A Traditional Approach to Growth
In county seat town of Douglas, St. Andrew’s Church is experiencing slow, steady growth. As is generally the case, the church’s rector, the Rev. Curtis Mears cites no one factor contributing to their rise from an Average Sunday Attendance (ASA) of 59 in 2009, 69 in 2010, and 81 in 2011. A number of things have led to the two years of growth of 37%, which far outpaces the 3.3% population growth of the area over the five year period in which these years fell.
In the past year, the congregation received conditional approval to use the 1928 Prayer Book for the principal services (allowing that one service a week, which could be a weekday, would remain a Rite I liturgy from the current prayer book). The condition was that this would be reviewed after three years and continued use would be approved if the change had assisted in the growth of the church. Mears notes that he has spent considerable time and effort to present the parish with sermons and Christian Education opportunities to understand the content of and purpose behind the liturgy and lectionary. As one parishioner put it, the Sunday and Special Day services have a “refreshing air of reverence.”
As for the last year, the Vestry and many leaders at St. Andrew’s Church intentionally made a bold and expanded effort to grow our Christian Education Program by moving most classes to Wednesday Night in conjunction with an After School Program and Family Supper. Mears says that “Although this has not directly contributed to ASA, it has brought several to a deeper level of involvement and commitment that is reflected in the ASA.”
Finally, as seems to always be true in sustained church growth, a renewed interest in and level of pastoral care is also helping.
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Mears says, “I do believe with all my heart that the traditional approach to the Gospel and Liturgy are the greatest assets we have to fulfill the Great Commission and lead true seekers into a closer relation with our God and Saviour.” In bringing St. Andrews back to earlier levels of attendance and slightly beyond, he is showing that this is possible in a county seat town in south Georgia.
As the remaining Parochial Reports come in, I will be highlighting places where numeric growth is occuring, just as we highlighted ministries making a difference at the convention.
The Rev. Frank Logue
Canon to the Ordinary
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