Regional Synod of Canada - Reformed Church in America

Pioneer Christian Monthly

Date - July/90

Contributor - Rev. Chris Plateel

Title - Dropping In On The Dropouts

Topic -Ministering

In the last decade mainline denominations in North America have become concerned about church dropout. The 1950's and '60's were years of expansion and growth. In the 1970's most mainline denominations experienced a decline, which for some has continued into the 1980's. People who had come into the front door of the church, were streaming out by the back door. Church leaders have been baffled about what to do about these "dropouts".

Studies by John S. Savage and Gordon Bruce Turner have shown that church members who become "inactive" are not necessarily nonbelievers. Many of them were "believers, but not belongers."

A look at the Scriptures reveals a variety of possible responses to those who become inactive.

1. In John 15:1-6, God is portrayed as the gardener who cuts off any branches that do not produce fruit. Anyone who does not remain in God withers and is thrown into the fire. This is a hard-line approach and requires accountability.

2. In Luke 13:6-9, the owner of a fig tree wants to have it cut down because it has not produced fruit for three years. The caretaker, however, recommends that it be left for one more year in the hope that with a stirring of the soil and some fertilizer, it may still produce. This is a second-chance approach. A number of denominations, like the RCA, place members on the Inactive list and then require at least a year of further ministry to try to bring the member back.

3. In Matthew 13:24-30, the weeds, rather than being pulled out, are allowed to grow up with the wheat until the harvest time and then they will be gathered and burned. Several denominations, as well as many RCA congregations, leave members on their rolls indefinitely, leaving the judgment up to God.

4. In Luke 15:3-7, the shepherd leaves the 99 sheep in the wilderness to search for the one that has gone astray, until he finds it. Then he celebrates. In this model the sheep nibbles itself lost, the flock remains uninvolved, and the shepherd puts all his energy into finding the lost sheep, even at the expense of the flock.

5. In Luke 15:11-24, the father allows his foolish son to run off until he comes to his senses. He awaits his return and greets him with open arms. In this "tough love" model, the father allows his son the freedom to fail and discover the emptiness of life outside, and also the time to come to his senses and return on his own.

These parables are descriptive of how churches and inactives behave. All of these must be considered by the church leaders in deciding on a course of action in searching for the strayed sheep.

"Who is a "Dropout" or "Inactive"?

We are looking at a process of leaving:

- the persons who once considered themselves to belong to the group, now see themselves more and more on the outside.

- the person who once attended faithfully and participated fully is now losing interest and withdrawing.

- the person who supported the church with money, time, energy and attitude, now is withdrawing their support and investing it elsewhere (whether that be another group, the family, or some club).

One interesting and crucial factor indicated in the research is that Inactives and Dropouts are pain-filled people. They did not go easily. With a great deal of heartache and turmoil they have been cut off from what was important to them.

Another factor so often the case, is that we, the fellow members, have ignored their cries for help. We have not taken the time or the interest in listening to their deeper pain; and many times we have screened them out, left them outside of our friendships, fellowship and activities.

Why do People become Inactive and Drop Out?

Surprisingly, the church is often not the cause that leads people to drift away. Yet the church does fall short in most cases, in ministering to them.

The Alban Institute has produced a fascinating study entitled, "When People Seek the Church". It reports research with people in the 25 - 40 age bracket. One important discovery touched on the common pattern of dropping out of the church when a person reached a certain age (usually about 18). The period of non-involvement usually lasts about 8 years, with the great majority returning to church at 26 or 27 years of age. (The Alban Institute, Mt. St. Alban, Washington, D.C. 20016, publication No.64).

A study by Gordon Bruce Turner' in an Oshawa church, through in-depth interviews with 25 families identified the following reasons for leaving:

- 36% The church was not meeting their personal needs

- 36% Their lifestyle was changing (family, work, vocation, leisure)

- 12% They received inadequate ministry in times of crisis

- 8% They were going through a crisis in their faith

- 8% There was conflict with their pastor or church

Robert L. Bast in the March, '87 edition of Good News, quotes results from an American Lutheran Church study on the causes of church dropouts:

The top three factors identified as causes were:

- the church placing too much emphasis on money (55%)

- worship services that are not meaningful (50%)

- dissatisfaction with pastor (47%)

Once a person begins to drop out (itself a cry for help, hoping that someone will come and hear them), there is a 6 - 8 week window of time in which ministry can most effectively take place.

Factors that would bring Inactives back to the congregation were prioritized as:

- Effective Biblical preaching

- Care and response from the congregation in times of need and crisis

- Quality educational opportunities

- Effective youth ministry programs

- Congregational outreach to people with special needs.

I would wonder about the depth of the study made in the ALC, since the dropout causes appear superficial and seem to miss the root causes identified in other studies where in-depth interviews were made.

John S. Savage's research on why people leave the church is described in his book as the "Dropout Track"2. People encounter some "Anxiety-Provoking Event" (APE) within the family, with other families, with the Pastor or with their work. This anxiety may be Reality (actual event), Moral, Neurotic (imagined) or Existential (loss of life or meaning) in nature.

As the anxiety level rises, with repeated or similar events, cries for help are communicated. These may be very direct and obvious' or they may be indirect, non-verbal and subtle. If people do not respond with help, anger results and may lead to behaviour changes (attendance, giving, resignations). Persons then become bored or apathetic, withdraw (dropout) from church, seal off their pain, and eventually reinvest their interests elsewhere - since coming back will trigger the pain that they have sealed off.

Once the person begins to drop out (itself a cry for help, hoping that someone will come and hear them), there is a 6 - 8 week window of time in which ministry can most effectively take place to deal with the anxiety and anger,, and so recover the member. After this time it becomes more difficult to bring resolution.

Those who go calling on the Inactives and Dropouts and really listen to them will become the targets of the anger that is uncorked. This is why few people are willing to visit Inactives. It is tough! Members, Elders and Pastors need training in listening and visitation skills, as well as a support group for encouragement and debriefing, in addition to a deep love and commitment to the people in the church, in order to survive this ministry.

If it is so tough, why bother?

Because of the energy needed and the price paid by those who visit to recover the Inactives, some feel that this ministry should not have priority in the life of the church. Both Lyle Schaller and Peter Wagner (in personal conversation), have expressed reservations about the ministry to the Inactives. The same energy and dedication expended in evangelism and new-member assimilation have much greater productivity. Perhaps such thinking is clouded by an overemphasis on statistics and numbers in the church growth movement. Is faithfulness to God's calling measured by growth in membership? by the easiness of ministry? by perseverance in caring for members?

If a congregation does take seriously their ministry to recover the Inactives, it will need to be willing to change. When people return to the church, both they and the church need to renegotiate their expectations of one another. The church will need to become more tolerant rather than uniform, more inclusive rather than ethnic, and more accepting and loving rather than self-centred.

What if a congregation does take this ministry seriously and loses leaders who are burned out by visiting the Inactives? The solution likely lies in a balanced ministry with proper equipping. For the church: both Outreach and Evangelism as well as Retrieving the Inactives. For the ministering members: both visits with new members and faithful members as well as with Inactives and Dropouts.

How can one receive training?

Stephen Ministry, Dr. Kenneth Haugk, provides a broad training program for equipping leaders for ministry. It includes a short module on Listening Skills in their "Stephen Series" program.

They have just come out with a new course, "Caring for Inactive Members." This course takes a three-fold approach of Prevention, Ministry and Welcoming Home.

Leader's Planning Set: $49.85 US. (I personally am not acquainted with this course) Contact Stephen Ministries, 1325 Boland, St. Louis, MO 63117.

Lead Consultant, Dr. John S. Savage, provides a variety of training workshops. Their main course is "Skills for Calling and Caring Ministries." Lab 1, a 40-hour workshop, equips people to call on the Inactives. Lab II, a further workshop, trains leaders to hold Lab I workshops. Training workshops are held in various locations. Rev. Roeland Hartmans with Nancy Dennis of Woodstock, as well as Rev. Chris Platteel with a CRC Elder of Toronto have held training workshops in the past years.

Contact Lead Consultants Inc., P. 0. Box 664, Reynoldsbrug, Ohio 43068 for information and training schedule.

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