More about First Baptist Knoxville from Knoxville Magazine.
It’s a Tough Job but Some Saints have got to do it:
Lead the Downtown Churches into the 21st Century, That Is!
By Margaret Pierce
Most ministers must walk more by faith than sight when it comes to finding new disciples in today’s secular society. And only the spiritually seasoned need apply to lead Knoxville’s downtown churches, where congregations are trying to maintain their regional appeal as well as respond to an emerging downtown mission field: an affluent, highly educated and professional crowd.
Ministers from three of Knoxville’s longtime downtown churches recently discussed the ways their churches are meeting the challenge.
“If a group of highly educated professional types are moving downtown, my guess is that all of our downtown churches may see some of those folks if they are in fact interested in working with issues that are peculiar to downtown,” says Dr. Paul Rader, associate pastor of First Presbyterian on State Street.
Those new residents may create a sense of urgency for Rader’s church if a “slight” membership loss spirals downward. And the mega-sized Church Street United Methodist on Henley Street, which church staff now describes as “stable,” may also eventually need to step up downtown outreach efforts.
Years of urban sprawl account for some membership losses as evidenced by the fact that many people have left downtown congregations to attend neighborhood churches. Even First Baptist of Knoxville, which has shown signs of recapturing its former “mega-church” status by rising to 1,700 members this past year, has been affected.
“We kind of had the perfect storm in the late 70s and early 80s. We had declining facilities, a rough transition with pastoral leadership; we had theological challenges…”says Dr. Bill Shiell, senior pastor.
But Shiell says the exodus that was occurring then is over now. “I don’t have someone coming up to me every Sunday and saying, ‘I’m leaving because I have to be somewhere in the burbs.’ But when someone moves to town and they see our advertisements or watch us on television, they have to decide if they want to drive 20 to 30 minutes,” he says.
With the majority of downtown church members still living on the outskirts of town, one must wonder if suburban growth and increased traffic will eventually influence their commitment, particularly on mid-week meeting nights in the height of Knoxville’s traffic.
In response, Rader says active members must possess a particular mindset. “People are here because they choose to worship in a downtown church. They (intentionally) drive by the suburbs in order to come here, and they have to make an extra effort to get here for weekday activities,” says Rader.
While leaders of the mainline denominations think their regional membership base will endure suburban flight, a changing downtown population also compels them to consider new challenges. The Central Business Improvement District (CBID) office reports that the downtown residential population has risen from 1,200 to 1,700 residents in recent years largely because of new condominium and rental developments.
The increase may not seem significant in light of phenomenal growth in West Knoxville and other parts of the county. However, the pending completion of 250 more upscale housing units underscores an emerging population trend that several downtown church staffs are factoring into future plans.
First Baptist of Knoxville, the most evangelical of the three churches, should connect easily with the latest downtown influx because their membership resembles at least two segments of the new resident profile: the Double Income Couples with No Kids (DINKS) and Empty Nesters. And the man for the defining hour might be Shiell, a Generation X member, who seems to possess both the intellect and energy required to lead the distinctive Baptist church, which is affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention and the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship (CBF), a theologically moderate organization that seeks to promote spiritual freedom and tolerance of different Biblical interpretations.
Shiell has only been the senior pastor for a year and a half but the high-profile minister seems one step ahead of his pastoral peer group when it comes to one-on-one outreach. “We’re networking with the downtown realtors and the neighborhood associations to identify the people who are moving in… to be the first one to say welcome to the neighborhood,” says Shiell.
The assertive strategy that Shiell describes should come as no surprise with a Southern Baptist church. However, Shiell says their evangelistic approach contradicts the Baptist stereotype. “What we’re about is relationships and transformational life change. For some people moving into downtown, that’s going to mean a long-term commitment to them …” he explains.
And, you don’t have to live downtown to be within First Baptist’s sphere of influence. Members are already cultivating relationships with a diverse group of downtown workers because of a new “seven-day-a-week” outreach emphasis. “We have definitely stepped it up a notch to find creative ways to get people into the building,” says Shiell.
For instance, Shiell teaches a Wednesday Bible study that draws over 150 downtown professionals, many of whom are boomers, during the business lunch hour. The church also offers an English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) class during the week. Church members tutor children of the foreign students while their parents attend the language class. Some of the Hispanic students enrolled in the classes also work in the downtown hospitality industry, another future target audience. First Baptist plans to host receptions for downtown hotel employees, many of whom are hourly wage earners.
While Shiell seems grateful for the new pool of prospects that downtown revitalization efforts are creating, he’s also convinced that a “service” experience is what will ultimately draw visitors from anywhere in the region. “If someone is already serving, they have immediate ownership in the place… They come, they’re involved and their lives are changing,” explains Shiell. “We change better when we serve instead of sitting around talking about it,” he adds.
Joining the church is then just a natural progression for the active visitor, according to Shiell. He thinks Kids Hope U.S.A., a school-based mentoring program, is the type of project that might interest a visitor-seeker. This volunteer activity exposes participants to a different side of downtown by bringing them face-to-face with at-risk children at South Elementary School.
Once a week, Shiell and other church members interact with children who live in poverty and sometimes severely dysfunctional home situations. “Educators have documented that a mentor’s relationship with a kid prevents them from falling through the cracks and keeps them off crime and drugs,” explains Shiell. Shiell, who makes a point to practice what he preaches, says he keeps that weekly commitment because he needs to. “I learn a lot from people who are not Christians. I have built some relationships with people who have helped to shape my messages,” he says.
Church Street United Methodist Also Delivers Kinder and Gentler ApproachDr. Jan Buxton-Wade, associate pastor of Church Street United Methodist, echoes Shiell’s zeal for social-oriented missions by quoting Methodist founder John Wesley who said, “the world is my parish.” Buxton-Wade cites a new partnership with the Lennon-Senney United Methodist Church, an East Knoxville congregation, to illustrate her members’ desire to share God’s love with the world. Described as an “act of reconciliation” on the church’s website, the volunteer project involves helping elderly members of the African-American congregation with home repairs and remodeling through a partnership with the Knoxville Leadership Foundation, a network of faith-based organizations.
And Dr. Bill Fowler, senior pastor, explains the ultimate purpose of the project. “Very few of us have persons of another ethnic group or another race as our friends, and that’s just kind of how it falls out. Well, reconciling means that you are opening one’s self up to things that separate.”
That same reconciliation principle applies to their relationship with the Muslim community, according to Fowler. For instance, several members periodically converse with members of an Islamic mosque in the Fort Sanders area. After the Danish press published the controversial cartoon that portrayed Muhammad as a violent prophet, Fowler says they invited the local group to talk about the reaction of the Muslim community. “Our friends of the other faith were very candid with us, and we really could understand what is going on in the minds and hearts of the Islamic people,” says Fowler.
Hallmarks such as reconciliation and social action are being celebrated this year as Church Street observes its 75th anniversary on Henley Street and contemplates the historical church’s future. Although the congregation will eventually “intensify” visitation to the new downtown residents, Fowler says prayer is their primary outreach strategy. “We don’t do a lot of high pressure, twisting of arms in order to get people to join. We want the Holy Spirit to do that,” he says.
As far as programming changes that might occur to offset membership loss or recruit new members, Fowler suggests that it will be church as usual. For instance, the formal worship service will remain a cornerstone of their identity inside the old-world, gothic style architecture—even though thousands now flock to churches where contemporary is the main style of worship.
Buxton-Wade, associate pastor, says formal worship such as congregational readings, candle lighting and classic hymns still fills a particular churchgoer niche. “You have to be authentic. We know who we are at Church Street, and we know what we do best and that’s what we try to stick to,” says Buxton-Wade.
Neither Fowler nor Buxton-Wade is alarmed about the fact that their numbers are not rising, choosing to trust God instead. “For some reason, God draws people to the place of worship where they need to be,” explains Buxton-Wade. Despite that seemingly unshakable confidence and the decision of several downtown churches to stick with traditional forms of worship, Church Street and First Baptist of Knoxville do offer contemporary worship alternatives, too.
Buxton-Wade thinks the biggest obstacle facing Church Street United Methodist, which has over 2000 members, is not the emergence of the suburban mega-church or its modern worship style but rather the high mobility rate.
“Someone will come into Knoxville with a new job and then get a promotion,” says Buxton-Wade. “You’re invested in them emotionally and you depend on them as part of the congregation, and then they move to Charlottesville, Atlanta or somewhere else, and it’s very sad,” she adds.
But there’s a positive side to a mobile society, too. Job transfers bring many new families to the high-profile church. Buxton-Wade credits their well-trained ministers of youth and children as well as an exceptional music education program for attracting those families.
With a significant number of young families on their roll, Church Street stands out among other downtown churches, who have lost local multi-generation memberships over the years and have not been as successful at recruiting new Knoxville families.
First Presbyterian Claims “Jehovah Jireh” for the Future Tucked away in a more remote part of Knoxville’s downtown street maze, a much smaller and older congregation “goes several extra miles” to attend First Presbyterian. The congregation shares the same view of Christian service as their counterparts, according to Rader, First Presbyterian’s associate pastor. (Dr. Harris Schultz is interim pastor.)
And the church’s location doesn’t hinder them from pursuing such socially oriented endeavors as the Community School of the Arts. The project, which provides instruction in everything from painting to voice and musical instruments, fosters the creativity of about 200 students from low-income families.
Rader thinks another integral part of First Presbyterian, which interests his highly educated congregation and perhaps the scholarly segment of the new downtown demographic group, is their rich history. Images of turnips on needlepoint seat cushions and the organ in the chapel literally commemorate the church’s roots. Written accounts tell how James White, Knoxville’s founding father, who was also a Presbyterian elder, reserved a turnip patch for the original First Presbyterian church “plant,” which was built in 1792.
The importance of the facts surrounding the church’s evolution hit home in 1992 when the congregation discovered that generational stories were their only proof of ownership. The church quickly pursued deeds. However, it wasn’t the first time that the congregation became proactive about their possessions.
Both Union and Confederate forces occupied the church at different times during the Civil War. A lengthy struggle followed before the church property was returned to the congregation—or “violent rebels” as they were called by a military commander.
A group of ladies celebrated the church’s victory by painting Jehovah Jireh above the chapel pulpit, which translates as “the Lord would provide.” A new inscription of the words, Jehovah Jireh still hovers over the Presbyterian pulpit to inspire members as they struggle with 21st century challenges.
While Rader admits that suburban growth has hurt membership through the years, he thinks his close-knit congregation will remain loyal because of their heritage and the unique theological niche that they fill as a member of the Presbyterian Church (USA).
Despite Rader’s firm resolve, a congregational self-study is underway to determine the church’s future plans and, perhaps, how to minister to the new downtown prospects. At this point, Rader would just like to meet them. “I’ve gone around to most of the buildings that have condo units and you can’t get in… They have buzzers and locked doors,” he explains.
If and when Rader does find the new residents, he says his congregation will use spiritual discernment to determine their next step rather than a more common “programming change” strategy: “Let’s just build a church that looks like Wal-Mart…let’s have the simplest of hymns…and in three years, when trends change, let’s change everything again…” Rader explains.
The Tie that Binds
In the struggle to maintain a productive presence in downtown Knoxville, all of the church leaders seem to agree that a strong ecumenical relationship gives them an edge over other churches who operate independently.
The ecumenical bond is most visible at interdenominational services, which are held throughout the year. The close union is also manifested through the activities of the Knoxville Inner City Churches United for People, (KICCUP). In addition to the three churches featured in this story, the Immaculate Conception Catholic Church, St. John’s Cathedral and other mainline denominations in the downtown are members of KICCUP.
Through combined efforts, Buxton-Wade says churches can learn from one another’s strengths and, more importantly, dispel the doubts of many unbelievers who ask: “Why should I become a church member when you all argue all the time. If you can’t agree on anything, why do I want to be a part of that?”
Saturday, March 31, 2007
Mentoring Children
Another strategy for building relationships in the Center City is through public school mentoring. We partner with KidsHope USA to provide one-to-one mentoring for students at South Knoxville Elementary. Mentors are able to invite these children and their families to join us for programs at the church and still respect the boundaries of church and public school. Many of these families have received assistance through our Christmas Brunch, Halloween/Trunk or Treat program, and the Easter Eggstravaganza.
Meeting Needs in the Latino Community
Article by Alison Wingfield
Meeting Needs Where They Find Them
One thing leads to another. That’s what First Baptist Church, Knoxville, Tenn. found out when they decided to expand their ESOL program by providing transportation for first generation Latinos from an apartment complex. The ESOL program led to a Latino VBS which led to a revival which led to a Spanish-speaking Sunday school class which led to a Latino church—all within a year and a half.
“Things happen and we have to respond,” said Senior Pastor Bill Shiell. “The church has been really flexible.”
The impact of the church’s Latin ministry can be summed up in one person's experience. Dora, who was attending the church’s ESOL classes, came to the revival held at FBC by a team from Iglesia Bautista Shalom church of Houston. She was one of five who accepted Christ and was baptized at the end of the week.
When FBC started their Spanish-speaking Sunday school class, Dora attended the class. Soon after it started, Dora needed a new heart valve. Because she was an undocumented immigrant, she was not eligible for Medicare and couldn’t have the surgery. Pastor Shiell called church member Sandy Wisener, who had been a healthcare consultant. Wisener started making some phone calls and soon found the help Dora needed to pay for the operation.
“If you ask enough questions, it doesn’t matter how many times you are told ‘no’,” said Wisener. “Especially in this country, there are incredible resources. You just have to ask.”
“Dora wouldn’t be alive without an ESL class, and the revival,” noted Shiell. “It was one of those things that God does, a God moment.”
After helping Dora, the church realized they needed to continue their ministry by beginning a Latino church. “At that point, we said ‘I don’t know what we’re doing, but we are going to get this church going, because there are a thousand Doras out there,” said Shiell.
Armed with a grant from CBF and matching funds from FBC, bi-vocational pastor Victor Perez and his wife Patricia are now leading the new Latino church which meets every Sunday with 20 to 30 Latinos in attendance.
“We are here because the Lord brought us here,” said Perez. “CBF and FBC have been the most helpful and supportive columns in the building of this new church.”
While the churches meet separately on Sunday, everyone comes together on Wednesday night. “It’s what I call the meshing and mingling of the missions and social, the full circle effect on Wednesday night. We integrate this into our programming, so we can teach a missions lifestyle by modeling,” said Shiell. The Latino children sing in children’s choirs and go to missions alongside the mostly white FBC children.
Shiell realizes that immigration issues are a hot button topic right now. But the church is committed to helping whoever God puts in their path. “We might be able to do good with the prejudice issue,” he said. “Look what the love of Christ can do. It breaks down the walls in our hearts and theirs.”
And mends a broken heart valve.
Meeting Needs Where They Find Them
One thing leads to another. That’s what First Baptist Church, Knoxville, Tenn. found out when they decided to expand their ESOL program by providing transportation for first generation Latinos from an apartment complex. The ESOL program led to a Latino VBS which led to a revival which led to a Spanish-speaking Sunday school class which led to a Latino church—all within a year and a half.
“Things happen and we have to respond,” said Senior Pastor Bill Shiell. “The church has been really flexible.”
The impact of the church’s Latin ministry can be summed up in one person's experience. Dora, who was attending the church’s ESOL classes, came to the revival held at FBC by a team from Iglesia Bautista Shalom church of Houston. She was one of five who accepted Christ and was baptized at the end of the week.
When FBC started their Spanish-speaking Sunday school class, Dora attended the class. Soon after it started, Dora needed a new heart valve. Because she was an undocumented immigrant, she was not eligible for Medicare and couldn’t have the surgery. Pastor Shiell called church member Sandy Wisener, who had been a healthcare consultant. Wisener started making some phone calls and soon found the help Dora needed to pay for the operation.
“If you ask enough questions, it doesn’t matter how many times you are told ‘no’,” said Wisener. “Especially in this country, there are incredible resources. You just have to ask.”
“Dora wouldn’t be alive without an ESL class, and the revival,” noted Shiell. “It was one of those things that God does, a God moment.”
After helping Dora, the church realized they needed to continue their ministry by beginning a Latino church. “At that point, we said ‘I don’t know what we’re doing, but we are going to get this church going, because there are a thousand Doras out there,” said Shiell.
Armed with a grant from CBF and matching funds from FBC, bi-vocational pastor Victor Perez and his wife Patricia are now leading the new Latino church which meets every Sunday with 20 to 30 Latinos in attendance.
“We are here because the Lord brought us here,” said Perez. “CBF and FBC have been the most helpful and supportive columns in the building of this new church.”
While the churches meet separately on Sunday, everyone comes together on Wednesday night. “It’s what I call the meshing and mingling of the missions and social, the full circle effect on Wednesday night. We integrate this into our programming, so we can teach a missions lifestyle by modeling,” said Shiell. The Latino children sing in children’s choirs and go to missions alongside the mostly white FBC children.
Shiell realizes that immigration issues are a hot button topic right now. But the church is committed to helping whoever God puts in their path. “We might be able to do good with the prejudice issue,” he said. “Look what the love of Christ can do. It breaks down the walls in our hearts and theirs.”
And mends a broken heart valve.
Arts
Eastern University is a pioneer in this field.
Here's a link to some of their great work....
http://www.eastern.edu:93/academic/campolo/inst/urban/arts/index.shtml
BuildaBridge International connects youth workers, churches, communities, and volunteers to the Arts Community and finds a way to minister to the working poor.
http://www.buildabridge.org/index.php
Here is one example from Rochester, New York.....The Downtown United Presbyterian Church hosts an "Arts and Lunch" series.
http://www.dupc.org/a/downtown_arts_link.php
The Arts is another important part of center-city work. How do you use the arts in ministry?
Here's a link to some of their great work....
http://www.eastern.edu:93/academic/campolo/inst/urban/arts/index.shtml
BuildaBridge International connects youth workers, churches, communities, and volunteers to the Arts Community and finds a way to minister to the working poor.
http://www.buildabridge.org/index.php
Here is one example from Rochester, New York.....The Downtown United Presbyterian Church hosts an "Arts and Lunch" series.
http://www.dupc.org/a/downtown_arts_link.php
The Arts is another important part of center-city work. How do you use the arts in ministry?
Linking Volunteers with the Church
Empty nesters and the Creative Class want to change the world. They have plenty of time and resources to be used in organizations that serve others. What better place than to introduce them to relationships than through the church?
How do you link volunteers outside the church with ministries in the church? How do you mobilize members and attenders to serve in the community?
Our Community Minister has developed a project called Get Connected, a series of conversations to match the church family with service opportunities. Many people outside the church volunteered to assist during Disaster Relief.
Here's one church's way of linking youth to volunteer projects.....
How do you link volunteers outside the church with ministries in the church? How do you mobilize members and attenders to serve in the community?
Our Community Minister has developed a project called Get Connected, a series of conversations to match the church family with service opportunities. Many people outside the church volunteered to assist during Disaster Relief.
Here's one church's way of linking youth to volunteer projects.....
University Community- Sacred Space on Campus
University students are another component to the center city. They live in the downtown area as students and remain afterward as residents.
Sacred space on campus
By Manya A. Brachear
Chicago Tribune
March 02, 2007
As teenagers, Chris Wolff and Shae Statser turned away from church when they believed their churches had turned away from them. But God had no trouble finding them once they started college.
Now Wolff and Statser, both students at Columbia College, worship at their respective churches nearly every Sunday morning. And at a coffee shop in the South Loop on Tuesday nights they nosh on bagels and compare notes on what it's like to be a college Christian.
'I think college kids are afraid to go to church,' said Statser, a 21-year-old dance major. 'I think there's a whole mask college students put on when they go to church. ... People don't think they can be who they are because somebody's going to judge you.'
Facing this fear head on and filling a void at urban campuses in the city's South Loop, Chicago's Episcopal and Evangelical Lutheran churches have joined forces to serve students such as Wolff and Statser--more than 25,000 in all at Roosevelt University, Columbia College, the Art Institute, DePaul University and Robert Morris College.
Dubbed the South Loop Campus Ministry, the project aims to create a safe space for young people to ask questions about their faith, meet other faithful young adults and encourage an appreciation for the liturgy shared by the Episcopal and Lutheran denominations. Grace Episcopal Church, 637 S. Dearborn St., serves as a central sanctuary for the group.
Studies show that despite strong spiritual commitment during the teen years, most 20-somethings--the most skeptical age group in the U.S.--pull away from churches, particularly during the 'college years.' According to Christian polling firm The Barna Group, more than 60 percent of young adults surveyed who were churchgoers in their adolescence are no longer connected to a Christian community.
'Many people see [serving students] as an extra ministry--more like icing on the cake rather than the cake itself,' said Heidi Murken, a seminarian at Lutheran School of Theology who serves as a mentor for the urban campus ministry. 'I think we're shooting ourselves in the foot if we don't invest in the time when people can often stop going to church. I think it's not a good move for the future.'
The Episcopal and Lutheran denominations have been in full communion since 2000, meaning their theology and mission are similar enough that they can share worship together and share communion. That bond is what draws the students for discussion every Tuesday, even though they worship at the churches of their choice on Sundays.
The two denominations also share long histories of college ministry. Both have offered ministries for college-age students at the University of Chicago and Northwestern University for more than 50 years.
But Murken acknowledges there are challenges to campus ministry. The population changes from year to year, and most of the students are on a limited budget. As a result, the local denominations have not invested in Chicago's urban campuses, causing students to turn to non-denominational groups such as Campus Crusade for Christ and InterVarsity Christian Fellowship for spiritual formation.
Incentive to launch a ministry downtown came with the construction of the University Center, a 4,000-bed residential tower that has helped stabilize the student population at the five South Loop schools. Sue Cromer, a canon in charge of youth ministries for the Episcopal Diocese of Chicago, said the ministry also offers a chance for students to slow down for a spiritual education.
'We can offer quiet contemplative space that they don't always get other places,' Cromer said. 'People don't get: `What is the relevance of my faith and the relevance of God in my world on my campus?' You need that quiet so you can hear what God is calling you to do. It's when you slow down looking for God that you find that next step, that next connection.'
Marcus Pera, coordinator for Midwest campus ministries for the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, said the Chicago project could serve as a model for other urban, commuter campuses.
'We speak of it as a missionary outpost of the church,' he said. 'The young adult population is the most unchurched age group in the country and not only unchurched but de-churched, meaning they're a heck of a lot of people that were brought up in the church but no longer walk with it for a whole assortment of reasons.'
A confirmed Lutheran, Wolff, 20, said he had grown bored with the monotony of the liturgy and unsatisfied by the reluctance of other youth groups to welcome questions.
While he enjoys worshiping with the youth at his evangelical community church and praying and singing with InterVarsity Christian Fellowship, a non-denominational group on campus, he relishes the candid and often analytical conversation that takes place when the South Loop group gets together.
'It's always good to question something and then look into it and see how you feel about it and talk to other Christians about different ideas,' Wolff said. 'It's all about growing in your faith and learning as well.'
On one recent Tuesday over bagels, Statser posed the question: 'Who came up with the definition of Christianity? Where did all this come from?'
Murken got out her laptop and typed in Nicene Creed to fuel the discussion. Jess Elfring, a 21-year-old acting major at Columbia, pulled out a medieval European history text.
At other non-denominational campus ministries, Elfring said she felt judged for not having Bible verses memorized.
'If you open it up like that, you're going to get more young adults to come,' she said. 'This is my chance to connect with people like myself."
FBC Knoxville offers a lunch Bible study (designed intentionally for students who are members of Bedside Baptist) that follows our 11:00 a.m. service.
What ideas can you suggest for reaching university students....
Sacred space on campus
By Manya A. Brachear
Chicago Tribune
March 02, 2007
As teenagers, Chris Wolff and Shae Statser turned away from church when they believed their churches had turned away from them. But God had no trouble finding them once they started college.
Now Wolff and Statser, both students at Columbia College, worship at their respective churches nearly every Sunday morning. And at a coffee shop in the South Loop on Tuesday nights they nosh on bagels and compare notes on what it's like to be a college Christian.
'I think college kids are afraid to go to church,' said Statser, a 21-year-old dance major. 'I think there's a whole mask college students put on when they go to church. ... People don't think they can be who they are because somebody's going to judge you.'
Facing this fear head on and filling a void at urban campuses in the city's South Loop, Chicago's Episcopal and Evangelical Lutheran churches have joined forces to serve students such as Wolff and Statser--more than 25,000 in all at Roosevelt University, Columbia College, the Art Institute, DePaul University and Robert Morris College.
Dubbed the South Loop Campus Ministry, the project aims to create a safe space for young people to ask questions about their faith, meet other faithful young adults and encourage an appreciation for the liturgy shared by the Episcopal and Lutheran denominations. Grace Episcopal Church, 637 S. Dearborn St., serves as a central sanctuary for the group.
Studies show that despite strong spiritual commitment during the teen years, most 20-somethings--the most skeptical age group in the U.S.--pull away from churches, particularly during the 'college years.' According to Christian polling firm The Barna Group, more than 60 percent of young adults surveyed who were churchgoers in their adolescence are no longer connected to a Christian community.
'Many people see [serving students] as an extra ministry--more like icing on the cake rather than the cake itself,' said Heidi Murken, a seminarian at Lutheran School of Theology who serves as a mentor for the urban campus ministry. 'I think we're shooting ourselves in the foot if we don't invest in the time when people can often stop going to church. I think it's not a good move for the future.'
The Episcopal and Lutheran denominations have been in full communion since 2000, meaning their theology and mission are similar enough that they can share worship together and share communion. That bond is what draws the students for discussion every Tuesday, even though they worship at the churches of their choice on Sundays.
The two denominations also share long histories of college ministry. Both have offered ministries for college-age students at the University of Chicago and Northwestern University for more than 50 years.
But Murken acknowledges there are challenges to campus ministry. The population changes from year to year, and most of the students are on a limited budget. As a result, the local denominations have not invested in Chicago's urban campuses, causing students to turn to non-denominational groups such as Campus Crusade for Christ and InterVarsity Christian Fellowship for spiritual formation.
Incentive to launch a ministry downtown came with the construction of the University Center, a 4,000-bed residential tower that has helped stabilize the student population at the five South Loop schools. Sue Cromer, a canon in charge of youth ministries for the Episcopal Diocese of Chicago, said the ministry also offers a chance for students to slow down for a spiritual education.
'We can offer quiet contemplative space that they don't always get other places,' Cromer said. 'People don't get: `What is the relevance of my faith and the relevance of God in my world on my campus?' You need that quiet so you can hear what God is calling you to do. It's when you slow down looking for God that you find that next step, that next connection.'
Marcus Pera, coordinator for Midwest campus ministries for the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, said the Chicago project could serve as a model for other urban, commuter campuses.
'We speak of it as a missionary outpost of the church,' he said. 'The young adult population is the most unchurched age group in the country and not only unchurched but de-churched, meaning they're a heck of a lot of people that were brought up in the church but no longer walk with it for a whole assortment of reasons.'
A confirmed Lutheran, Wolff, 20, said he had grown bored with the monotony of the liturgy and unsatisfied by the reluctance of other youth groups to welcome questions.
While he enjoys worshiping with the youth at his evangelical community church and praying and singing with InterVarsity Christian Fellowship, a non-denominational group on campus, he relishes the candid and often analytical conversation that takes place when the South Loop group gets together.
'It's always good to question something and then look into it and see how you feel about it and talk to other Christians about different ideas,' Wolff said. 'It's all about growing in your faith and learning as well.'
On one recent Tuesday over bagels, Statser posed the question: 'Who came up with the definition of Christianity? Where did all this come from?'
Murken got out her laptop and typed in Nicene Creed to fuel the discussion. Jess Elfring, a 21-year-old acting major at Columbia, pulled out a medieval European history text.
At other non-denominational campus ministries, Elfring said she felt judged for not having Bible verses memorized.
'If you open it up like that, you're going to get more young adults to come,' she said. 'This is my chance to connect with people like myself."
FBC Knoxville offers a lunch Bible study (designed intentionally for students who are members of Bedside Baptist) that follows our 11:00 a.m. service.
What ideas can you suggest for reaching university students....
The Business Class
Another group in the city is the business class. These people drive into the city to work every day.
Here's one idea from Atlanta....
Groups feed women's minds, spirits
Food for Thought and its sister program, Lunch Encounters, present thoughtful events that fit in with busy lives.
By H.M. Cauley
For the Journal-Constitution
Published on: 03/29/07
Sometimes more really is better. Take the case of the monthly women's program Food for Thought. The third-Thursday lunchtime meeting brings business and executive women from around downtown and Midtown to North Avenue Presbyterian Church, where they spend an hour being inspired, motivated and stimulated by thought-provoking speakers.
The idea was such a good one, and so successful, that some of its participants decided Buckhead women needed the same kind of event. The result is the recently organized Lunch Encounters, held for one hour on the second Wednesday of the month at Second-Ponce de Leon Baptist church.
Organizers of the two programs agree that the meetings fill a need for women of all faiths from across the city.
"This is definitely a ministry to the community; it's not designed to be an on-ramp to the church," said Ann Carter McDonald, a 34-year member of North Avenue and the founding force behind Food for Thought. "We wanted this to be broad in its outreach, not just denominational, but a sort of a front porch to the church. It's a place to consider what it means to integrate faith into life without a denominational or liberal/conservative bent. It's also a wonderful way to bring women of different races together."
Since it started 10 years ago, Food for Thought has been faithful to its original goal, said Carter McDonald.
"In a low-key way, we wanted to expose people to ways to integrate their faith with their work and to be exposed to other Christians who were doing that," she said. "Then we saw there were many people out on our sidewalks at the noon hour —- many women in the workplace that the local churches had not paid a lot of attention to. We wanted to create a place of respite, a relaxing place and where people would be challenged; where they could find Christians engaged in thinking about the same things they were thinking about."
The organizers also knew the event had to be time-sensitive to fit into busy working women's schedules. And the speakers had to bring some insight or idea that would stay with them after they left the church. Among the many who have taken the podium are Atlanta Mayor Shirley Franklin; Chick-fil-A owner Truett Cathy; Georgia first lady Mary Perdue; and developer John Wieland and his wife, Sue. There's time before and after the talk for women to network and mingle and to sit down to a $6 boxed lunch from Panera Bread.
From an initial group of about 80, Food for Thought has drawn more than 200 on occasion. And it continues to grow.
At First Baptist Knoxville, we have a seasonal ministry called the Bridge. 100-150 people attend a weekly lunch and Bible study. Judges, paralegals, educators, administrators, retirees, volunteers, and public servants attend. Most attend other churches; very few attend our church on a Sunday morning but connect with us each week.
Offer your suggestions or ideas.....
Here's one idea from Atlanta....
Groups feed women's minds, spirits
Food for Thought and its sister program, Lunch Encounters, present thoughtful events that fit in with busy lives.
By H.M. Cauley
For the Journal-Constitution
Published on: 03/29/07
Sometimes more really is better. Take the case of the monthly women's program Food for Thought. The third-Thursday lunchtime meeting brings business and executive women from around downtown and Midtown to North Avenue Presbyterian Church, where they spend an hour being inspired, motivated and stimulated by thought-provoking speakers.
The idea was such a good one, and so successful, that some of its participants decided Buckhead women needed the same kind of event. The result is the recently organized Lunch Encounters, held for one hour on the second Wednesday of the month at Second-Ponce de Leon Baptist church.
Organizers of the two programs agree that the meetings fill a need for women of all faiths from across the city.
"This is definitely a ministry to the community; it's not designed to be an on-ramp to the church," said Ann Carter McDonald, a 34-year member of North Avenue and the founding force behind Food for Thought. "We wanted this to be broad in its outreach, not just denominational, but a sort of a front porch to the church. It's a place to consider what it means to integrate faith into life without a denominational or liberal/conservative bent. It's also a wonderful way to bring women of different races together."
Since it started 10 years ago, Food for Thought has been faithful to its original goal, said Carter McDonald.
"In a low-key way, we wanted to expose people to ways to integrate their faith with their work and to be exposed to other Christians who were doing that," she said. "Then we saw there were many people out on our sidewalks at the noon hour —- many women in the workplace that the local churches had not paid a lot of attention to. We wanted to create a place of respite, a relaxing place and where people would be challenged; where they could find Christians engaged in thinking about the same things they were thinking about."
The organizers also knew the event had to be time-sensitive to fit into busy working women's schedules. And the speakers had to bring some insight or idea that would stay with them after they left the church. Among the many who have taken the podium are Atlanta Mayor Shirley Franklin; Chick-fil-A owner Truett Cathy; Georgia first lady Mary Perdue; and developer John Wieland and his wife, Sue. There's time before and after the talk for women to network and mingle and to sit down to a $6 boxed lunch from Panera Bread.
From an initial group of about 80, Food for Thought has drawn more than 200 on occasion. And it continues to grow.
At First Baptist Knoxville, we have a seasonal ministry called the Bridge. 100-150 people attend a weekly lunch and Bible study. Judges, paralegals, educators, administrators, retirees, volunteers, and public servants attend. Most attend other churches; very few attend our church on a Sunday morning but connect with us each week.
Offer your suggestions or ideas.....
People in the City
As cities are renewed, three kinds of people move in, the Creative Class, Empty Nesters, and the Working Poor.
Creative Class- young professionals, 20somethings, single and married adults
Empty Nesters- people whose kids have left for college
Working Poor- people transitioning from homelessness into a permanent living arrangement
Creative Class- young professionals, 20somethings, single and married adults
Empty Nesters- people whose kids have left for college
Working Poor- people transitioning from homelessness into a permanent living arrangement
Renewing the Church in the City
Many of us are committed to ministering in the heart of the city. Every church is different, and most are not church plants. They are existing churches desiring to be renewed and to reach the Creative Class, Empty Nesters, the Poor, and anyone else in the neighborhood. This is a place to exchange ideas, share what's working, and link to other resources.
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