public school, maybe even a one room school house. They were acculturated to the small, homogeneous group and feel uncomfortable in larger, more diverse more impersonal groups. They prefer the intimacy and informality of the small church. For many members of the pre 1945 generation, small is beautiful. A surge of new faces and names, as well as the changes growth brings, feels disturbing and overwhelming, to those who were originally drawn to UUism by the promise of a intimate, causal group of friends who would all pitch in to share the responsibilities of a small congregation. When a critical mass of new comers appear, long timers, often complain: "Who are all these people? Where did they come from? I don't even recognize their names." What the long timers may mean is, "None of these new people know my name or recognize the ways I have contributed to this congregation over the years. They don't respect me and my opinion so why should I be in favor of growth. The intimacy and extended family feeling of my congregation is gone. Suddenly it seems so impersonal and institutional." Pre=- 1945 generation members may feel that they are being pushed aside by newcomers.
In contrast, many Baby Boomers attended large, over crowded public schools in the 1960þs and þ70þs , as well as large impersonal state universities and consequently feel at home in a large group. In fact, they seek out large groups for the variety of activities and relationships they offer. Boomers are less threatened by diversity and by individuals whose life styles are different from their own. They often accuse long time members of trying to be gate keepers or of trying hang on to the institution or trying to block necessary changes.
Sunday worship and church growth are not the only aspect of church life in which those born before 1945 may come into conflict with Baby Boomers and Baby Busters. Volunteerism, fundraising, and social justice are other areas in which the differing styles of these generations seem to collide.
Those individuals who came of age during the Great Depression and World War II have a finely honed sense of duty, obligation, institutional loyalty and a willingness to make personal sacrifices for the common good. They are the blood, sweat and tears generation. Many remember childhoods characterized by FDRþs fireside chats. They act out of a sense of duty and responsibility. They believe in the value of institutions. These individuals are our institutional stalwarts; the back bones of most of our congregations. Those born before 1945 respond to requests for volunteers and money when the request is couched in these terms. "We've all got to pitch in and make a sacrifice to keep Old First Church afloat one more year." "We've all got to do our duty." "If we don't do it, nobody will."
Baby boomers who came of age during Vietnam and Watergate mistrust most institutions. One fear they have about returning to church is the fear that all churches want from them is their money. Rather than acting out of a sense of duty or responsibility, they seek personal fulfillment and community. They have a consumer orientation and are only willing to give their time and money to a successful organization that will benefit them in the long run. Donþt bother to ask for their time and money using words like duty, loyalty, sacrifice and obligation.
A better way to approach Baby Boomers for the gift of their time and their money is to attach the appeal to opportunities for fellowship and personal growth. Instead of talking about duty and shared responsibility, when approaching Boomers, you might say: "Volunteerism is a good way to meet new people, make friends, and explore new skills and interests." When asking Boomers for money, donþt mention the high cost of utilities, and the need for a new septic tank. Try instead this approach: "The money we contribute to the church provides more programs and social events for adults and children. By helping the church you are helping yourself."
Busters on the other hand are less driven by the desire for self enhancement than Boomers. Typically Busters have less disposable income than Boomers, but are more willing to invest sweat equity in their church. They like hands on, grassroots projects, close to home. Busters want to become leaders, and yet they have a natural suspicion of anyone trying to lead them somewhere. They want to succeed, and yet many are paralyzed by a fear of failure. In all volunteer efforts, they must be reassured that if they fail, they will not meet with rejection. They are so longing for relationship, that what previous generations would consider normal conflict or anticipated give and take, seems to Busters to be infighting and divisiveness. When confronted with conflict, Busters just tend to drift away. It is well worth noting that Baby Busters react very negatively to the common UU practice of Baptist bashing, or putting down other churches in a smug, self important manner. Having had little or no personal exposure to organized religion, they likewise have no particular negative feelings toward other groups. They do however have very strong feelings against bashing, or putting down other groups.
If you are doing an every member canvass, a good rule to follow is to send Boomers to canvass Boomers and long time members to canvass long time members, and Busters to canvass Busters, because the ways to approach these groups is quite different.
Social justice, social concerns is a common issue that unites both long time UU's and new comers. This is good because it provides a common ground. Both groups say that they want a religion that is active and influential in the struggle for justice and a more humane society. But again, generational differences may cause conflict. As my colleague Arvid Straube a UU pastor writes: "Baby boomers yearn to serve and to share. Many however, have not the slightest idea on how to go about it. They tend not to like the traditional UU approach of exhaustive analysis of social problems followed by letters to the editor, to legislators, or perhaps the drafting of a General Assembly resolution. They do not see themselves as 'engaging in social action.' They see themselves as wanting to share and to serve. This too is part of the spiritual quest, for the spiritual world view insists that we are one with all humanity and with the earth. Our relationship with each other and the earth is inseparable from spiritual practice. This does not mean that we will never write letters, but there is a pronounced preference for hands on service." In other words: while long time UUþs say they want to understand the complexities of social problems and prefer forums and discussion groups; while new comers want hands on service to the needy. They prefer to do volunteer work in a soup kitchen or build a Habitat for Humanity House. Long timers call service projects 'band aid measures' while new comers say that they prefer action to talk. Busters don't like debating an issue, it seems too much like fighting to them, but they are energetic volunteers for hands on projects, especially those that are more relationship rather than task oriented. Busters may also be more libertarian than liberal, and seem surprisingly conservative on some issues. much to the discomfort of their parents who came of age during the 1960's.
Whether it is worship and the conflict is couched in terms of intellectual stimulation versus spiritual nourishment; or over volunteerism and the argument involves the values of duty versus self fulfillment; or over congregational size and the conflicting need for intimacy versus diversity and variety; or social justice and discussion versus action, these generational conflicts exist at some level in all of our growing congregations. But unless we recognize them for what they are-- -a generational difference---we will not be able to address these issues and work with the differing needs and expectations of long time loyal members as well as new comers.
There is a level of urgency here. Our window of opportunity will not remain open for much longer. The Baby Boomer bulge will move on and their primary motivation for seeking a religious community---their children---will likewise move beyond Sunday school age. Congregations that want to grow must make changes now, if they want to attract and maintain Baby Boomers.
The average congregation has a life time of 25 years. If the average age of the members of your congregation is over 55, your congregation may already be on the brink of irreversible decline. I am convinced that there are only two kinds of UU congregations: the ones that are growing and actively pursuing growth and those that are unconcerned about growth and hence are actively pursuing death. If you current membership is not up; if your Sunday morning attendance is not increasing; if your RE enrollment is not up; your congregation may already be in the throes of an irreversible death spiral.
I want to conclude by very quickly listing some of the things that our growing congregations are doing to attract new members. All of these ideas can be found in this new Skinner House Book entitled Salted With Fire: Unitarian Universalist Strategies for Sharing Faith and Growing Congregations. One way to evaluate your own congregation is to see how many of these things you are already doing. These are in no particular order or priority.
Number One: Growing churches make it harder to become a member. It seems paradoxical, by the more you require of your members in terms of a mandatory financial and volunteer commitment, the more membership in your church or fellowship will mean. Do you say to new members that to be a UU all one has to do is sign the book? Or do you hold inquirer's classes for potential members in which you carefully explain the responsibilities and obligations of Growing churches are not shy about addressing the issue of financial commitment. In successful churches, money talk is no longer taboo. Growing churches make serious demands on their members. They emphasize the responsibility of membership. They have high expectations and they are seldom disappointed. Boomers and Busters respond positively to requests for serious commitment.
Number Two: Growing churches are do not shut down during the summer months but have high quality worship services and childrenþs programming year round. In fact, progrowth churches recognize that new families moving to town in time to enroll their children in school in September church shop in August and therefore growing congregations plan special seekers services during August. If your congregation shuts down or offers less attractive programming during those months when the regulars are not around as much, you are encouraging new comers---especially those with children to go else where.
Number three: Growing churches have more than one worship service per week---even those churches that have more than adequate sanctuary space...Whether it is a second service on Sunday morning. a Sunday evening service or a mid week service followed by adult RE. growing churches provide more than one opportunity a week for worship. Why? For those of us who grew up churched, Sunday morning is time for church, but for a generation of unchurched individuals who have not be acculturated to Sunday morning, Sunday evening, Wednesday night, or even Friday night may provide a more attractive and convenient time for church attendance.
Number four: When it comes to those worship services remember these three little words: quality, quality, quality. Baby boomers are discriminating and demanding. The sanctuary should be clean, comfortable and aesthetically pleasing. The service itself should be lively, and well paced from start to finish. .Worship should be celebratory. Start strong and end strong. A Sunday service that may feel loose, informal, easy going and laid back to your long time members, may seem sloppy, disorganized, and careless to first time visitors.
Number five: Growing churches know how to watch their language. Congregations in which fifteen minutes of coded announcements proceed the service are turning off visitors. By coded announcements I mean those couched in 'insider language' for example: RE, DRE, UUSC, UUA, APF, etc. What does a new comer think when he or she hears something like: "Hello folks, I'm B.J. the DRE and I want to make sure you turn in those UUSC donations ASAP. We all want to wear our ribbons at GA this year." A newcomer's first impression is that your church is a closed society with a language all it's own. Make sure your worship service, order of worship and newsletter do not contain indecipherable code words or acronyms. Make sure your building has adequate internal and external signs to enable newcomers to feel at home.
Number six: Music, music, music. Surprise! UUþs can sing. Growing churches have live, lively singable music in worship. For the small congregation, better to have a good singer leading lively hymns on a guitar, that the whole New York Philharmonic on CD. In growing churches, music is active and participatory.
Number seven: Growing churches have R.E. space that looks and feels like a high quality day care center. In terms of the physical plant, check your restrooms and your nursery--both should be spotless, and well lighted. The nursery should be bright, clean, sweet smelling and have new, attractive toys. Between 1990 and 95 we will have had a Baby boomer boomlet---a high number of births. Your nursery may be your key to success.
Number eight: Growing churches evangelize our children. Our RE programs should emphasize what UUs believe and why we want our children to follow in our faith. We have taught them about sex, Buddhism, photosynthesis, and dinosaurs, isnþt it about time we taught them about Unitarian Universalism and why we think it is important for them to remain involved in our churches as young adults?
Number nine: Spiritual growth. Churches that are growing offer adults meditation groups, 12 step groups, study groups, support groups for people living with cancer, AIDS or other debilitating illnesses, yoga groups all of them designed to help unchurches individuals develop a mature adult spirituality. Many new comers ease into church through the back door---a study group or a support group with an overt spiritual emphasis. Only later do the come in through the front door on Sunday morning. Weþve got to make sure that the back door is wide open.
Number ten: Service projects. Growing churches involve their members and attract new members through hands on service projects. Baby boomers want to find avenues to express their compassion. Whether its a soup kitchen, a tutoring program, or a Habitat House growing churches have community projects going on all of the time. Growing churches have a sense of mission that extends beyond the needs of their members. Boomers and Busters want to live their faith through hands on projects close to home.
Number eleven: Growing churches want to grow. They believe that they have something good, and exciting and important to offer just about anybody and they are willing to tell their friends about it. They have a progrowth consciousness that permeates all of their activities. Members of growing churches canþt wait to bring their friends to their place of worship. They know that the beautiful, clean building, the high quality worship service, the attractive RE space and the excellent program are worthy of their pride. And members of growing congregations are not inhibited about making it clear to new members that we expect a great deal from those who enter our sacred space.
Finally: Growing churches define themselves in a positive way. They do not assume that new comers had to reject or will reject anything before discovering UUism. Growing congregations donþt bash the Baptists or put down the Presbyterians. They know how to tell their story, make their witness is a positive, affirming way. Growing churches identify with what they do believe and not with what they don't believe. In growing churches the greeters, worship leaders, coffee hosts, RE teachers all reflect a positive, optimistic and welcoming attitude. Growing congregation make room for newcomers; they are intimate, but not clannish. Growing churches have a mission statement that reflects their positive attitude toward growth and that mission statement is part of the consciousness of the whole congregation.
New occasions teach new duties, time makes ancient good uncouth. We must onward move and upward, who would keep abreast of truth. The new occasion is the current unprecedented opportunity for congregational growth we are now facing.. We have a rare window of opportunity for expanding our numbers and for increasing our diversity. The new duties are the changes that are taking place and must continue to take place within our congregations if we are to take full advantage of this growth potential. As we prepare to disembark on the shores of a new century, I canþt help but feel the potency of our location today. We are at a juncture in our history no less critical to the survival of liberal religion, than the landing of our ancestors here so long ago. And like them, our survival depends on our knowing how to maintain our sense of mission and values while adapting to the demands of a whole new environment.Godspeed.
WebWeaver